[1] Cristina Gomez (Esp) 3-1 [6] Nour Aboulmakarim (Egy) 11-4, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7 (56m)
Aly Hussein (Egy) 3-0 [6] Farkas Balasz (Hun) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (68m)
Gomez and Hussein take the titles – and World Champs qualification in Odense
Egyptian youngster Aly Hussein completed a remarkable run of victories to take the men’s title in Odense. Having already beaten top seed Ryosei Kobayashi and fourth seeded compatriot Moustafa El Sirty, he overcame Huingary’s Farkas Balasz in three lengthy games to take the title – and with it a place in next month’s PSA World Champs in Chicago.
Spanish top seed Cristina Gomez denied an Egyptian double as she beat Egyptian teenage Nour Aboulmakrim in the women’s final.
Day THREE : Plenty of upsets in the quarter-finals in Odense
A dramatic quarter-finals day saw a plethora of seeds beaten. In the women’s event top seed Cristina Gomez survived and faces Lily Taylor, the fourth seed, for a place in the final, with the other place being contested by Hannah Chukwu and Nour Aboulmakarim, the Hungarian and Egyptian youngsters who took out the second and third seeds.
The men’s semis won’t feature any of the top three seeds, with Aly Hussein – who beat top seed Ryosei Kobayyashi in five – and Mostafa El Serty featuring in an all-Egyptian matchup, while a third Egyptian Yahya Elnawasany will meet Hungary’s Farkas Balasz, the pair taking out the second and third seeds in the quarters.
Photos by Nicolas Barbeau
Odense Open to be Qualifying Event for 2020-2021 PSA World Champs
The Odense Open – scheduled to take place in Denmark from 15th to 19th June – has been named as a qualification event for the 2020-21 PSA World Championships presented by The Walter Family, with the winners set to book their spots in Chicago when the sport’s biggest event takes place in July.
The PSA Challenger 5 level tournament, which will be held at the Squash Center Danmark in Odense, will see 40 players attempt to secure a coveted place at the PSA World Championships, with a women’s event being held alongside the men’s for the first time.
Last year’s Odense Open saw Belgium’s Jan van den Herrewegen take the trophy after a marathon 92-minute battle with English teenager Sam Todd.
“Since beginning in 2019, the Odense Open has been an extremely well-run tournament and I’m delighted to see the tournament continue as a World Championship qualifying event for the 2020-21 season,” said PSA Tour Director Hannah Ridgard-Mason.
“The addition of a women’s event will create further playing opportunities for our female athletes on the PSA Challenger Tour and I’m excited to see the action unfold in June.”
Tournament Promoter Thomas Søgaard said:
“In this year’s 2021 edition of the Odense Open, we are once again building on top of the tournament that has been running since 2019.”
“We are very proud to have become a qualifying tournament for both women and men for the PSA World Championships in Chicago in July. Our collaboration with the PSA and our sponsors has made it possible again to bring a major sporting event to Odense, Denmark.”