Malik Mounts Mighty Comeback To Extend Career-Best Run At New Zealand Open

England's world No.45 Torrie Malik staged one of the comebacks of the PSA Squash Tour season to extend her career-best run at the 2026 New Zealand Open, recovering from a serious-looking injury to defeat Nour Heikal in five games at Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch.

Malik looked down and out of her contest with world No.46 Heikal after hyperextending her left knee early in the fourth game and subsequently sitting 8-2 down and just three points away from a quarter-final exit.

However, the Englishwoman produced a miraculous turnaround, reeling off eight straight points to help steal the fourth game before closing out a dramatic 8-11, 11-7, 3-11, 12-10, 11-7 victory to reach her maiden PSA Squash Tour Silver-level semi-final.

After the match, Malik said: "I'm a bit like 'what just happened!' Obviously, I went into a mental state [after my injury] where I had to focus, relax and just think that I had absolutely nothing to lose as I was 8-2 down. I just wanted to let the arm go and try reset. I think I did mentally well to stay strong.

"You never really know with a hyperextension how bad it is, but luckily, it was okay to carry on. It's a bit painful now, but hopefully I'll be fine."

Malik will face No.3 seed Nele Gilis in the semi-finals after the Belgian No.2 overcame a slow start to hold off a dangerous attacking display from No.6 seed Aifa Azman.

Elsewhere in the women's draw, top seed Tinne Gilis defeated No.8 seed Ka Yi Lee in four games, and No.5 seed Marina Stefanoni came through a back-and-forth five-game duel.

In the men's draw, two-time defending champion Paul Coll punched his ticket in the last four with a dominant 3/0 win over Malaysian No.1 Eain Yow Ng.

After a nervy opening to his title quest against Moustafa Elsirty last night, Coll looked back to his very best as he wrapped up a clinical 11-4, 11-2, 11-2 win over the Ng after just 34 minutes of play.

"I had a solid gameplan today and I felt good," Coll said after the match. "The first round definitely sharpened me up a bit. The rest of the train [of supporters] have been rolling in, I felt the energy and I enjoyed it."

Coll will face unseeded Spaniard Iker Pajares for a spot in Sunday's final, after the world No.34 ended the impressive run of Matias Knudsen in an entertaining four-game victory.

In the bottom half of the men's draw, No.2 seed Joel Makin and No.3 seed Mohamad Zakaria set up a mouth-watering semi-final after the pair claimed respective wins over England's Patrick Rooney and No.7 seed Nicolas Mueller.

Neither player had things entirely their own way despite the 3/0 scorelines, but both stayed composed to advance without trouble and book a third meeting of the season, with the head-to-heads locked at one win apiece.