Salma Celebrates Hurghada Return

Salma Shabana continued her comeback trail in the qualifying finals of the Women's Hurghada International in Cairo by beating England's Lauren Siddall in four games to become the only Egyptian to claim a qualifying place in the first round of the popular WISPA World Tour event staged in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

More than three years since playing full time on the squash circuit, Shabana showed the same magic as she despatched Siddall 9-7, 9-2, 5-9, 9-1 in 38 minutes to earn her third appearance in four years on the all-glass court at Hurghada.
"I knew that if I played the squash I wanted to play I would be okay," said the 29-year-old sister of world champion and world number one Amr Shabana. "From now on I will be pretty relaxed as everything is a bonus."

There was English success in the qualifying finals when Merseyside's Georgina Stoker deprived Egypt's Hend Osama of a perfect 21st birthday present. The fast-improving Stoker, who had played on the Stadium courts as a member of the England junior team at the world championships in 2003, beat Osama, a biomedical engineering student, 4-9, 10-9, 9-5, 9-7 in 42 minutes.

"I played well in France last week so I felt really good and was quite confident," said Stoker afterwards. In the Carcassonne City Open, she had beaten Rebecca Botwright and, by the law of interesting rematches, was later drawn against her compatriot a week later in Hurghada!

Australia's former world No1 Rachael Grinham is seeded to win the Hurghada title for the third year in a row. The Cairo-based 29-year-old, playing her first Tour event since winning the women's doubles gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March, meets Malaysia's Tricia Chuah in the first round.

Qualifying finals:
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt Amnah El Trabolsy (EGY) 9-4, 9-5, 9-5 (32m)
Salma Shabana (EGY) bt Lauren Siddall (ENG) 9-7, 9-2, 5-9, 9-1 (38m)
Georgina Stoker (ENG) bt Hend Osama (EGY) 4-9, 10-9, 9-5, 9-7 (42m)
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt Daniela Schumann (GER) 10-8, 9-6, 9-2 (34m)