Sivasangari fights back from 2-0 down to beat Fayrouz Aboelkheir and set up Egyptian Open semi with El Hammamy

S. Sivasangari came back from two games down to beat Egypt's Fayrouz Aboelkheir 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 and reach the semi-finals of the CIB Egyptian Squash Open in Giza on Tuesday, 13 October. The fourth-seeded Malaysian, who needed 63 minutes to complete the turnaround, will now face defending champion Hania El Hammamy for a place in the final.

This follows on from her straight-games win over Belgium's Nele Gilis in the last 16, and the quarter-final result makes her the last Malaysian standing in either draw of one of the biggest events on the PSA calendar.

A slow start, then a steady climb

Sivasangari was second best for most of the opening two games against the seventh seed. She lost a close first game 9-11 and was overwhelmed 4-11 in the second as the young Egyptian dictated the pace on the all-glass court set up in front of the Great Pyramids.

The momentum swung in the third. Sivasangari tightened her length, cut out errors and took it 11-7, then edged a tense fourth 11-8 to force a decider. She held her nerve in the fifth, winning it 11-7 to complete the comeback.

Speaking afterwards, she admitted the performance was far from perfect, saying: "Not my best match, but I'm happy to get through."

Defending champion El Hammamy up next

Her semi-final opponent will be a familiar and formidable one. El Hammamy, the title holder and one of the home favourites, also had to go the distance in her quarter-final, beating Japan's Satomi Watanabe 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5.

According to the tournament schedule, the semi-finals are on Thursday, 15 October, with the finals on Friday, 16 October. Both the men's and women's events carry prize money of US$367,500.

Malaysian reports described the result as Sivasangari's first semi-final at a Diamond-level event on the PSA World Tour.

The rest of the women's draw

The other half of the women's draw featured two heavyweight quarter-finals: an all-Egyptian meeting between Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar, and England's Georgina Kennedy against second seed Amina Orfi. In the men's event, Mostafa Asal and Karim Abdel Gawad have already booked a semi-final meeting after straight-games wins over Mohamed Zakaria and Marwan ElShorbagy respectively.

Malaysian campaign in Giza

Malaysia started the week with seven players across the two main draws, but Sivasangari is now carrying the flag alone. Yasshmita Jadishkumar produced one of the stories of the tournament by reaching the last 16 from qualifying, while Eain Yow Ng also exited at that stage.

Sivasangari has already had a strong 2026, including a comeback title at the Grasshopper Cup in April, and the Egyptian Open run is another sign that she can compete with the leading Egyptians on their home courts.

Key takeaways

• Sivasangari beat seventh seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 in 63 minutes.
• She is through to the Egyptian Open semi-finals in Giza, the last Malaysian left in the event.
• Her semi-final opponent is defending champion Hania El Hammamy, who beat Satomi Watanabe in five games.
• The semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday, 15 October, with the finals on Friday, 16 October.

FAQ

Who did Sivasangari beat in the Egyptian Open quarter-finals? She beat Egypt's Fayrouz Aboelkheir, the seventh seed, 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 after trailing by two games.

Who will Sivasangari face in the semi-finals? She plays Egypt's Hania El Hammamy, the defending champion, who beat Japan's Satomi Watanabe in five games.

When is the Egyptian Open 2026 final? The tournament in Giza runs from 6 to 16 October, with the finals scheduled for Friday, 16 October.

Sources: Infinity Sport, Varnam, Lumi News, PSA Squash Tour, Bernama, The Star