El Weleily Conquers Kheirallah In Hurghada Upset

Egyptian teenager Raneem El Weleily upset her higher-ranked compatriot Engy Kheirallah in five games in the women's quarter-finals of the Hurghada International to earn a third successive appearance in the semi-finals of the $26,200 WISPA World Tour squash event in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

The 19-year-old sixth seed took the opening two games - but the experienced Kheirallah, seeded two positions higher, regained the upper hand thereafter to force the match into a fifth game decider.

Inspired by the presence of her family and her coach Sherine Adel, Raneem led 5-2 in the decider and resisted a fight back by her opponent before recording a mighty 9-3, 9-4, 7-9, 4-9, 9-6 victory in 72 minutes.

El Weleily will now face her first non-Egyptian in the event when she meets England's Jenny Duncalf for a place in the final. Duncalf, the No2 seed, recovered from a game down to beat Malaysia's fifth seed Sharon Wee 3-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-2.

In the all-Egyptian men's quarter-final line-up in the $61,250 5-star PSA Tour event, rising star Ramy Ashour made short work of Omar Abdel Aziz, beating the qualifier 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 in just 27 minutes.

The 20-year-old second seed from Cairo - playing for the first time in Hurghada - will now face fourth seed Wael El Hindi, who took out Omar Mosaad, the eighth seed, 11-10 (3-1), 11-5, 11-9 in a close-fought 52-minute battle.

Men's quarter-finals (bottom half of draw):
[4] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [8] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 11-10 (3-1), 11-5, 11-9 (52m)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (27m)

Women's quarter-finals (bottom half of draw):
[6] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [4] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 9-3, 9-4, 7-9, 4-9, 9-6 (72m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [5] Sharon Wee (MAS) 3-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-2 (37m)