Engy Ends Salma's Run In Hurghada

In the only match of the night without a clear 'home' favourite for the packed crowd to support, Egypt's Engy Kheirallah ended the impressive run of compatriot Salma Shabana to earn a place in the semi-finals of the Women's Hurghada International at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada for the first time.

Kheirallah, 24, from Alexandria, has made steady progress on the WISPA World Tour over the past year - winning three titles since August and earning a career-high world No17 ranking this month. Shabana, however, is pursuing a new career as a mother following an earlier WISPA career which took the 29-year-old to a career-high world No20 ranking more than five years ago.

Watched by newly-arrived fiancé Karim Darwish, the world No10, Kheirallah had little trouble in beating the sister of Darwish's Egyptian team-mate Amr Shabana, the world No1, who had clearly come a match too far after her stirring performances earlier in the event.

"I had very little to give today," said Salma after her 9-2, 9-6, 9-3 defeat in 30 minutes. "She played really well but I didn't get into it until the third."

When asked if her comeback was a one-off or would she be back playing regularly, Shabana replied: "I may play more events if I can bribe my mum to baby-sit!"

Kheirallah admitted that she had been nervous before the match. "Salma has had some good wins and seemed to be playing better than before. I am so happy to make the semi-finals and will be doing my best to make it an all-Egyptian final."

Kheirallah's next hurdle will be favourite Rachael Grinham, the former world No1 from Australia who made Cairo her home some five years ago.

Grinham, winner of the last two Hurghada events, was too strong for England's Rebecca Botwright, beating the sixth seed 9-4, 9-3, 9-1 in just 23 minutes.

Botwright, playing her first match in the tournament after a surprise walkover in the opening round, was insightful about her opponent: "You don't think she generates much pace, but the ball is always dying in one corner or another, just out of reach. She puts so much hold on the ball that I found myself defending the whole time."

The other semi-final will be an all-Egyptian affair between Omneya Abdel Kawy, the second seed from Cairo, and eighth seed Raneem El Weleily, the 17-year-old world junior champion from Alexandria.

El Weleily leapt out of the blocks against qualifier Nicolette Fernandes and after 35 minutes claimed her 9-6, 9-2, 9-3 win.

The 22-year-old from Guyana was generally happy with her efforts: "I played a silly point in the middle of the first that seemed to give her momentum. In the end she won it rather than me losing it even though I was ahead. I just didn't put her under enough pressure."

El Weleily, a mature adult squash player in a teenage body, added: "I didn't expect to play as well as I did. She was tough but mentally I was good and physically in shape. There was pressure on me as she had beaten the third seed."

Loudly supported by the crowd, chanting 'Omneya, Omneya...' and clapping and swaying in rhythm to provide a backdrop unmatched elsewhere on the Tour, Kawy beat her fifth-seeded Welsh opponent Tegwen Malik 9-4, 9-5, 9-7 in 38 minutes.

Malik, now 30, told reporters afterwards: "I have spent a month trying a few new things with Chris [Chris Robertson, Welsh National Coach] that I want to add to my game. But it was difficult to use them on a fast court like this. I will get back to it when I get home."

When asked about her next opponent in the event, Kawy surprisingly revealed: "I have never played Raneem before on the WISPA Tour. In fact I think I have only played her maybe two years ago in a local event."

Quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [6] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-4, 9-3, 9-1 (23m)
[4] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt [Q] Salma Shabana (EGY) 9-2, 9-6, 9-3 (30m)
[8] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [Q] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 9-6, 9-2, 9-3 (35m)
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [5] Tegwen Malik (WAL) 9-4, 9-5, 9-7 (38m)