(Photo PSA)
England’s rising star Jonah Bryant earned his first-ever victory over fellow countryman and former World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy to advance to the quarter finals of the Milwaukee Hong Kong Squash Open 2025.
The 20-year-old, who’s ranked at 14 in the PSA World Rankings, lost out to former World Champion ElShorbagy earlier this season at the London Squash Classic 2025.
Despite ElShorbagy saving two of his compatriot’s match balls in the third and converting his own game ball opportunity, Bryant managed to avenge the earlier defeat with a 11-7, 11-7, 11-13, 11-5 victory at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.
“I’m really happy, this is my third big quarter-final this year and obviously a tough opponent today in Mohamed. It’s always a big match coming through against a legend of the sport like Mohamed,” he said.
“I think in London I got stuck behind him from the start of the match, and then he was in front which led to some quick lasting rallies. I thought today that if I was to lose any rallies, they were going to have to be long ones.
“I’ve had a big break between the U.S. Open and here, so I have had a good six-week block of training where I put a lot of hard work through.
“It’s a massive opportunity for both me and Leonel [Cardenas to get through to the semi-finals]. I was in this situation in Qatar a couple of months ago, so we’ll both give it everything and we will see who comes out on top.”
Bryant will meet Leonel Cardenas in the last eight after the Mexican was awarded a walkover victory due to Joel Makin withdrawing because of a knee injury. Top seed and defending champion Mostafa Asal also received a walkover after Mazen Hesham also withdrew due to injury.
Asal takes on Frenchman Victor Crouin in the quarter finals on Thursday evening after the World No.8 took down teenage star Mohamad Zakaria in straight games.
In the women’s side of the draw, Sabrina Sobhy progressed to her first Platinum quarter-final since February 2024 after comfortably dispatching Kenzy Ayman 3-0.
Sobhy, who defeated her older sister Amanda in five games yesterday, produced a clinical performance to win 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 over the Egyptian to earn her first appearance in the last eight of a Platinum since the Windy City Open nearly two years ago.
Eight-time World Champion Nour ElSherbini awaits in the quarter finals for Sobhy following her 3-0 success over fellow Egyptian Hana Ramadan.
Two-time Hong Kong champion Hania El Hammamy defeated Tesni Murphy 3-1, while her quarter-final opponent Sivasangari Subramaniam won by the same scoreline against Melissa Alves.
RESULTS
Women’s Round Two: [1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt. Tesni Murphy (WAL) 3-1: 11-6, 11-2, 7-11, 11-8 (43m); [7] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt. Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-1: 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7 (32m); Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt. Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (21m); [3] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt. Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (27m)
Men’s Round Two: 1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) W/O Mazen Hesham (EGY); [7] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt. Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-6 (49m); Jonah Bryant (ENG) bt. [6] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 11-7, 11-13, 11-5 (50m); Leonel Cardenas (MEX) W/O [3] Joel Makin (WAL)
