U.S. Open 2025 : It’s Hania & Mostafa !!

Hania El Hammamy and Mostafa Asal have captured the Comcast Business U.S. Open 2025 titles after claiming three-game victories over Amina Orfi and Paul Coll on finals night at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia.

Second seed El Hammamy lifted her first U.S. Open title after overcoming fourth seed Orfi by  11-9, 12-10, 12-10, stretching her winning run on the PSA Squash Tour to 15 matches and claiming her third straight major title of the 2025/26 season.

“I am out of words for so many reasons, but being a U.S. Open champion is amazing,” El Hammamy said. I have reached the final twice before and I couldn’t make it, and I guess it’s third time lucky.

“It’s such a prestigious event; it is one of the biggest titles on the PSA Tour, so finally getting my first U.S. Open title means a lot. I am really proud of everything. I am really proud of the way I managed to get myself up from where I was a year ago, and it just means a lot to be here and lift this trophy.”

Top seed Asal joined El Hammamy in lifting the U.S. Open title without dropping a game all week after claiming a supreme 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 victory over second seed Paul Coll, avenging his recent defeat to the Kiwi in the Qatar Classic final.

“It’s amazing to bounce back, they always say that ‘once a beast always a beast,” Asal said.
“I didn’t drop a game throughout and it is an amazing feeling to bounce back. I am really really proud of myself and my team. It was a tough few weeks, but to be mentally tough and mentally strong is the most important thing in life.

“I just want to say to all the juniors out there struggling and having a lot on their minds while playing the tournament, you have to believe in yourself and your abilities. Once you are a champion, you are always a champion. I am really happy that I was able to carry on as myself after two losses, and I wasn’t looking good in the last tournament.”

Semis : Orfi downs top seed Sherbini as El Hammamy, Asal and Coll win

Teenage sensation Amina Orfi continued her hunt for a first Platinum title with a ruthless four-game victory over World Champion Nour ElSherbini at the Comcast Business U.S. Open 2025 in Philadelphia.

Four-time World Junior Champion Orfi continued her rapid rise in the women’s game with a thoroughly deserved 13-11, 10-12, 11-3, 11-9 victory over the top seed.

“You can’t ignore the fact that she is an eight-time World Champion, but coming into this match, I know that even though I’m third in the rankings and above her, when you’re playing her, it still feels like you’re playing the World No.1.”

Orfi will face second seed Hania El Hammamy in the final after the 25-year-old overcame U.S.#1 Olivia Weaver in a hard-fought three-game encounter, moving one step closer to securing a third straight major title after lifting the Egyptian Open and Qatar Classic crowns in recent weeks.

In the men’s event top seeds Mostafa Asal and Paul Coll continued their blemish-free U.S. Open campaigns with three-game victories over Egyptian duo Youssef Ibrahim and Karim Gawad.

“It means a lot to me, this was the first Platinum event I ever won in my life, so it’s unique and I’m really happy to be back,” Asal said after his match. “Youssef is an absolute fighter; he gave more than 100%. I know that feeling when a shoulder pops out, and to continue to play and entertain everyone is amazing.”

Day FIVE : Gawad survives as semi-final lineups are settled

Karim Abdel  Gawad delivered a vintage performance to hold off a spirited five-game comeback from World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria as Paul Coll, Nour El Sherbini and Amina Orfi completed the semi-final lineups.

Fourth seed Gawad, whose victory confirms his return to World #4 in for the first time since 2020, drew upon all of his experience to withstand yet another impressive showing from 18-year-old Zakaria, eventually moving through to the last four of the Platinum-level event 14-12, 11-7, 3-11, 7-11, 11-5.

“I started very well in the first two games and then I had a mental shutdown for quite some time and you can’t have those against tough opponents like Zakaria. I’m glad I came back in the fifth game and was able to take a good lead and keep it until the end of the match.”

Gawad will face second seed Coll in the semi-finals after the Kiwi put in another clinical display to defeat France’s Baptiste Masotti in three games.

n the women’s event Orfi and ElSherbini set up a tantalising semi-final showdown after the pair claimed dominant victories over Tinne Gilis and Amanda Sobhy.

Day FOUR : Ibrahim downs Makin as first semi-finalists are decided

World #9 Youssef Ibrahim beat fourth seed Joel Makin as Mostafa Asal, Hania El Hammamy and Olivia Weaver were also victorious on the first day of quarter-final play at the Comcast Business U.S. Open 2025 in Philadelphia.

Ibrahim, who entered the match against Makin with just one win from his nine prior meetings, delivered a superb performance  to take down the British National Champion 12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8.

“Joel and I have played a lot of tough matches in the past,” Ibrahim said after the match.
“I think we have played eight or nine times, and I think 80-90% of them, I have been a couple of points away from winning them. So, I knew it was going to be long and tough. I was in it for the long run.”

Ibrahim will face World #1 Mostafa Asal in the semi-finals after the current World Champion put in a near-faultless display to end the impressive run of England’s Curtis Malik in three games.

In the women’s draw second Hania El Hammamy and fourth seed Olivia Weaver set up a first head-to-head meeting since June 2023. U.S. #1 Weaver advanced to her fourth U.S. Open semi-final in five years after a ruthless straight-games victory over Sana Ibrahim, while  El Hammamy recorded her 13th straight win  over Satomi Watanabe.

Day THREE : Zakaria beats 6th seed Soliman as Amanda wins Sobhy showdown

World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria beat 6th seeded compatriot Youssef Soliman while  World #9 Amanda Sobhy defeated younger sister Sabrina as the quarter-final lineups were finalised at the Arlen Spectre US Squash Centre in Philadelphia.

The Sobhy sisters, who have both suffered season-ending injuries over the last two years, shared the court for the first time since the 2023 Canadian Open, with six-time U.S. National Champion Amanda eventually taking the spoils by a 7-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 scoreline.

“I’m really happy. I think it was a great match, honestly,” Amanda said. “There weren’t that many contentious calls. It was fair play. Good squash on both ends. And it’s nice, you know, like the last two years we were both out and it’s nice to see her back. It’s nice that we get to battle it out on court again.

Two-time World Junior Champion Zakaria laid down another statement of intent to the rest of the men’s tour with a hard-earned three-game victory over World #10 Soliman, setting up a quarter-final with fourth seed Karim Abdel Gawad, who won his all-Egyptian match with Fares Dessouky in four games.

Joining Zakaria in the last eight of the men’s event is unseeded Frenchman Baptiste Masotti, who ended the run of seventh seed Aly Abou Eleinen in straight games. He’ll face off against recent Qatar Classic champion Paul Coll after the second seed put in a dominant display to defeat up-and-coming star Jonah Bryant.

The women’s quarter-final lineups were completed with top seed Nour ElSherbini, Amina Orfi and Tinne Gilis joining Sobhy in the bottom half of the draw.

All of the day’s winners have a day off with the top half quarter-finals taking place on Wednesday.

Day TWO : Weaver survives scare as first Quarter-Finalists are decided

US  #1 Olivia Weaver survived a major scare on day two as she held off up-and-coming star Fayrouz Aboelkheir in five games to advance to the quarter-finals of the Platinum-level event in Philadelphia.

Third seed Weaver, Philadelphia born-and-raised, had to draw upon the sell-out home crowd inside the Arlen Specter US Squash Center to overcome the aggressive performance from 19-year-old Aboelkheir, eventually prevailing  6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6 to reach the quarters for the fourth time in the last five years.

“I’m very relieved to get through that,” Weaver said. “Fayrouz is obviously such a dangerous opponent. She’s playing really well. She’s always tough to play and I knew there was going to be an amazing crowd of support tonight and I probably put higher expectations of myself because of that.

“The home crowd helped me really get the best out of myself in that fifth and just up the tempo, up the energy. It’s a late shift tonight and having that energy in the crowd behind you in a match like that can really make the difference.

Weaver will face World #18 Sana Ibrahim for a spot in the last four after the unseeded Egyptian  stunned 7th seed Siva Subramaniam in four games.

Fifth seed Satomi Watanabe came through a thrilling five-game duel with Canada’s Hollie Naughton, winning 11-9 in the fifth to set-up a tie with second seed Hania El Hammamy, who beat England’s Lucy Beecroft in straight games.

In the men’s draw England’s Curtis Malik continued his superb start to the season with a gruelling five-game win over World #17 Dimitri Steinmann. Malik, who beat three-time champion Mohamed ElShorbagy in the opening round, made it two ranking upsets in as many days to progress to his first major quarter-final.

Top seed Mostafa Asal awaits Malik in the last eight after he ended the run of U.S. #1 Timmy Brownell in straight games. The remaining men’s matches saw third and eighth seeds Joel Makin in Youssef Ibrahim win in straight games to set up a quarter-final meeting.

Round ONE : Stefanoni and Malik make statement wins in Philadelphia

Unseeded duo Marina Stefanoni and Curtis Malik claimed standout wins on the opening day of the Comcast Business U.S. Open 2025, with the pair defeating Georgia Adderley and Mohamed ElShorbagy in five games at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia.

Home favourite Stefanoni staged a dramatic comeback to round out the day’s action, battling back from 2-0 down to defeat Scottish #1 Adderley and secure a second-round meeting with top seed Nour ElSherbini.

 “I feel great. I was down 2-0 pretty quickly, and it was one of those moments where I wasn’t really sure what was happening. I told my team beforehand that I would need a lot of vocal support. I haven’t been feeling great the past few days, so I just needed something extra from off the court. They did great, they supported me really loudly, and I had almost all the important people in my life there. I probably couldn’t have done it without them.”

The World #24 will be joined by fellow American hopefuls Olivia Weaver, Amanda Sobhy, Sabrina Sobhy and Timothy Brownell in the second round of the Platinum-level event.

Meanwhile, World #26 Malik scored arguably the biggest win of his career to date after stunning three-time U.S. Open Champion ElShorbagy. England’s Malik, who last week claimed his first win over a top-ten player against Youssef Soliman at the Silicon Valley Open, continued his recent form to defeat fifth seed ElShorbagy  5-11, 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-2.

Malik said: “I’m massively pleased and proud of myself. I know that Mo hasn’t been in his best form over the last couple of events that he has been in previously. But for me to play him, I grew up watching him, and to even be on the court with him when growing up was a dream come true. So, to beat him is amazing.

Amanda and Sabrina Sobhy set up a sibling showdown after the sisters claimed wins over France’s Melissa Alves and Hong Kong’s Ka Yi Lee.

Wildcard Sabrina, who missed the majority of the 24/25 season with a serious wrist injury, came through a back-and-forth five-game duel with World #37 Lee, while Amanda despatched Alves in straight games.

World #3 Amina Orfi survived an early scare as she battled from behind to defeat Belgium’s Nele Gilis in an enthralling 87-minute five-game duel, while top seeds Nour ElSherbini and Mostafa Asal made seamless progress after defeating Nour Aboulmakarim and Nicolas Mueller.

The Brownells : The Apple doesn’t …

U.S. Open to feature Squash’s most ambitious broadcast ever !!

The 2025 Comcast Business U.S. Open will feature the most advanced TV broadcast in the sport’s history, with a suite of new production elements elevating the viewing experience for fans around the world and advancing the presentation of the sport in preparation for its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The action from the 52nd edition of the prestigious tournament will be captured by SQUASHTV at Philadelphia’s Arlen Specter US Squash Center from 19th to 25th October with 18 cameras – the most used in a squash broadcast since SQUASHTV’s inception in 2010 – bringing fans closer to the action than ever before as stars including USA’s #1 Olivia Weaver and men’s World Champion Mostafa Asal compete for the crown.

For the first time in squash history, a cable camera will be installed over the showpiece glass court to provide unparalleled views of the competition, crowd, and venue, while four manned super slow-motion and gimbal cameras will provide cinematic coverage of the biggest moments from the tournament.

“We’re excited to deliver the most ambitious broadcast in the history of the sport at the U.S. Open,” said PSA Chief Operating Officer Lee Beachill. “By expanding our camera coverage, production crew, and technical integrations, we’re providing fans with the most immersive SQUASHTV broadcast ever seen in the sport.

“This scale of production reflects our ambition for where we want the sport to be as we look towards squash’s debut at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, and we are grateful to Comcast Business for powering this enhanced broadcast coverage through their cutting-edge connectivity and enterprise-grade technology solutions.”

In addition, two replay cameras will be dedicated to covering the out-of-court lines for instant officiating reviews, meaning an increase of seven cameras in comparison to a regular SQUASHTV broadcast.

The broadcast presentation will be enhanced with in-depth stats and analysis to tell greater stories around the matches in real-time, including the number of winning shots, errors, rally duration, shot count, and areas of strengths and weaknesses of the competing players.

“Leveraging Comcast Business’ advanced technology with SQUASHTV’s latest innovations at this year’s U.S. Open is the ideal showcase for squash’s rapid growth and expansion,” said US Squash President & CEO Kevin Klipstein.

“The Comcast Business U.S. Open being streamed by NBC’s Peacock featuring SQUASHTV’s fullest production team ever is powering tremendous collaboration and excitement across squash organizations globally. We can’t wait to see where this leads the sport by the time squash has its Olympic debut at the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios in 2028.”

The global broadcast feed will be distributed to broadcasters across 89 countries, enabled by Comcast Business’s integrated technology infrastructure at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center, ensuring seamless, high-quality delivery to audiences worldwide.

“At Comcast Business, we’re proud to power the technology behind the most ambitious squash broadcast in history. Our advanced network solutions are enabling SQUASHTV to deliver an immersive, world-class viewing experience to fans across the globe,” said Eileen Diskin, CMO, Comcast Business.

“Supporting the U.S. Open Squash Championships and the growth of professional squash reflects our commitment to innovation, community, and the future of sport.”

Lead presenter Michael Absalom and lead commentator Joey Barrington will be spearheading the team calling the action during one of the sport’s majors. They will be supported by a cast featuring former World Champion Vanessa Atkinson, Aisling Blake, Lisa Aitken, Nicole Bunyan and American stars Gilly Lane and Chris Gordon.

NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock will stream the semi-finals and finals live for the first time in the US.