Qatar Classic : It’s Orfi & Asal !!

Finals : Orfi wins World #1 Thriller, Asal takes men’s title

Reigning World Champions Amina Orfi and Mostafa Asal  captured the first major titles of the new season, defeating Hania El Hammamy and Victor Crouin on finals day at the QTerminals Qatar Classic in Doha.

Nineteen-year-old Orfi once again etched her name in the history books after her epic five-game win over El Hammamy ensured that she will become the youngest-ever Women’s World #1 in Monday’s updated  World Rankings.

“It’s amazing. To be able to become World Champion and World #1 in the same year, it’s amazing,” said Orfi. “It’s been a dream since I was young. I’m really happy right now.
I’ve learned from past matches against Hania and Nour [ElSherbini], just to keep my cool at the end and go for it, because if I don’t go for it, she will. It worked in the end today.”

Men’s World No.1 Asal secured his first Qatar Classic title after defeating fifth seed  Victor Crouin in straight games, having lost out in the previous two Qatar finals. The comprehensive victory is Asal’s 30th PSA Tour title and means the 25-year-old has now won every single current major title on the PSA Squash Tour.

“My emotions just came out after the win, I enjoyed my celebration,” Asal said. “It’s amazing to win this title. It was the only one I was struggling with. As they say, third-time lucky.I’m proud of myself; it’s been a tough week. It’s the first one of the season, and I just want to thank everyone who helped me get here today.”

Day Six : El Hammamy survives as Crouin downs Gawad in Doha Semi-Finals

Women’s top seed Hania El Hammamy came through an epic encounter with Siva Subramaniam to set up a World #1 final showdown with Amina Orfi, while Victor Crouin downed former Qatar champion Karim Abdel Gawad to reach the final against top seed Mostafa Asal.

Top seed Hania El Hammamy clinched an epic five-game victory over Sivasangari Subramaniam to book her place in the final, setting up a tantalising showdown with Amina Orfi for the women’s World #1 position in Doha.

El Hammamy was forced to fight every step of the way to secure the enthralling 87-minute win over Sivasangari, holding off the World #5 by an 8-11, 11-9, 15-13, 9-11, 12-10 scoreline.

“It was very tough,” El Hammamy said. “It was extremely tough playing against Siva. I knew she was going to be on form today; she’s playing for a spot in the Olympics next week. I knew she was going to be fiery and produce a good level of squash.“I’m really pleased with how I fought with my squash there. I think I’m getting better day by day, so I’m really happy to get through.

Her opponent in tomorrow’s final, World # Orfi, made far lighter work of her semi-final opponent, requiring just 36 minutes to power past England’s Jasmine Hutton in straight games.

In the men’s event fifth seed Crouin advanced to the second major final of his career following a hard-fought four-game victory over fourth seed Karim Abdel Gawad.

“I felt pretty good this morning waking up,” Crouin admitted. “I felt good and it gave me the edge at the beginning of the match, to come out super strong, which I even surprised myself with. I’m looking forward to a good final against Mostafa tomorrow. It’s one more push, it’s a final, it’s a special day and I’m going to give it my all.”

Asal produced an imposing display, romping to a three-game victory over Marwan ElShorbagy for the loss of just seven points after 33 minutes of play.

Day Five : Crouin downs Coll as SF lineups are settled in Doha

Fifth seed Victor Crouin ended Paul Coll’s title defence at the  Qatar Classic with a stunning four-game victory at the Platinum-level event in Doha, to join Karim Abdel Gawad, Amina Orfi and Jasmine Hutton in the semi-finals.

The Frenchman, who was comprehensively beaten by Coll in the London Classic final less than a fortnight ago, avenged that defeat with an inspired performance, coming from a game behind to defeat the second seed by 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 .

“I’m very proud,” said Crouin. “Paul has been setting the bar so high at the beginning of the season. I thought I was playing well in the first game, but I knew I had to play better. I’m super proud of myself for sticking at it and going until the very end.”

Crouin will face 2016 champion Karim Gawad in the semi-finals after he overcame  compatriot Youssef Soliman in a brutal three-game duel.

In the women’s draw England’s Jasmine Hutton advanced to her maiden Platinum semi-final with a four-game victory over fellow non-seed Rachel Arnold.

“Rachel’s a great friend, but she’s such a threat to so many players,” Hutton said. “She’s such a threat to so many players from anywhere on the court. That makes players spot edgy because there’s just no rhythm. It’s a privilege to get this high in the world rankings, it’s a privilege to be playing in an era of squash that’s so incredible, and there are so many amazing athletes right now.”

Hutton’s opponent in the semi-finals will be World #2 Amina Orfi, who battled past former junior rival Fayrouz Aboelkheir in a hard-fought three-game duel.

Day Four : Asal and ElShorbagy advance as women’s quarters conceded

Top seed Mostafa Asal and seventh seed Marwan ElShorbagy won through to the semi-finals on Day Four in Doha, as Hania El Hammamy and Siva Subramanian progressed via walkovers.

World #1 Asal continued his quest for a first Qatar Classic title in dramatic style, overcoming Aly Abou Eleinen in a contentious 91-minute affair at the Platinum-level event in Doha.

Asal, a beaten finalist in the last two editions, had to see off a determined comeback from World No.13 Eleinen to win a four-game encounter which was punctuated by repeated interference issues.

 “Yeah, I mean, it was a good game the first two games and I then don’t know what to say, to be honest,” said Asal. “I mean, it’s the first time for me to be this emotional. But these traffic issues just has to be an easy let and simple let. Sometimes it can be a proper squash match, and then it turns into a feast of decisions.”

In the other match of the evening’s play, World No.9 Marwan ElShorbagy advanced to his first major semi-final since the 2024 Egyptian Open after surviving a back-and-forth five-game duel with France’s Gregoire Marche.

In the women’s draw Nouran Gohar and Tinne Gilis’ injury withdrawals before play saw World #1 Hammamy and World #5  Subramaniam receive walkovers into the semi-finals.

Day Three : Arnold, Hutton and Soliman down seeds to reach Quarters

World No.25 Rachel Arnold claimed the biggest result of her career as she stunned eight-time World Champion Nour ElSherbini on a dramatic day of action in Doha, while Jasmine Hutton and Youssef Soliman also scored upset wins to reach the Platinum quarter-finals.

Arnold advanced to her maiden Platinum quarter-final on the PSA Squash Tour with a 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10 victory over an out-of-sorts ElSherbini, who struggled to combat the attacking threats posed by her Malaysian opponent on the severe glass court inside the Khalifa International Squash Complex, ending a remarkable run of 105 consecutive PSA Tour events over the last 12 years in which she has reached at least the quarter-finals

“I feel pretty amazing, right now,” Arnold said. “I’ve never beaten a top-ten player, I think, so it’s pretty huge for me. I woke up today feeling great and I just believed in myself the whole time, just point by point. I just had to stay consistent with my game and stick with it. I think before I would have probably played more shots to the front and be impatient, but today I still stayed patient and lifted it to the back first.”

Just an hour after Arnold’s shock victory, England’s  Hutton blew the women’s draw wide open once again as she defeated seventh seed Gina Kennedy with a clinical straight-games victory to set up a quarter-final against Arnold.

Junior rivals sixth seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir and second seed Amina Orfi completed a fascinating women’s quarter-finals line-up after the pair claimed  wins over Aifa Azman and Nardine Garas.

In the men’s draw Soliman produced a masterful display to defeat world junior champion and sixth seed  Mohamad Zakaria in a brutal three-game battle lasting 85 minutes. He’ll meet compatriot Karim Abdel Gawad, who eased past Melvil Scianimanico,

Also progressing to the men’s quarter-finals were defending champion Paul Coll, who dispatched Dimitri Steinmann, and fifth seed Victor Crouin who overcame  Kareem El Torkey.

Day Two : Gohar survives as top seeds advance in Doha

Former World #1 Nouran Gohar set up a quarter-final showdown with arch-rival Hania El Hammamy after surviving a heated five-game duel with Egyptian compatriot Malak Khafagy as Round Two began in Doha.

Gohar, playing her first event since giving birth to her first child in April, had to dig deep to overcome Khafagy in an acrimonious affair that included more than 50 refereeing decisions across 91 minutes of play. Top seed El Hammamy, by contrast, eased pase England’s Lucy Turmel in straight games.

“This is the part of being back that I didn’t miss.” Gohar said. “I didn’t enjoy my squash today, but I did enjoy my resilience and mental toughness. I need to go through matches like these.“I’m really looking forward to playing Hania, It’s going to be competitive out there, but no pressure whatsoever. I’m looking forward to the match.”

In the other women’s matches  Belgium’s Tinne Gilis fended off India’s teenage sensation Anahat Singh in five games to advance to a quarter-final against fourth seed Siva Subramaniam, who proved too strong for  Salma Hany.

In the men’s event top aeed Mostafa Asal overcame an impressive showing from Swiss Yannick Wilhelmi  and will now meet Aly Abou Eleinen who claimed a clinical three-game victory over Baptiste Masotti. Marwan ElShorbagy and Gregoire Marche were the other two players to secure wins on day two of action at the Khalifa International Squash Complex after defeating Curtis Malik and Timothy Brownell.

Day One : Brownell stuns two-time champion Elias

U.S. #1 Timmy Brownell claimed the biggest win of his career after beating  two-time Qatar Classic champion Diego Elias with a stunning comeback from two games down on the opening day of the Platinum-level event in Doha with all 64 players in Round One action.

“I wasn’t doing that much wrong in the first couple of games,” Brownell said. “Just because I was 8-1 down in the second, it doesn’t mean I was playing terribly. I knew the gap wasn’t that big between us. In between games, I knew it was just a few small things. My mum told me I was in there. Some people think the gap between the top and the bottom players is bigger than it is. Maybe at the very top it is, but the margins are thin. I’m so happy to show that with today’s win.”

That was the only seeding upset of the day, although there were five-game wins for Yannick Wilhelmi, Baptiste Masotti and Kareem El Torkey, and disappointment for the home crowd as Abdulla Al-Tamimi fell in four games to former champion Karim Abdel Gawad. 

In the women’s draw former World #1 Nouran Gohar marked her competitive return  following the birth of her first child with a commanding three-game win over Kenzy Ayman.

“As much as I was excited and happy and smiling, I could feel the nerves from 0-0, said Gohar. “After the first game I started to settle down a bit and feel more confident. In order for me to get to where I want to be to reach my goals, I need to get through these matches. The main goal is always to get back to World #1.”

Top seeds Hania ElHammamy and Amina Orfi – who could both finish the event as World #1 – eased through, while Lucy Turmel, Malak Khagafy and Nardine Garas all advanced in five games.

Action is now exclusively on the Glass Court, with Round Two beginning on Sunday.

Preview : The first Platinum event of the new season kicks off in Doha …

Defending champions Paul Coll and Hania El Hammamy are among the favourites to capture the titles in Doha, with El Hammamy top seed and Coll second seed. Men’s top seed Mostafa Asal is slated to meet Diego Elias in the semi-finals, while in the women’s draw second seed Amina Orfi has a chance to become the youngest ever World #1 if results go her way and Nouran Gohar returns to action.

You can watch live on SquashTV, follow on Live Scoring, and we’ll have results and daily roundups right here.