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04/04/2022
University of Birmingham Open 2022
University of Birmingham Open 2022
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University of Birmingham Open 2022
Men's Draw
05-09 APR
Birmingham, England, $6k |
ROUND TWO
06 APR |
QUARTERS
07 APR |
SEMIS
08 APR |
FINAL
09 APR |
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[1] Robert Downer (ENG)
11-9, 11-13, 11-7, 14-12 (61m)
[9/16] James Peach (ENG) |
Robert Downer
1-11, 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10 (75m)
Seif Shenawy |
Robert Downer
11-8, 11-13, 11-8,
6-11, 11-4 (72m)
Miles Jenkins |
Miles Jenkins
11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
Ibrahim Elkabbani |
[6] Seif Shenawy (EGY)
10-12, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7 (48m)
[9/16] Arón Astray (ESP) |
[7] Simon Herbert (ENG)
11-3, 16-14, 11-9 (31m)
[9/16] Filip Jarota (POL) |
Simon Herbert
8-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 (52m)
Miles Jenkins |
[4] Miles Jenkins (ENG)
11-3, 11-6, 11-13, 11-7 (53m)
[9/16] Perry Malik (ENG) |
[3] Joe Lee (ENG)
11-6, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8 (53m)
[9/16] Vini Rodrigues (BRA) |
Joe Lee
11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (36m)
Ibrahim Elkabbani |
Ibrahim Elkabbani
12-14, 11-7, 7-11,
11-1, 11-4 (65m)
Balázs Farkas |
[5] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY)
11-4 ret.
[9/16] Stuart MacGregor (ENG) |
[8] Sean Conroy (IRL)
11-4, 14-12, 11-3 (40m)
[9/16] Javier Martin (ESP) |
Sean Conroy
11-7, 7-11, 11-13,
14-12, 11-9 (61m)
Balázs Farkas |
[9/16] Joel Arscott (NZL)
11-13, 11-3, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5 (54m)
[2] Balázs Farkas (HUN) |
[1] Robert Downer (ENG) bye
[9/16] James Peach (ENG) bt [WC] Ali Khawas (EGY) 11-3, 11-2, 11-1 (20m)
[9/16] Arón Astray (ESP) bt Hasnaat Farooqi (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 13-11
(42m)
[6] Seif Shenawy (EGY) bye
[7] Simon Herbert (ENG) bye
[9/16] Filip Jarota (POL) bt [WC] Will Salter (ENG) 11-4, 5-11, 11-9,
11-7 (58m)
[9/16] Perry Malik (ENG) bt Mike Harris (ENG) 11-2, 11-6, 11-8 (32m)
[4] Miles Jenkins (ENG) bye
[3] Joe Lee (ENG) bye
[9/16] Vini Rodrigues (BRA) bt Martin Ross (SCO) 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (29m)
[9/16] Stuart MacGregor (ENG) bt [WC] Toby Ponting (ENG) 12-10, 11-5,
12-10 (36m)
[5] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) bye
[8] Sean Conroy (IRL) bye
[9/16] Javier Martin (ESP) bt [WC] Muqtadir Nimji (KEN) 7-11, 8-11,
11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (62m)
[9/16] Joel Arscott (NZL) bt Adam Sinkule (CZE) 11-2, 11-2, 11-0 (17m)
[2] Balázs Farkas (HUN) bye |
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University of Birmingham Open 2022
Women's Draw
05-09 APR
Birmingham, England, $6k |
ROUND TWO
06 APR |
QUARTERS
07 APR |
SEMIS
08 APR |
FINAL
09 APR |
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[1] Lily Taylor (ENG)
6-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-7 (33m)
[9/16] Akari Midorikawa (JPN) |
Lily Taylor
11-8, 11-9, 11-7 (28m)
Kiera Marshall |
Lily Taylor
11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (43m)
Nour Aboulmakarim |
Nour Aboulmakarim
11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
Satomi Watanabe |
[9/16] Kiera Marshall (ENG)
11-0, 14-16, 11-5, 11-3 (31m)
[6] Madina Zafar (PAK) |
[7] Emilia Korhonen (FIN)
11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (21m)
[9/16] Jasmin Kalar (ENG) |
Emilia Korhonen
11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (23m)
Nour Aboulmakarim |
[3] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY)
11-5, 11-7, 11-3 (26m)
Ingy Hammouda (EGY) |
[4] Alicia Mead (ENG)
11-2, 11-2, 11-9 (23m)
[9/16] Faiza Zafar (PAK) |
Alicia Mead
11-5, 11-6, 11-2 (20m)
Katie Wells |
Alicia Mead
11-2, 11-7, 11-3 (18m)
Satomi Watanabe |
[5] Katie Wells (ENG)
11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (22m)
[WC] Katie Cox (ENG) |
[8] Satomi Watanabe (JPN)
11-2, 11-3, 11-1 (16m)
[9/16] Polly Clark (ENG) |
Satomi Watanabe
11-6, 11-13, 11-5, 11-8 (46m)
Marina Stefanoni |
[9/16] Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS)
11-3, 11-3, 11-9 (20m)
[2] Marina Stefanoni (USA) |
[1] Lily Taylor (ENG) bye
[9/16] Akari Midorikawa (JPN) bt [WC] Megan van Drongelen (NED) 11-6,
7-11, 11-7, 12-14, 11-4 (42m)
[9/16] Kiera Marshall (ENG) bt Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) 11-6, 11-8,
11-4 (21m)
[6] Madina Zafar (PAK) bye
[7] Emilia Korhonen (FIN) bye
[9/16] Jasmin Kalar (ENG) bt Anya Shah (ENG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (22m)
Ingy Hammouda (EGY) bt [9/16] Catherine Holland (SCO) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3
(17m)
[3] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bye
[4] Alicia Mead (ENG) bye
[9/16] Faiza Zafar (PAK) bt Emily Jones (ENG) 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (21m)
[WC] Katie Cox (ENG) bt [9/16] Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR) 11-7, 13-15,
4-11, 11-2, 11-7 (36m)
[5] Katie Wells (ENG) bye
[8] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bye
[9/16] Polly Clark (ENG) bt [WC] Chloe Foster (WAL) 11-9, 10-12, 11-9,
11-9 (43m)
[9/16] Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) bt Meha Shah (ENG) 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 (13m)
[2] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bye |
Watanabe and Elkabbani Secure World Champs Spots After
University of Birmingham Open Victories
Japan’s Satomi Watanabe and Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani took the titles at
the University of Birmingham Open, winning on the spectacular glass
court housed inside Birmingham’s New Street Station, to guarantee
themselves a spot of the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo.
Having already taken out two higher-ranked players, in No.2 seed Marina
Stefanoni and No.4 seed Alicia Mead, Watanabe came into the final
against Egypt’s Nour Aboulmakarim in great form, and she showed that
from the off. The Japanese No.1 had reached as high as World No.44 prior
to the COVID-19 pandemic, and she played to that level once again in the
final.
The first game was tight, with neither player able to break away, but
Watanabe managed to at the end to take it 11-9, and she held the
momentum throughout the rest of the contest. She won the second 11-6,
and had a big lead in the third game before a collision between the pair
saw the Egyptian take some time out of court for an injury. When she
returned though, it was Watanabe who took the next two points to secure
the victory, and her place in Cairo in five weeks time.
“I tried the previous one [World Champs qualifier] at Val de Reuil but I
didn’t make it there. So, to make it to the World Championships means a
lot for me!” Watanabe admitted.
“It’s a great opportunity which I am really happy, and I’m happy that I
was able to grab it with my own hands. Now I know, and I understand that
I am on the right track, the right path so I am really looking forward
at the World Championships and seeing how far I can go against all those
really good players.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity to understand how good they are
and feel it physically, not by watching it on SQUASHTV. So that will be
a really good experience and that will definitely motivate me to go
further up the rankings.”
Ibrahim Elkabbani took the men’s title at the University of Birmingham
Open on Saturday evening, after a comprehensive performance to get the
better of England’s Miles Jenkins, as he won in straight games on the
glass at New Street Station.
The Egyptian had overcome Hungary’s Balazs Farkas, a man already
qualified for the PSA World Championships thanks to his victory in
Odense last month, in. The semi-finals, and he brought that form into
the final.
Jenkins started the stronger of the two in the opening exchanges, but
Elkabbani was able to punish loose balls from the Englishman to take
both of the first two games by an 11-7 scoreline. He then ran riot at
the start of the third game, taking a massive lead early on, one he
never looked like relinquishing as he won in straight games.
“I am over the moon. Words cannot describe how I feel right now,” the
Egyptian said.
“This tournament was really tough for me because I have been in France
two weeks ago. I couldn’t get to the finals there. I finished there and
went to Liverpool and lost in three games, so I am really happy that I
managed here, pushed myself throughout the tournament, and to get here,
it’s incredible.
“I really want to do this! I am looking forward to having great battles
with these legends. All I can say from these matches, it is gaining
experience against the top players. I am really happy that I have made
it there!”
The last of the four qualifying events for the 2021-2022 PSA World
Championships in Cairo will be the Challenger 10 level Bermuda Open,
which will take place from May 3-7 at the Bermuda Squash Rackets
Association.
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Top Seeds Taken Out In University of Birmingham Open Semi-Finals
The semi-finals of the University of Birmingham Open, held on a
spectacular glass court at Birmingham’s New Street Station, saw both of
the tournament’s top seeds knocked out, as England’s Miles Jenkins and
Egypt’s Nour Aboulmakarim caused upsets to reach the finals.
The Challenger 5 level tournament, which began at the university’s
Sports & Fitness Centre on Tuesday, is the third of four qualifying
events for the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo next month,
following on from the Odense Open and the Val de Reuil Normandie.
The first men’s semi-final at New Street Station saw an all-English
affair between top seed Robert Downer and No.4 seed Miles Jenkins go
head-to-head for a place in Saturday’s final, and it went the distance.
Jenkins twice took the lead, only for his compatriot to fight back to
level the match, the second game going to a tie-break.
27-year-old Jenkins, who sits just outside the world’s top 100, was able
to find the back corners once again in the deciding game, getting back
to the gameplan that had worked for him earlier in the match. That gave
him a lead early on, and he was able to ride the momentum through to the
finish, claiming the fifth game 11-4 to book his place in the final.
“I am delighted with that. The last time played, which was a couple of
months ago, I lost 3-0, so to be able to turn that around and to get a
win, especially with it being a World Championships qualifier is great!”
Jenkins said.
“The ball went quite soft at the end of the fourth and I just had to
adapt. My length went a bit short as the ball went dead. [At the] start
of the fifth, I managed to get a bit of life into it and got my length
through a bit more. That gave me opportunities to take the straight drop
and force some errors out of him. I was disciplined towards the end, and
that’s what you have to be!
“Really looking forward to the final, the glass court is playing lovely,
the station is brilliant as well. There is a great atmosphere, a good
crowd, so I am looking forward to it.”
Jenkins will now face Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani on Saturday evening at
Birmingham New Street Station, after the Egyptian overcame Hungarian
No.1 Balazs Farkas in the last match of the day. Like the first men’s
match, the pair went the distance, with Elkabbani getting over the line
after 65 minutes of action, coming back from 2-1 down to win 3-2.
Jenkins and Elkabbani will now battle it out for a guaranteed spot at
the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships.
Elkabbani will be joined on finals day by another Egyptian, in No.3 seed
Nour Aboulmakarim, after she overcame the challenge of facing the top
seed in the women’s event, in England’s Lily Taylor.
After winning the first game on the glass court, Aboulmakarim found
herself 2-1 down, with Taylor able to get in front of the young Egyptian
and force her to play from the back corners. However, the 19-year-old
fought back, and won the last two games, both by an 11-6 scoreline, to
take the victory, and move into the final.
“It was a really tough match. It was not my day but I was trying to
figure it out. The first game, I was playing well and then the second
and the third, I was leading 8-5 in both games, and both times I lost,”
she explained.
“The fourth and the fifth, I was trying to enjoy the moment, enjoy the
court, the place, everything. I wasn’t thinking about anything other
than just playing, and I managed to get there!
“I love the fact that it is in the middle of the station, it’s
incredible! I love playing on the glass courts anyway. I loved the
crowd, with everyone watching, and it was the best experience for me!”
Aboulmakarim will face Japan’s Satomi Watanabe on Saturday evening,
after the World No.123 got the better of England’s Alicia Mead in
straight games. The Englishwoman, who was suffering from illness, was
unable to perform at a level near her best, and with Watanabe on form,
there was only going to be one winner.
The finals of the University of Birmingham Open will take place on
Saturday, April 9, with the action being shown live on the PSA
Challenger Tour YouTube channel. The winners of tomorrow’s matches will
earn their spots in Cairo for the sport’s premiere event. |
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For more information on the event, visit the tournament website or
follow the PSA World Tour on Twitter or Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
and
SQUASHTV. |
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