India’s Abhay Singh was defeated by Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim in the second round of the El Gouna Open, a PSA Platinum level event. Ibrahim, despite struggling with a left shoulder injury, managed to secure a victory over Abhay in a five-game match lasting 68 minutes.
Abhay had previously triumphed over Egyptian world No. 13 Aly Abou Eleinen in the men’s opening round on Day 1 after a challenging battle. Meanwhile, on day three of the tournament, World No.4 Karim Gawad emerged victorious in a thrilling 109-minute match against Egyptian player Youssef Soliman.
In a remarkable comeback, Gawad overcame a 2-1 deficit to defeat the World No.12 with a scoreline of 5-11, 14-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9. Additionally, World No.2 Paul Coll advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Malaysian No.1 Eain Yow Ng in straight games and is set to face Youssef Ibrahim in the next round.
World No.8 Mohamad Zakaria showcased his dominance by defeating Joel Makin in straight games, avenging his previous defeat at the Australian Open. The 18-year-old World Junior Champion displayed maturity in overcoming British National Champion Makin on a thrilling day of action at the tournament.
In the women’s category, world No.2 Nour ElSherbini secured a spot in the quarter-finals by defeating Melissa Alves with an impressive performance. ElSherbini displayed accuracy and control throughout the match, winning by an 11-3, 11-3, 11-7 scoreline. Meanwhile, world No.4 Olivia Weaver overcame a strong start from Egypt’s Farida Mohamed to advance to the quarter-finals in four games.
