Hong Kong Squash Open: Diego Elias comes from behind to secure finals berth as Hania El Hammamy stops Nouran Gohar
- The Peruvian twice came back from a game down to knock out England’s ElShorbagy
- El Hammamy to play compatriot Nour El Sherbini in an all-Egyptian encounter after Kiwi Joelle King crashed out in the semi-final
Two defending champions of the Hong Kong Squash Open were dispatched in dramatic fashion on Saturday to set up a tantalising end to the week-long tournament.
Egypty’s Hania El Hammamy and Peruvian Diego Elias sealed their place in Sunday’s final after dispatching women’s world No 1 Nouran Gohar and defending men’s champion Mohamed ElShorbagy in the semi-finals respectively.
The women’s world No 3 El Hammamy continued to find form over compatriot Gohar, storming from behind to win 3-2 to reach her first-ever final at the Hong Kong tournament.
Gohar, who has reached the finals in all competitions in 2022, trailed early in the third, but the 25-year-old registered six unanswered points to restore composure and lead two games to one heading into the fourth.
But just when the capacity crowd at the Hong Kong Squash Centre was expecting an equally epic deciding game, El Hammamy had other ideas. The 22-year-old reeled off five straight points to take a solid lead and sent Gohar packing with a convincing 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-2 victory.
