CIB Black Ball Open Day 2 Roundup: El Hammamy Survives Aitken Take a look at

Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy prevented a shock exit on day two of the CIB PSA Black Ball Squash Open, PSA World Tour Platinum as she overcame Scotland’s Lisa Aitken in a nail-biting five-game battle at Cairo’s Black Ball Sporting Membership.

World No.5 El Hammamy, 20, was a runner-up at this event again in December, whereas she claimed her maiden Platinum title by successful the CIB Black Ball Open in March, 2020. Nevertheless, her robust run of type at this venue was underneath menace as she struggled to see off a tenacious Aitken, who battled away and made a sequence of spectacular retrievals to ship the match to a fifth recreation.

El Hammamy’s high quality was evident although within the fifth as she put her opponent underneath relentless stress and she or he finally closed out the win by an 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 margin to arrange a 3rd spherical conflict with India’s Joshna Chinappa.

“It was undoubtedly a tricky match as we speak,” El Hammamy stated.

“Lisa took me abruptly, to be trustworthy. I wouldn’t say I performed my greatest however I’m glad to get by means of. All credit score to Lisa, she could be very proficient and she or he actually performed effectively as we speak.

“I managed to push to the top. I didn’t quit at some factors when Lisa was actually in management and I used to be behind her. She had an excellent plan and the constructive factor was that I discovered a technique to get by means of it. With the stress and taking part in five-gamers within the first spherical, it gave me the sensation of taking part in within the remaining, nevertheless it was barely totally different.”

Earlier within the day, USA’s World No.33 Olivia Fiechter booked her spot within the third spherical of a Platinum occasion for the primary time in her profession after she overcame France’s Melissa Alves in an enthralling five-game contest.

It was a gargantuan contest between the 2, with Fiechter squandering two match balls within the third as World No.31 Alves dug in and took the match to a deciding recreation. It was Fiechter’s flip to battle again from the brink within the fifth recreation although as she saved three match balls to lastly get the higher hand within the fixture and she or he quickly struck a deadly blow to win it.

“She’s an enormous fighter and I’m simply so happy to drag that out, it actually got here all the way down to the top there,” stated Fiechter.

“I used to be actually simply attempting to give attention to my respiration and attempting to guarantee that I hit shot-by-shot. I used to be attempting to take it step-by-step and break it down fairly than attempting to consider ending the match.”

Fiechter will play defending champion Sarah-Jane Perry for a spot within the quarter-finals after Perry dispatched Egypt’s Mariam Metwally in straight video games.

Perry, who gained the latest Black Ball Open in December, stated: “I’ve gained a few different tournaments after successful them the earlier 12 months and I’m taking that for this one as effectively as a result of they’re totally different calendar years, despite the fact that it’s actually the subsequent event, so it’s a bit totally different.

“Clearly all the pieces is totally different with the COVID guidelines and that however the PSA have finished a fantastic job, so I’m simply attempting to tick all of the bins with my preparation after which see what I can do on courtroom.”

World No.1 Nour El Sherbini additionally started her event with a massively spectacular dismantling of USA’s No.Three Sabrina Sobhy, which noticed the two-time runner-up win 3-Zero in simply 22 minutes.

“Each time I come right here, I all the time wish to put my title on the trophy nevertheless it by no means occurs,” stated El Sherbini.

“I’ll do my greatest this week and let’s hope I accomplish that. It wasn’t an excellent one for me final time so it’s exhausting for me mentally to come back again and to play the identical opponents as effectively. I’m working exhausting on my psychological recreation.”

El Sherbini will play Belgium’s Tinne Gilis subsequent after she acquired the higher of Wales’ Emily Whitlock, whereas there have been additionally wins for Joelle King and Nadine Shahin, who beat the upper ranked Yathreb Adel in 5 video games.

The second spherical continues tomorrow (March 14) and play begins at 11:00 (GMT+2). The entire motion will probably be proven reside on SQUASHTV and the official Fb web page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe & Japan).

For extra info on the 2021 CIB PSA Black Ball Squash Open, go to the event web site or observe the occasion on Twitter and Fb.

Outcomes – Second Spherical (High Half): Girls’s 2021 CIB PSA Black Ball Squash Open
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (22m)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Emily Whitlock (WAL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (30m)
Olivia Fiechter (USA) bt Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-2: 4-11, 11-9, 11-2, 12-14, 15-13 (62m)
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 12-10, 11-6 (30m)
[7] Joelle King (NZL) bt Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-4 (37m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Yathreb Adel (EGY) 3-2: 11-4, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11, 15-13 (59m)
Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8 (43m)
[4] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 3-2: 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (76m)

Draw – Second Spherical (Backside Half): To Be Performed March 14th
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) v Mayar Hany (EGY)
Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v Farida Mohamed (EGY)
Julianne Courtice (ENG) v [6] Amanda Sobhy (USA)
[8] Salma Hany (EGY) v Nele Gilis (BEL)
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) v Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) v Olivia Clyne (USA)
Alison Waters (ENG) v [2] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Draw – Third Spherical (High Half): To Be Performed March 15th
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Tinne Gilis (BEL)
Olivia Fiechter (USA) v [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[7] Joelle King (NZL) v Nadine Shahin (EGY)
Joshna Chinappa (IND) v [4] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)