[5/8] Salma El Tayeb 3-1 [1] Kenzy Ayman 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6
[2] Amina Orfi 3-2 [3/4] Fayrouz Aboulkheir 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2, 12-10[5/8] Rowan Damming (Ned) 3-1 [9/16] Mohamed Zakaria 11-13, 17-15, 11-8, 11-8
First up was one of two all-Egyptian women’s semis as top seed Kenzy Ayman met 5/8 seed Salma El Tayeb.
El Tayeb was on top in the first game, and took an early lead in the second before Ayman fought back to level the match. A 6-0 start in the third was enough for El Tayeb to hold off another Ayman comeback and retake the lead, and the underdog kept ahead through the fourth to claim a place in the final 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 .
Salma El Tayeb
“I’m overwhelmed! I’ve been playing well but to beat the number one seed is great. I’ll rest up and get ready for the final, my aim is to win the tournament.”
The second women’s semi was a thriller, with second seed Amina Orfi coming from two games down and taking the decider in extra points.
Fayrouz Abouelkheir had egded the first two games both 11-9, but Orfi stormed back to go 10-4 up in the third, taking it 11-9, and racing through the fourth 11-2.
The fifth was close all the way and at 8-8 it was anyone’s. Orfi moved to 10-8, Abouelkheir saved both of those but couldn’t do it on the third attempt as the 15-year-old took it 12-10 to go through to the final.
Amina Orfi
“In the previous match I saw Hamza go two down and it went to the fifth, so I knew anythiong could happen. At two nil down I just said I’m going to give my all to win this match, and when I got to the fifth I just thought let’s see what happens.”
