ISLAMABAD: World No. 27 Mustafa El Sirty of Egypt came through a hard-fought 61-minute contest against Hungary’s Balazs Farkas to reach the final of the CAS-Serena Hotels International Squash Championship for Men here at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Saturday.

El Sirty won the first game 11-5 but lost the next two 11-9, 11-3 against the Hungarian, the world No. 65. However, El Sirty came back strongly to take the fourth and fifth games 11-6 and 11-6 in a 61-minute battle to reach the final.

In the final, El Sirty takes on compatriot world No. 28 Mohamed ElSherbini, who overpowered another Egyptian and world No. 45 Yahya Elnawasany 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 in their 44-minute semi-final.

Meanwhile, world No. 82 Malik Khafagy of Egypt defeated compatriot Nour Heikal 6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7 in 49 minutes while world No. 73 Fayrouz Aboelkheir of Egypt outplayed Spain’s world No. 70 Marta Dominguez Fernandez 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 in just 18 minutes in the semi-finals of the Serena-Combaxx Sports Inter­na­tional Champion­ship for Women.

The finals of the two events will be held on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, October 23th, 2022