(updated 29-jun-09 20:37 ) 

El Sherbini Is Youngest WISPA Tour Finalist

Nour El Sherbini, a 13-year-old Egyptian competing in only her third WISPA World Tour squash event, became the youngest finalist in the history of the Women's International Squash Players' Association when she reached the climax of the ATCO Miro Classic No1 at the National Squash Stadium in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Unseeded, El Sherbini made her breakthrough in the opening round of the $8,000 event when she beat second-seeded compatriot Heba El Torky - an 18-year-old seeded to reach next month's world junior championship final - 11-9, 11-7, 11-6.

Only seven months into her teens, El Sherbini went on to beat sixth-seeded Slovakian Linda Hruzikova, also in straight games, before toppling fellow countrywoman Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy, the No4 seed, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6 in 45 minutes to reach her historic final.

The youngster, the reigning British Junior U15 Open champion, now meets top seed Engy Kheirallah in the final.  Kheirallah, a former world No12 more than twice El Sherbini's age, has also reached the final without dropping a game.

In the other semi-final, the 27-year-old world No22 from Cairo took only 20 minutes to beat Amanda Sobhy, the No7 seed from the USA, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4.

RESULTS:         Women's ATCO Miro Classic No1, Cairo, Egypt

1st round:
[1] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt [Q] Haidi Lala (EGY) 11-4, 11-4, 11-4
Nour Bahgat (EGY) bt [8] Milou van der Heijden (NED) 11-8, 11-4, 11-3
[3] Lucie Fialova (CZE) bt Salma Hany (EGY) 11-8, 11-8, 11-5
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Salma Nassar (EGY) 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6
[Q] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt [5] Olivia Blatchford (USA) 11-8, 11-8, 12-10
[4] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) bt Merhan Amr Mahmoud (EGY) 4-11, 11-1, 11-7, 11-3
[6] Linda Hruzikova (SVK) bt Farah Abdel Meguid (EGY) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [2] Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-9, 11-7, 11-6
    Quarter-finals:
[1] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt Nour Bahgat (EGY) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [3] Lucie Fialova (CZE) 11-7, 4-11, 11-4, 11-4
[4] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) bt [Q] Yathreb Adel (EGY) 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [6] Linda Hruzikova (SVK) 11-5, 11-2, 11-4
    Semi-finals:
[1] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt [7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (20m)
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [4] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) 12-10, 11-6, 11-6 (45m)

 

 

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