Chan Sin Yuk (Photo PSA)
Chan Sin Yuk sensationally saved two match balls to defeat Nada Abbas in a five-game battle to reach round three of the British Open squash championships in Birmingham.
Sin Yuk, who’s through to the third round of a Diamond-level event for the first time, was 2-1 down and trailing 10-8 in the fourth before she equalised at 10-10 and converted in the tiebreak to level the match at Solihull Arden Club.
The World No.28 pushed on in the fifth to complete the comeback, as the Hong Konger sealed a 14-12, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5 win in 56 minutes.
“I’m feeling great, I was two match balls down and I am so glad that I made it to the third round,” she said.
“I was actually feeling lighter when I was 8-10 in the fourth, I don’t know why but I had so much more energy at that point and I kept telling myself that I could come back and kept saying it in my mind.
“I kept pushing through and continued in the fifth as well – I tried not to lose focus and I’m glad I sorted the fifth with the lead and finished it.
“I have never played at the Rep Theatre before. I watched my teammate Alex Lau play there and the venue was great and there is a huge audience as well so I am just looking forward to playing there.”
England No.1 Gina Kennedy kicked off her 2026 British Open campaign with a comfortable 3-0 success over Malak Khafagy on the glass court at the Rep Theatre.
Kennedy, a two-time quarter-finalist at the British Open, comprehensively dispatched the Egyptian 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 to tee up a third round clash with Sivasangari Subramaniam on Wednesday, with the Malaysian overcoming England’s Lucy Turmel 3-1.
“She [Khafagy] is such a dangerous player, and I know she has been at college like I was. I’m not sure she has graduated this year or not but I know when she fully comes onto the Tour she will shoot up straight up the rankings so it’s great to get this experience,” she said.
“I’ve been on Tour a while now and I think last season I was struggling to find that form, so I think I needed something new and Rod [Martin] was the perfect addition.”
Elsewhere, Declan James mounted a stunning comeback from 2-1 down to defeat Mohamed Abouelghar.
James, who’s never been beyond round two of this tournament before, will meet former two-time champion Paul Coll in round three on Wednesday after prevailing in a 70-minute epic by a 11-7, 8-11, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10 scoreline.
“I’m really relieved – it was a brutal match and Abou [Mohamed Abouelghar] is such a good player, very skilful so it makes you do a lot of movements and give you errors as well,” he said afterwards.
“We’ve had a couple of 3-2s so I knew what to expect going into it and hanging on at times and trying to stay in the match. It was about weathering the storm, but I am happy with how I finished the fifth game.
“I had to treat the fifth like any other game, because the emotions are so high and you’re fatigued so it’s very hard.”
James’s round three opponent Coll downed home favourite Sam Todd in straight games at the Rep Theatre.
Yahya Elnawasany also staged a thrilling fightback to earn his spot in the next round, overturning a 2-1 deficit to beat Dimitri Steinmann 3-2 after 80 pulsating minutes.
“It was a tough, tough battle and I thought I celebrated it too soon, as I was 10-4 up in the fifth and I thought that was it!” he said.
“He [Dimitri Steinmann] came up and he was incredible to play six more points and then suddenly it was 10-10 again. The tension builds up and up again and I am glad I could hold myself in the last couple of points. I am really glad to go through.”
Results
Men’s Round Two (bottom half)
[4] Karim Gawad (EGY) bt. Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (47m)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt. Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (41m)
Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt. Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-2: 9-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 12-10 (80m)
[8] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt. Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 13-11 (33m)
[5] Joel Makin (WAL) bt. Veer Chotrani (IND) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-3 (39m)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt. Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-2 (36m)
Declan James (ENG) bt. [13] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 3-2: 11-7, 8-11, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10 (70m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt. Sam Todd (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 12-10 (53m)
Women’s Round Two (bottom half)
[4] Olivia Weaver (USA) bt. Aira Azman (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 (20m)
Nele Gilis (BEL) bt. Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (36m)
Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt. Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 (38m)
[6] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt. Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) 3-1: 11-2, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6 (38m)
[5] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt. Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-1: 10-12, 11-2, 11-8, 11-9 (46m)
Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt. Malak Khafagy (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (34m)
Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt. [15] Nada Abbas (EGY) 3-2: 14-12, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5 (56m)
[2] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt. Hana Moataz (EGY) 3-1: 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 (33m)
