Day THREE : Round Two concludes with five game epics

The GillenMarkets British Open continued today in Birmingham with the remaining Round Two matches at Solihull Arden and at The Rep Theatre.

Dramatic five game wins for Lucky Loser Kareem El Tayeb, Qualifier Mostafa Elsirty, retiring after the tournament Sarah-Jane Perry, former champion Miguel Rodriguez and back from the dead Hannah Moataz marked day three as the last sixteens were decided.

Check out the reports and reaction below today’s results …

Afternoon : Rodrigues fights back as Lucky Loser El Torkey advances

Former World No.4 Miguel Rodriguez rolled back the years as the 39-year-old clinched a place in the last 16 after a desperate rearguard action against England’s Patrick Rooney.

Rodriquez, a British Open champion, looked down and out when Rooney earned four match balls at 10-6 in game five, only for the Colombian to pull the iron from the fire in an incredible reversal.

Now ranked World No.21, Rodriguez had made an assured start against former World No.18 Rooney, dominating game one with an 11-5 win.

Rooney improved in game two, taking it 12-10 before Rodriguez regained the lead with an 11-6.

Rooney, who impressed in a round one win over Mohamed Abouelghar on Saturday, fought back again, though, edging the fourth game 11-9.

The Englishman looked to have earned a matchup with World No.1 Mostafa Asal when he earned four match balls at 10-6 against a seemingly-tiring Rodriguez.

The Colombian, however, dug in spectacularly. The 39-year-old threw himself around court and preyed on the fraying nerves of Rooney to wipe out all four match balls before powering through the tie break to snatch a spectacular win, after which he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and ecstasy while Rooney sent the towel box flying in frustration.

Joining Rodriguez in the next round is 20-year-old Egyptian “Lucky Loser” Kareem El Torkey, after the World No.52 came through a five-game epic of his own to take down English wildcard Sam Todd.

El Torkey, runner up in the U23 World Squash Championships this year, thought he was heading home after losing to Noor Zaman in the qualification event, only to receive an unexpected reprieve via a “lucky loser” berth following Ramit Tandon’s late withdrawal.

The Egyptian has grabbed the opportunity with both hands this week, defeating compatriot Yahya Elnawasany in the first round at Solihull Arden Club.

El Torkey looked to be sailing through to the last 16 when he took a 2-0 lead and led 7-3 in game three, only for Todd to roar back to take game three 11-8 and game four 11-5 to level.

Under the guidance of Youssef Ibrahim – whom El Torkey will play in the next round – the Egyptian regained his composure in game five, clinching the gripping contest 11-9 to earn a huge personal milestone.

Another player to fight back today was USA’s Marina Stefanoni, who overcame a six place deficit in the PSA World Rankings as she came back from a game down against England’s Lucy Turmel.

World No.23 Turmel took the initiative early on after edging a tie break in game one 13-11, only for Stefanoni to launch a brilliant counter attack to win 11-2, 13-11, 11-5.

In another exciting contest, Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam overcame Indian 17-year-old Anahat Singh in a tight encounter.

Sivasangari clinched the first game on a tie break but was pegged back 11-9 by Singh – who famously played the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games aged just 14 – in game two.

The Malaysian, ranked No.9 in the latest PSA World Rankings, reclaimed the initiative in game three, managing the game well in an 11-8 win before wrapping up the contest 11-7 in game four.

In the first match of the day, World Champion Nour El Sherbini showed no mercy as she decimated Egyptian compatriot and World No.58 Haya Ali.

Ali had come through a challenging qualifying campaign for the GillenMarkets British Open, playing three matches ahead of today’s clash.

El Sherbini, meanwhile, had enjoyed some rest and recuperation after capturing her eighth PSA World Championship title in May.

Unfortunately for Ali, today’s clash was a total mismatch, with El Sherbini playing the cold court conditions to perfection as she recorded the most comfortable of 3-0 wins: 11-4, 11-3, 11-1 in 17 minutes.

Also on the glass, England No.1 Marwan ElShorbagy impressed in an all-English affair to reach the last 16 after cruising past George Parker  11-6, 11-9, 11-6 in 30 minutes.

Evening : Perry’s not finished yet Nele says “I’m back!”, Moataz survives

Hana Moataz saved an incredible six match balls as the Egyptian snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a thriller against Wales’ Tesni Murphy to reach round three.

Moataz, who came through a brutal five-gamer in round one, started confidently against the Welshwoman today, easing into the lead with an 11-4 win. Murphy, however, soon put Moataz on the back foot, moving into the lead with a pair of 11-8 wins.

The Egyptian steadied the ship in game four, taking the match into a fifth game with an 11-7 win.

World No.21 Murphy seemed to have recovered and looked for all the world like she’d booked her spot in the last 16 as she earned six match balls at 10-4 in game five.

Incredibly, though, the World No.31 managed to hold out every time.  Time and again, Moataz rose to the occasion, growing in confidence as the points flowed.

After saving the final match ball at 9-10, Moataz’s momentum was finally stopped on her own match ball as Murphy forced another tie-break at 11-11.

The Egyptian did not panic, though, regaining the ascendency as she completed the most unlikely of comebacks with a 13-11 win.

Joining Moataz in round three in local hero Sarah-Jane Perry, playing in her last ever British Open having announced that she would be retiring after the event.

Known as ‘the Gladiator’ for her never-say-die attitude, World No.25 Perry was at her combative best in a five-game victory over Egyptian World No.14.

Perry came charging out of the block in a fiery clash, storming into the lead with an 11-7 win. The pair then traded games, with Hany striking back 11-9 only for Perry to reclaim the lead with an 11-8 win.

When Hany crushed Perry 11-1 in game four and took the first three points in game five, the match looked like the Egyptian’s to lose.

The Kenilworth native, though, had other ideas. Drawing strength from the raucous atmosphere created by her fans, friends and family, Perry found another level again, fighting her way through an at-times bad tempered clash to set up a huge Round of 16 tie with reigning World Champion Nour El Sherbini after a nerve-shattering 11-9 win.

Another player who has experienced a roller coaster of a season this year is Nele Gilis-Coll, who has endured a troubling time with injuries, form and confidence in a season that has seen her drop from World No.4 in September 2024 to World No.13 in the latest PSA World Rankings.

The Belgian answered all her critics today, though, putting in what was by far her best performance of the season to overcome English No.6 seed Georgina Kennedy in a laregly one-sided affair, racking up an 11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 11-1 scoreline to progress.

Elsewhere, Moustafa Elsirty became the only qualifier to earn a place in the last 16 after the Egyptian came through a 73-minute five-game battle with India’s Abhay Singh in Solihull.

On the glass court at ‘The Rep,’ World No.2 Diego Elias recovered from a torrid start to reach the third round. The Peruvian got off to a torrid start against World No.30 Gregoire Marche, with the Frenchman easing into the lead 11-2. Elias opted to stay on court between games to practice his hitting, which seemed to pay off for the No.2 seed, who looked more like himself as he turned the match around taking the next three games 11-4, 11-3, 11-8.

Round Three of the GillenMarkets British Open begins tomorrow, 3 June, at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.