Teenager Orfi Topples Top Seed ElSherbini To Make Maiden US Open Final

Teenage sensation Amina Orfi continued her hunt for a first Platinum title with a ruthless four-game victory over reigning World Champion Nour ElSherbini to reach the final of the Comcast Business US Open in Philadelphia for the first time.

Four-time World Junior Champion Orfi, who earlier this month became the youngest-ever female player to reach world No.3 in the PSA Rankings, continued her rapid rise in the women's game with a thoroughly deserved 13-11, 10-12, 11-3, 11-9 victory over the top seed at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.

The opening two games of the match were tightly fought, with No.4 seed Orfi saving two game balls on her way to taking a scrappy first 13-11, before ElSherbini fired back in trademark style to level the match following a second successive tie-break.

With the match locked in at one game apiece, it was 18-year-old Orfi who grabbed hold of the initiative, pinning ElSherbini deep into the back two corners with her relentless line hitting. Despite 'The Warrior Princess' battling back from 8-2 down in the fourth to draw level at 9-9, Orfi regained her composure in impressive fashion to book her spot in her first US Open final.

After the match, Orfi said: "I know she is able to get points really quickly, it is something she is known for, so I had to focus on my game and go back to what I was doing in both the second and fourth games.

"You can't ignore the fact that she is an eight-time World Champion, but coming into this match, I know that even though I'm third in the rankings and above her, when you're playing her, it still feels like you're playing the World No.1."

Orfi will face world No.2 Hania El Hammamy in the Platinum-level final after the 25-year-old overcame US No.1 Olivia Weaver in a hard-fought three-game encounter.

El Hammamy's 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 win over the world No.5 extends her unbeaten streak on the PSA Squash Tour to 14 matches and moves her one step closer to securing a third straight major title, after lifting the Egyptian Open and Qatar Classic crowns earlier this season.

In the men's event, top seeds Mostafa Asal and Paul Coll continued their blemish-free U.S. Open campaigns as the pair powered into the men's final after respective three-game victories over Egyptian duo Youssef Ibrahim and Karim Gawad.

World No.1 Asal, who in 2021 became the youngest-ever US Open Champion at the age of just 20, produced a dominant performance to see off the dangerous No.8 seed Ibrahim by an 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 scoreline.

It was Asal's accurate length hitting into the back two corners that proved crucial to his success, with 'The Raging Bull' negating Ibrahim's renowned attacking prowess in the mid-court and subsequently moving through to the 37th PSA Tour final of his career.

"It means a lot to me, this was the first Platinum event I ever won in my life, so it's unique and I'm really happy to be back," Asal said after the match.

"Youssef is an absolute fighter; he gave more than 100%. I know that feeling when a shoulder pops out, and to continue to play and entertain everyone is amazing.

"It is just one match a time, I have a great team behind me and great people on my side. I am really happy we are putting the tactics together."

Coll, meanwhile, dispatched an under-par Gawad to the loss of just four points, with the Egyptian No.4 seed feeling the aftereffects of his five-game quarter-final victory over Mohamad Zakaria.

Gawad struggled to match the intensity and accuracy of a faultless Coll throughout their 25 minutes on court, with the Kiwi breezing through to the final by an 11-2, 11-1, 11-1 scoreline.