Orfi Ousts Title-Holder Coll To Reach Singapore Semis

Egypt's World Junior Champion Amina Orfi has ended the title defence of Belgian No.2 seed Nele Coll after a comprehensive victory on quarter-finals day at the 2024 Vitagen Singapore Open.

It was the pair's second meeting on the PSA Squash Tour after Coll prevailed in their match at last year's Paris Squash event. Orfi got her revenge though at the OCBC Arena today as she stormed to an 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 victory to conquer Coll.

"I'm so happy with my performance," said the 17-year-old afterwards.

"She's a former world No.4, so I knew I had to be prepared. She is very physical, so even if it was going to be 3/0 it would have taken some time. I'm so happy with my performance.

"My father is my biggest supporter together with my mum. He's always there for me, even when I'm not playing very well. He's been with me through every step of the way and I'm so grateful for him."

Orfi will play No.4 seed Sivasangari Subramaniam for a place in the final. That match will be a repeat of last week's ACE Malaysia Cup final, with Orfi winning that match in five games to secure her fifth PSA title.

Sivasangari required five games to book her semi-final berth after battling through to beat 18-year-old Fayrouz Aboelkheir 9-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-8, 11-2.

An 8-6 lead was squandered by the world No.13 in a crucial fourth game, with Sivasangari then winning five unanswered points to bring the match back to all square. The fifth game was all about the Malaysian as she stormed to victory for the loss of just two points.

"It was a tricky match," admitted Sivasangari afterwards.

"I've never played her before, but I've seen her and she's troubled a lot of the top players, so I knew what was coming. It was tough mentally more than physically. I didn't feel that tired, but she was taking away my rhythm and I couldn't find my length."

The other women's semi-final match will be contested by Egyptian top seed Hania El Hammamy and Belgian No.3 seed Tinne Gilis after they beat Katie Malliff and Sana Ibrahim, respectively.

In the men's event, Malaysia's Eain Yow Ng came through a five-game thriller and overturned three match balls to reach the semi-finals of a PSA Gold event for the first time.

It was a mammoth 107-minute showdown, with a brutal fifth game lasting 39 minutes alone. Ng eventually held his nerve to convert his seventh match ball opportunity, closing out a 9-11, 12-10, 11-1, 6-11, 20-18 victory.

"I was just surviving point by point, it just kept going on and on," said Ng afterwards.

"I've not been getting over the line with the top guys, I've been losing in five and I've been disappointed not to get through the rounds. From China onwards I've been building on the semis there and then winning in Malaysia. I feel like I'm starting to make more inroads now."

Ng will now look to back up that win - and follow up last week's ACE Malaysia Cup victory - when he plays world No.1 Ali Farag in the next round. Reigning champion Farag recorded a routine 3/0 win over Hungary's Farkas Balazs to progress.

Meanwhile, No.2 seed Paul Coll will take on No.3 seed Diego Elias in the other men's last four match. Coll battled past No.7 seed Youssef Ibrahim in four games, while World Champion Diego Elias halted the run of 17-year-old World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria.

"He's very dangerous across the middle," said Coll after the match,

"He's very hard to get in front of when he's hitting the ball well. I was a little bit annoyed at the end of the third. I thought I had a bad call, but then I shouldn't let that distract me. I'm happy with how I reset in the fourth, came back and closed it out."