El Gouna, April 7: Indian squash player Abhay Singh suffered a setback in the second round of the PSA Platinum tournament, the El Gouna Open, losing to Egypt’s Yusuf Ibrahim. Despite battling a shoulder injury, Ibrahim triumphed in a thrilling five-game match, winning 3-2 in 68 minutes with scores of 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, and 11-8.
Earlier, Abhay had a strong start, defeating Egypt’s World No. 13, Ali Abu Elenin, in the opening round with a scoreline of 9-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-4, and 11-8. On the third day of the tournament, World No. 4 Karim Gawad secured a hard-fought victory against fellow Egyptian Yusuf Soliman in a match that lasted 109 minutes. This was Gawad’s longest match on the PSA Squash Tour since 2013. The 34-year-old maintained his composure, coming back from a 1-2 deficit to win 5-11, 14-12, 8-11, 11-8, and 11-9.
In another highlight, World No. 2 Paul Coll delivered an impressive performance against Malaysia’s top player, Ean Yo Ng, winning decisively with scores of 11-7, 11-2, and 11-8, thus advancing to the quarter-finals where he will face Yusuf Ibrahim.
Mohammad Zakariya, ranked No. 8 in the world, continued his dominance against Joel Mackin, avenging his earlier defeat at the Australian Open. The 18-year-old World Junior Champion defeated the fifth-seeded Mackin in straight games, with scores of 11-6, 11-5, and 11-5.
In the women’s category, World No. 2 Nour El Sherbini showcased her exceptional form by defeating Melissa Alves and securing her place in the quarter-finals. The eight-time World Champion displayed precise and stunning performance throughout the match, winning 11-3 and 11-7.
In another match, World No. 4 Olivia Weaver faced Egypt’s Farida Mohamed. Although Farida started strong, Olivia made a comeback, winning the match 3-1 in four games with scores of 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, and 11-8, thus advancing to the quarter-finals.
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