Hong Kong Squash Open: Egyptian pair El Hammamy and Asal both win 5-game thrillers to claim first city titles
- Mostafa Asal saves championship point after going two games down to eventually beat Diego Elias
- Hania El Hammamy shrugs off medical timeout to overcome challenge of compatriot Nour El Sherbini
Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy and Mostafa Asal both came through five-game thrillers to win the women’s and men’s titles at the Hong Kong Squash Open on Sunday.
The pair survived epic battles in their respective finals to claim their maiden victories in the city, with Asal coming from two games and championship point down to overcome Diego Elias in an encounter that lasted for more than 90 minutes.
Victory marked an impressive turnaround for Asal, whose tournament in Hong Kong in 2018 lasted just 20 minutes.
“I’m so proud of myself,” said Asal. “It’s been a tough week for me… People don’t know what happens outside of the court, I’m dealing with lots of things to play this awesome squash.
“I’m so happy to come to Hong Kong. My first time in 2018, I lost in 20 mins against Tom Richards in the first round, so I’m really happy to win it this time.”
El Hammamy, meanwhile, shrugged off losing the lead twice to eventually prevail against compatriot Nour El Sherbini in 89 minutes.
