Raneem El Weleily |
Omneya Abdel Kawy |
PSA/WISPA TOUR EVENT NEWS
RESULTS: Hurghada International, Hurghada, Egypt
Women’s semi-finals:
[4] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 11-4, 12-10, 11-9 (31m)
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 9-11, 15-13, 11-7, 11-7 (49m)
A major upset by Raneem El Weleily in the women's semi-finals of the Hurghada International has set up all-Egyptian finals in the international squash circuit event in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
El Weleily was facing Australia's three-time champion Rachael Grinham in the WISPA World Tour Silver 20 event celebrating its tenth year in Hurghada.
In a match described by event spokesman Hesham El Attar as "a beautiful tactical battle", fourth seed El Weleily, the world No12 from Alexandria, took just 31 minutes to defeat the top-seeded Queenslander 11-4, 12-10, 11-9.
Grinham was expected to reach the final for the seventh time – but the El Weleily's second upset over the illustrious former world number one this year takes the 22-year-old Egyptian into her first Hurghada final, and the seventh Tour final of her career.
El Weleily will face national rival Omneya Abdel Kawy, the Egyptian number one bidding for her fourth successive title, beat fast-rising compatriot Nour El Tayeb, the 18-year-old world No18, 9-11, 15-13, 11-7, 11-7.
Abdel Kawy, the world No8 from Cairo, is celebrating her 27th appearance in a WISPA Tour final.