Aboelkheir Ousts ElSherbini to Reach Tour Finals Last Four

Egypt's world No.7 Fayrouz Aboelkheir upset eight-time World Champion Nour ElSherbini after a fabulous performance at Centquatre-Paris to reach the last four of the PSA Squash Tour Finals presented by TWG Global for the first time.

The 20-year-old began the season with her first win over compatriot ElSherbini at the Egyptian Open back in September, and looks poised to finish the campaign on a similarly strong note following a 7-11, 11-4, 11-10, 11-2 triumph.

Aboelkheir was 10-7 down in a crucial third game before a flurry of attacking squash saw her storm back and win it on the sudden death tie-break. She then dominated the play in the third to reach the semi-finals of a major tournament for the third time, while she remains one of the few players to have a positive head-to-head record against the legendary ElSherbini, having won two of their three meetings on the PSA Squash Tour.

"No matter how many times I play her and beat her, it will always be special," said Aboelkheir.

"The court conditions are really hard, so to be able to win in this weather, I'm happy to win today. I haven't been training that match because of all the tournaments, but I want to end the season at the highest point I can reach.

"I'm at my highest ranking at the moment, I've had a chance to improve on it, but I didn't take it. I'm trying to make it right this time, I truly believe I belong here and I can't wait to reach a higher ranking and win more titles."

Hania El Hammamy will be Aboelkheir's semi-final opponent after the world No.1 got the better of England's Georgina Kennedy, winning 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8.

The match appeared destined to go to five games when Kennedy took an 8-2 lead in the fourth, but the world No.8 squandered the advantage as El Hammamy powered back to win.

"I'm playing with fire at the moment," said El Hammamy.

"At the moment I keep coming from behind and I think I'm best known for my comebacks. Gina and I are both very physical and we leave it all on court. She played really well and I had to raise my game in the fourth. We are similar in the way we play and it was such a lively ball, I made some errors because I was trying to take the ball in short and finish the rallies a bit quicker."

World No.2 Paul Coll - a runner-up at this tournament in 2022 - came back from a game down to end Joel Makin's title defence in a gruelling encounter.

The pair are two of the fittest players on the PSA Squash Tour and engaged in some punishing rallies that explored all four corners of the court. Eventually it was Coll, the reigning British Open champion, who emerged the winner against a war-weary Makin by a 10-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 scoreline after 77 minutes.

"I knew it was going to be tough and it was so hard to control the ball and leave it in the corners," said Coll.

"I made too many unforced errors and was lazy with my footwork. It's the end of the season, but I've got plenty in the tank. I've been sharpening up and getting the mind ready to be aggressive and not too relaxed."

Men's World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria has joined women's World Champion Amina Orfi in the semi-finals after he dispatched 2019 champion Karim Gawad in straight games.

It's the first time that two teenagers have reached the last four of the PSA Squash Tour Finals, and Zakaria nullified Gawad's attacking talents to win 11-8, 11-8, 11-7. The 18-year-old will play Coll next.

Despite the win, Zakaria wasn't happy with his performance, saying: "That was terrible. I don't want to call my parents, they might block me to be honest.

"I'm tired and it's been a long season. I didn't start well, I didn't play well and Karim didn't let me settle. I wasn't happy with the way I was hitting the ball and I can't play any worse than that."