Sivasangari leads 2-1 but falls 12-10 in the decider to Hania El Hammamy in Egyptian Open semi-finals

Sivasangari Subramaniam came within a few points of a place in the Egyptian Open final, but Malaysia's top squash player lost 3-2 to defending champion Hania El Hammamy in an 86-minute semi-final on the glass court in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza on Thursday. Sivasangari led 2-1 in games, was then held to nothing in the fourth, and lost the decider 12-10 to the top seed.

How the semi-final unfolded

Fourth seed Sivasangari made the stronger start, winning the first game 11-6. El Hammamy responded by taking the second 12-10, but the Malaysian moved back in front by claiming a tight third game, also 12-10.

The match then swung sharply. El Hammamy won the fourth game 11-0 to level at 2-2, and the deciding game went to extra points before the Egyptian closed it out 12-10. The final game scores, from El Hammamy's side, were 6-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-0, 12-10.

It was a painful repeat for Sivasangari. Her semi-final against El Hammamy at last month's Qatar Classic also went the distance and was also decided 12-10 in the fifth game in the Egyptian's favour.

A strong week for Malaysia's No. 1

The defeat should not overshadow Sivasangari's run in Giza. She came back from two games down to beat Egypt's Fayrouz Aboelkheir 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 in the quarter-finals, after sweeping Belgium's Nele Gilis in the previous round.

That quarter-final win also guaranteed her a career-high ranking. Squash website Infinity Sport reported that the world No. 5 will rise to world No. 4 when the PSA World Rankings are updated on Monday, 19 October.

Sivasangari was also the last Malaysian left in the women's draw. Fellow Malaysians Yasshmita Jadishkumar and Xin Ying Yee had both reached the main draw, with Yasshmita reaching the last 16.

El Hammamy and Orfi set up all-Egyptian final

El Hammamy will defend her title against 19-year-old Amina Orfi, the world No. 1 and reigning world champion. Orfi came from a game down to beat Nouran Gohar 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-6 in 71 minutes in the other semi-final.

The women's final was scheduled for the evening of Friday, 16 October, in Giza, which falls in the early hours of Saturday in Malaysia.

In the men's event, top seed Mostafa Asal beat fellow Egyptian Karim Gawad 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 in 39 minutes, and Peru's Diego Elias came back to beat New Zealand's Paul Coll 4-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-3. That sets up a rematch of last year's final between Asal and Elias.

What it means for Sivasangari

Losing two five-game semi-finals in a row to the same opponent will hurt, but the results show how close Sivasangari now is to the very top of the women's game. She is set to move into the world's top four for the first time.

Key takeaways

• Sivasangari Subramaniam lost 3-2 to Hania El Hammamy in the Egyptian Open semi-finals after leading 2-1 in games.
• The game scores were 6-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-0, 12-10 in El Hammamy's favour, over 86 minutes.
• It was the second straight semi-final between the two to finish 12-10 in the fifth, after the Qatar Classic.
• Sivasangari is set to reach a career-high world No. 4 in Monday's PSA rankings.
• El Hammamy meets world No. 1 Amina Orfi in an all-Egyptian final.

FAQ

What was the score in Sivasangari v El Hammamy at the Egyptian Open? El Hammamy won 3-2: 6-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-0, 12-10. The match lasted 86 minutes.

Who is in the Egyptian Open women's final? Defending champion Hania El Hammamy plays world No. 1 Amina Orfi, who beat Nouran Gohar in four games.

What is Sivasangari's new world ranking? She is world No. 5 and is set to rise to a career-high No. 4 when the PSA rankings are updated on 19 October.

Sources: Infinity Sport, PSA Squash Tour, RTM, Africa Soccer