Carol Weymuller 2024

Women’s $51k PSA Bronze, 25-29 Jan, Heights Casino, NY, USA

Final

[4] Farida Mohamed 3-1 Fayrouz Aboelkheir  12-10, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8 (35m)

Farida Mohamed has won her maiden title on the PSA World Tour after overcoming her compatriot Fayrouz Aboelkheir 3-1 at the Carol Weymuller Open in Brooklyn, New York.

The World No.18 has tasted success on the PSA Challenger Tour, but she clinched her first-ever triumph on the World Tour after downing the World No.28 at the Bronze-level event.

The rallies were short and sharp as Mohamed overturned a 4-0 deficit in the opening game after a slow start, finding her targets towards the backend of the game. Both her game balls were saved by Aboelkheir, but Mohamed converted at the third attempt in the tiebreak.

Mohamed, who won their only previous meeting at the Rhode Island Open in 2022 on the Challenger Tour, increased her advantage as she dominated the second with an 11-4 victory. Aboelkheir, featuring in her first final of a World Tour event, fought back from two games down in her semi final against Salma Hany yesterday and she began to use more height at the front to recover from 5-1 down to have two game balls, which she clinched at the first time of asking to halve the deficit.

The confidence was flowing from Aboelkheir as she move 6-4 up in the fourth, as the 17-year-old looked to repeat yesterday’s feat. But Mohamed responded to diffuse the Aboelkheir comeback, tidying up her play which earned her four championship balls. Two were saved, but it was third time lucky for Mohamed to secure her first-ever title on the World Tour.

“It’s overwhelming – I really needed this one badly. I came here to win the event and I’m really happy with the mental stability I was in this week. I’m so glad – I don’t think I can reflect on anything right now.

“I’m just really happy and proud that I came through this tournament with all the challenges I faced since last year. I’m really happy.

“It’s so special winning her first title on the World Tour, especially here where it’s home away from home because I studied in New York.

“This tournament is very special for me because it was where I had my first-ever win in round one. Having my sister here on the coaching side made it extra special today. It was very special.”

Semis

[4] Farida Mohamed3-0 [1] Olivia Weaver (USA) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (25m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir3-2 [2] Salma Hany  9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12, 13-11 (67m)

Teenager Fayrouz Aboelkheir came from 2-0 down to produce a sensational comeback to reach the decider of the Carol Weymuller Open 2024 – her first-ever appearance in a final of a PSA World Tour event. Aboelkheir trailed 2-0 to her compatriot Salma Hany, who had four match balls in the fourth game after Aboelkheir halved the deficit by taking the third, before the 17-year-old triumphed 3-2 to make it 50 wins on Tour and reach her maiden final.

The second seed Hany was in control in the opening two games, keeping Aboelkheir at bay with the Egyptian teenager trying to apply pressure in the front of the court and take the ball in early as Hany went 2-0 up.

Aboelkheir’s relentlessness was rewarded in the third as she pulled one game back, and she looked to be exiting the tournament when Hany had four match balls. All four were squandered by the World No.11, who had another one in the tiebreak which she saw wiped away, as Aboelkheir converted her game ball chance to make it all square.

Every game between the Egyptian pair was close, and that followed into the fifth. Both players were using the front of the court very well, but it was Aboelkheir who would profit with one match ball chance. Hany saved it, before denying Aboelkheir again. However it was third time lucky for Aboelkheir, rounding off a remarkable comeback to progress to her first-ever final at a PSA World Tour event.

“I don’t know what to say!” she said afterwards. “To come from 2-0 down against one of the best players on Tour in Salma, it wasn’t easy at all. In the fourth I was down match ball and I’m happy that I regained my focus and found my length again.

“I was thinking I have nothing to lose. I was match ball down and I wanted to do my best. I didn’t want to think about the score and then overthink on court – I just wanted to find my length back and go for my shots more.”

Aboelkheir will meet another fellow Egyptian in tomorrow’s final after in-form Farida Mohamed stunned World No.10 Olivia Weaver to book her place in the decider with an emphatic 3-0 victory.

Mohamed, who was facing Weaver for only the second time on the PSA World Tour having met at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions recently, was in scintillating form against the U.S. No.2 with her aggressiveness leaving the American short of answers.

The Egyptian lost their previous encounter, and she was on the front foot from the off and was unrelenting in her pursuit of a place in the final. Mohamed kept the rallies short by taking the ball early and finding winners from the back of the court.

After winning the first game in just six minutes, the second followed suit as Mohamed doubled her advantage in the same time, as an 8-0 lead was converted into an 11-6 win.

Mohamed, who will feature in a final on the PSA World Tour for the first time since the Oracle Netsuite Open in 2022, was pushing Weaver to the front of the court and putting her under pressure as she went 6-0 up. Weaver needed a response, and she delivered as she reduced the arrears to two points at 9-7 down. However the Egyptian then had three match balls, converting at the first attempt to book her place in the final.

“I’m overwhelmed, but I’m pretty happy with my performance today,” she said. “I came in mentally strong and I needed revenge. I knew I would win as I had this mental mindset that I wanted to fire everything today and I’m really happy with my performance.

“I was ready physically and my squash was good. Mentally I was struggling in the last few years and it’s been getting better every day. “This tournament I came in and I wanted to be there and I wanted to put in my best squash and I’d had enough of the bad attitude I had on court. I think it worked out and I’m happy with that.”

Quarters

[4] Farida Mohamed 3-0 [7] Lucy Beecroft (ENG)  11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (20m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir 3-1 [3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[2] Salma Hany3-0 [8] Hana Ramadan  11-2, 11-9, 13-11 (37m)

Teenage Star Aboelkheir Downs Former World No.5!

17-year-old rising star Fayrouz Aboelkheir has reached the semi-finals of a PSA World Tour event for the second time after overcoming former World No.5 Sarah-Jane Perry in the last eight of the Carol Weymuller Open.

Aboelkheir, who reached the last four of the Open de France de Squash in 2022, downed Perry 3-1 in Brooklyn for a place in the semi-finals of the Bronze-level event as her rich vein of form continues.

The young Egyptian appeared in a quarter-final of a Platinum-level event for the first time at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York City at the beginning of this week, as Aboelkheir claimed a 3-1: 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9 win over the former England No.1 for her second semi final appearance on the World Tour.

“I don’t want to repeat what I’ve been saying every day but I’m very overwhelmed right now,” she said. “SJ is one of the legends on tour and it’s one of the hardest things to do [beat her] with her movement, and I’ve been playing on Tour for a few years but playing her is never easy.

“I’m very happy to get the win tonight and to get to another big semi final here in New York.”

The tournament’s second seed Salma Hany will lock horns with Aboelkheir again in the semi finals having met at the Tournament of Champions, as the World No.11 defeated her Egyptian compatriot Hana Ramadan in straight games to reach the last four of this event for the first time since 2018.

Hany, who was taking on Ramadan for the first time in a PSA World Tour match, dominated the opening game to draw first blood with an 11-2 win, before resisting a fightback from Ramadan in the second to make it a two-game advantage.

Ramadan’s spirited display in the second gave her a boost in the third, and she had three game balls as she aimed to halve the deficit. Hany saved all three for a tiebreak and, after Ramadan squandered a game ball chance at 11-10, Hany clinically converted her only match ball opportunity for a place in the semi finals.

“Hana is such a fighter and a great player,” said Hany. “I had a pretty good start in the first and she surprised me in the second – she came out pretty strong, she kept fighting until the last point and I’m super proud to get the win in three.

“She was 8-2 up in the third, and I wasn’t really happy with the start to the third. I’m going to have to sort that out tomorrow, I can’t afford to make those mistakes. I’m glad I found a way and closed it in three.”

Round Two

[1] Olivia Weaver (USA) 3-0 Nadine Shahin  11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (22m)
[4] Farida Mohamed 3-1 Malak Khafagy  11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10 (38m)
[7] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 3-1 Haya Ali  11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 (37m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir 3-0 [6] Melissa Alves (FRA)  11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (23m)
[8] Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-1 Sana Ibrahim  14-12, 6-11, 11-6, 11-4 (42m)
[2] Salma Hany 3-0 Mariam Metwally  11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (39m)

Round One

Haya Ali 3-0 Anna Serme (CZE)  11-3, 11-7, 11-7 (19m)
Nadine Shahin 3-1 Marta Dominguez (ESP) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (36m)
Mariam Metwally 3-0 Asia Harris (ENG)  11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (25m)
Malak Khafagy 3-1 Cindy Merlo (SUI) 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7 (30m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir 3-0 Jessica Turnbull (AUS)  11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (24m)
Sana Ibrahim 3-0 Saskia Beinhard (GER)  11-5, 11-1, 11-1 (19m)

Court West:

Court East:

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