It's Diego & Dessouky Day In El Gouna

Egyptian Fares Dessouky and Peruvian Diego Elias - both unseeded - claimed unexpected quarter-final berths in the El Gouna International Open after prevailing in the second round of the final PSA World Series event of the season at the New Marina in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of El Gouna.

Dessouky moved into the last eight courtesy of a 3/0 triumph over Australian No.1 Ryan Cuskelly.

The 22-year-old Egyptian, who reached the event's semi-finals last year, caused one of the biggest shocks of the tournament in round one with a superb scalp over three-time World Champion Nick Matthew - and picked up where left off against 'The Wolf' to come through in straight games against Cuskelly, beating the world No.14 11-9, 11-7, 1-11, 11-8.

"I lost my concentration in the match a couple of times," Dessouky admitted.

"I didn't start well today then from 9-7 at the end, I started playing well and I won the first game 11-9. In the second, I played really well, I was focused, then I lost concentration again in the third.

"I went off court and said to myself that I had to give it everything, I had to win the game. He wasn't going to give me any cheap points to grab the win."

Two-time World Junior Champion Diego Elias will meet Dessouky in the quarter-finals after the Peruvian got the better of Mexico's Cesar Salazar, beating the world No.20 in straight games.

The duo - roommates for this tournament - played some fast and furious squash, with Elias displaying some fine retrieval skills to prevail by an 11-9, 13-11, 11-4 margin - earning his place in the quarter-finals of a World Series tournament for the first time in his fledgling career.

"What made me retrieve all of his shots is determination," 20-year-old Elias revealed.

"I have been losing in first round and second round matches that I should have won. I have been training very hard, so I am now ready for long matches, long rallies. It doesn't matter if a match goes to five, I am ready. I can play those intense rallies because I trust my fitness, and I know I can recover."

Karim Abdel Gawad, the second seed from Egypt, reached the last eight for the first time in six appearances after defeating the top-ranked Spaniard Borja Golan.

World Champion Gawad lost out to Golan in their last meeting during February's Windy City Open - a defeat which put a big dent in the 25-year-old's attempts to reach World No.1 - but recovered from a game down in Egypt to claim a 9-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-5 victory in 61 minutes.

"I didn't play my best in the last couple of tournaments, so mentally I really needed to focus in this tournament," Gawad said.

"I needed to have a good start in the beginning, especially against Borja. I just played him [in the Windy City Open] and lost to him in Chicago and, for me, he's one of the toughest players to play.

"I suffer playing my attacking game against him because he has very good counter-drops at the front of the court. Mentally, I just wanted to have a good start today, I wanted to win today and I wanted to keep the performance that I've had since August. I'm really glad to get through to the quarters here, especially in Egypt."

Gawad will line up against German No.1 Simon Rösner for a place in the semi-finals after Rösner claimed a comfortable 3/0 victory over Egyptian qualifier Karim Ali Fathi.