Ibrahim Stuns No.4 Seed Gilis In Major Egyptian Open Upset

Egyptian world No.32 Sana Ibrahim provided the first major shock of the new PSA Squash Tour season as she gatecrashed the third round of the 2024 CIB Egyptian Open with a stunning win over Belgium's world No.4 Nele Gilis in a four-game fight at Club O West in Cairo.

The second-round match appeared to be going to seeding when No.4 seed Gilis took the opening game 11-8, only for Ibrahim to launch a brilliant counter attack, levelling with an 11-6 win.

From here, the 21-year-old threw Gilis off her rhythm with relentless pressure, explained afterwards by Ibrahim as part of a renewed focus on building up her own stamina.

This proved extremely effective, with Ibrahim taking game three 11-8 and, after saving Gilis' game ball at 9-10, clinching the victory as she converted her third match ball for a 14-12 win in game four.

"I feel confident," Ibrahim said. "Every time I played her and I lost, I never deserved to win because she works really hard and I wasn't working really hard before. But I made up my mind, to be in my home in my country, I'm going to win."

Also through today was USA's Amanda Sobhy, who returned to the tour after almost nine months out with injury to defeat Malaysia's Rachel Arnold 3/1.

Among those joining Ibrahim and Sobhy in the next round is 20-year-old Nour Heikal, who, after coming through a brutal three-match qualifying run to reach the main draw, battled back from two games down to get the better of Egyptian compatriot Malak Khafagy 13-15, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 in an at times bad-tempered contest to set up a third round clash with Ibrahim.

Ibrahim and Heikal were just two of ten players to launch day two comebacks, with Lucy Turmel, Sivasangari Subramaniam and Georgia Adderley all coming from behind in the women's event to secure wins.

In the men's draw, England's Marwan ElShorbagy impressed as he inflicted the sole men's seeding casualty with a 3/2 win over No.6 seed and former world No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad.

ElShorbagy looked in trouble when he went two games down, but found a way to battle through, digging in to take the next three games 11-6, 11-2, 11-7.

Through alongside Marwan was his older brother, Mohamed ElShorbagy, who came through an all-English encounter with Nathan Lake to secure a 12-14, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 win.

In the final match of the day, France's Victor Crouin survived an epic five-gamer against 16-year-old qualifier Mohamad Zakaria. Crouin made the better start, taking the opener 11-8, before Zakaria fired back to draw level with an 11-9 win and then pull ahead with an 11-5.

Crouin, however, held out, taking the match to a fifth game with an 11-6 win in game four before taking a contentious final game 11-3.