Wildcard Orfi Claims Maiden World Tour Win in Squash On Fire Opener
23 Feb 2023
15-year-old Amina Orfi secured her first match win on the PSA World Tour at the Squash On Fire Open, beating England's Lucy Beecroft in straight games to move through to the second round of the PSA World Tour Bronze event in Washington, DC.
The Egyptian youngster had won her last three tournaments on the Challenger Tour, and was the victor in the Squash On Fire Wildcard Challenge to get a place in the main draw. Three 11-9 scorelines went her way in the round one match, and the reigning World Junior Champion will now face Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam for a place in the quarter-finals.
"I am so happy," said Orfi, from Cairo. "I prepared for this match so well and I was just playing so confidently. I thought that there was nothing to lose and I just wanted to play well."
There was no such wildcard joy for home player Timothy Lasusa in the men's event where the New York-born 28-year-old - playing his first Tour event for more than four years - went down in straight games to England's former world No.1 James Willstrop. The 39-year-old from Harrogate, competing in his 243rd Tour event, advances to face Egypt's No.4 seed Omar Mosaad in their first meeting for six years.