Salma Continues To Shine In Hurghada

Salma Shabana, the surprise package of the qualifying event in Cairo, continued to shine on the opening day of the main event at its now established home at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada when she crushed seventh seed Samantha Teran in the first round of the Women's Hurghada International.

Teran, a two-times Pan American champion from Mexico, had no answers to the 29-year-old qualifier from Cairo who last played seriously on the WISPA World Tour three years ago.

Shabana took the closely-contested first game on the all-glass court sited in the middle of the Hurghada promenade that is surrounded by holiday hotels and a variety of tourist emporiums.

But the second game unveiled a totally different match: "To use the jargon, Salma was well and truly in the zone," said tournament organiser Andrew Shelley. "Teran could not respond to the quality squash being thrust upon her and she lost the second two games for just one point," explained Shelley after the 9-4 9-1 9-0 rout in 30 minutes.

The 25-year-old Mexican was mystified by her performance: "I felt I couldn't power the ball to the back but she was volleying more and not giving me a chance. I lost confidence. I'm used to the heat but I felt tired. I really don't know what happened."

Shabana could merely add: "It all clicked. I really don't know how I played as I was so into it."

More illuminating, perhaps, were the comments of husband Omar Elborolossy, the former Egyptian international. "She had been playing that well in practice for the last month. Better than she has ever played before in her life so I am not surprised."

After a rest day, Shabana will next face compatriot Engy Kheirallah, herself in prime form having broken into the WISPA top twenty for the first time.

The 24-year-old fourth seed from Alexandria showed why she had beaten Omneya Abdel Kawy and Natalie Grainger to reach the final of the Texas Open recently. And although she let points slip against tenacious WISPA 36 ranked Sarah Kippax she never looked likely to relinquish a game to her English opponent.

"I was a bit nervous at the start because last year I was seeded in the top eight and didn't get through to the quarters, and now I am seeded four," said Kheirallah after her 9-6, 9-2, 9-4 win in 38 minutes. "This time there is even more pressure."

Australia's top seed Rachael Grinham confidently began the defence of her title with a 9-1, 9-4, 9-0 defeat of Malaysia's Tricia Chuah in just 22 minutes. The former world No1, who has been based in Cairo for the past five years, will next meet England's Rebecca Botwright, who was given a walkover into the last eight after opponent Georgina Stoker was forced to pull out of her all British clash as the result of a virus.

1st round:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Tricia Chuah (MAS) 9-1, 9-4, 9-0 (22m)
[6] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt [Q] Georgina Stoker (ENG) w/o
[4] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt Sarah Kippax (ENG) 9-6, 9-2, 9-4 (38m)
[Q] Salma Shabana (EGY) bt [7] Samantha Teran (MEX) 9-4, 9-1, 9-0 (30m)