Finland’s Olli Tuominen recorded his first ever win over France’s former world number one Thierry Lincou when he beat the fourth seed in the Hurghada International to claim the biggest upset in the first round of the men’s PSA Tour International 70 squash event in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
The two PSA Tour stalwarts have been doing battle with each other for more than a decade – but this time it was the 32-year-old from Helsinki who finally triumphed, winning 11-8, 15-13, 11-5 in 46 minutes to inflict the first early round exit on Lincou for 14 months.
Tuominen, the world No22, will now face Egyptian Mohammed Abbas for a place in the semi-finals. Abbas, a 30-year-old former world No13, is also celebrating an unexpected quarter-final berth after first battling through the qualifiers – then upsetting Pakistan’s world No29 Aamir Atlas Khan 11-9, 13-15, 11-3, 11-3 in 49 minutes.
Abbas is mounting a major comeback after a long-term foot injury – and has recovered more than 30 ranking positions since falling to a ten-year rankings low of 66 at the end of 2009.
Egyptian interest is already guaranteed in both men’s semi-finals after rising star Tarek Momen, the 23-year-old world No26 from Cairo, beat experienced Malaysian Ong Beng Hee 11-13, 13-11, 11-7, 11-4.
Momen will face second seed Karim Darwish, the world No3 from Cairo who defeated Swiss qualifier Nicolas Mueller 11-8, 11-5, 11-1.
An all-Egyptian quarter-final clash in the top half of the draw will see favourite Ramy Ashour, the world No2 from Cairo bidding to win the title for a fourth successive year, take on unseeded Omar Mosaad.
There were no surprises in the first round of the women’s WISPA World Tour Silver 30 event when all eight seeds progressed safely through to the quarter-finals.
Australia’s top seed Rachael Grinham, winner of the title three times until 2007, defeated Egypt’s Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 – while defending champion Omneya Abdel Kawy, the second seed from Cairo looking for her fourth successive title, recovered from a game down to beat 18-year-old compatriot Salma Hany, a qualifier, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7.
RESULTS: Hurghada International, Hurghada, Egypt
Men's 1st round:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 11-4, 13-11, 11-8
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [Q] Simon Rosner (GER) 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8
Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 11-9, 11-8, 11-4
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 14-12, 11-8, 11-5
Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-8, 15-13, 11-5 (46m)
[Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-9, 13-15, 11-3, 11-3 (49m)
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-13, 13-11, 11-7, 11-4 (44m)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-8, 11-5, 11-1 (27m)
Women’s 1st round:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 (21m)
[7] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt [Q] Coline Aumard (FRA) 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 (33m)
[4] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [Q] Nouran El Torky (EGY) 11-3, 11-7, 11-3 (17m)
[6] Line Hansen (DEN) bt Gaby Schmohl (SUI) 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (33m)
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [Q] Emily Whitlock (ENG) 11-4, 11-1, 10-12, 11-5 (37m)
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Adel Weir-Nunan (RSA) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (30m)
[8] Heba El Torky (EGY) bt Lucie Fialova (CZE) 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 13-11 (62m)
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [Q] Salma Hany (EGY) 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (24m)
Men’s quarter-final line-up:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Tarek Momen (EGY)
Women’s quarter-final line-up:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [7] Engy Kheirallah (EGY)
[4] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) v [6] Line Hansen (DEN)
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) v [5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v [8] Heba El Torky (EGY)