Ali Farag & Amina Orfi win 2024 VITAGEN Singapore Squash Open titles

Ali Farag and fellow Egyptian Amina Orfi emerged victorious at the 2024 VITAGEN Singapore Squash Open, securing impressive wins on a thrilling finals night at the OCBC Arena. World No.1 Farag overcame reigning World Squash Champion Diego Elias 6-11 7-11 11-8 11-1 11-4 to retain the men’s title, while Amina Orfi defeated World No.3 Hania El Hammamy 9-11 11-9 11-13 11-1 11-9 in an equalling tense 96-minute women’s final.

Seventeen-year-old Amina Orfi made history as the youngest player to win a PSA World Squash Tour Gold event, breaking the record previously held by World No.1 Nour El Sherbini, who won the Texas Open in 2014 at 18 years old.

Ali Farag delivered a remarkable comeback to defeat Diego Elias which was reminiscent of the Peruvian’s semi-final performance where he overturned a 2-0 deficit against Paul Coll.

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Vitagen Singapore Squash Open 2024, OCBC Arena, Singapore
Men's Final:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [3] Diego Elias (PER) 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-4 (70m)

Women's Final:
[5] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 9-11, 11-9, 11-13, 11-1, 11-9 (96m)

Women's Semi-finals:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [5] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 13-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 (52m)
[3] Diego Elias (PER) bt [2] Paul Coll (NZL) 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (72m)

Men's Quarter-Finals:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN) 11-5, 11-4, 12-10 (26m)
[5] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [4] Victor Crouin (FRA) 9-11, 12-10, 11-1, 6-11, 20-18 (107m)
[3] Diego Elias (PER) bt [9/16] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) 11-2, 11-7, 11-4 (38m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [7] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) 11-5, 11-2, 8-11, 14-12 (60m)

Women's Quarter-finals:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [9/16] Katie Malliff (ENG) 11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3 (51m)
[3] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt [7] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 11-5, 11-13, 11-3, 11-5 (56m)
[4] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [6] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) 9-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-8, 11-2 (46m)
[5] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [2] Nele Coll (BEL) 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (42m)

Men's 2nd Round:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (25m)
[9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt [6] Fares Dessouky (EGY) 6-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 12-10 (75m)
[5] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) 11-4, 11-1, 11-5 (34m)
[4] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt [9/16] Curtis Malik (ENG) 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 (50m)
[3] Diego Elias (PER) bt [9/16] Bernat Jaume (ESP) 11-4, 11-3, 14-12 (41m)
[9/16] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) bt [8] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (52m)
[7] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt [9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 11-8, 11-3, 10-12, 11-2 (41m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 9-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 (47m)

Women's 2nd Round:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [9/16] Aira Azman (MAS) 12-10, 11-2, 11-5 (25m)
[9/16] Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [8] Tomato Ho (HKG) 11-3, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5 (47m)
[7] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt [9/16] Salma Eltayeb (EGY) 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (27m)
[3] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt [9/16] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (28m)
[4] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [9/16] Aifa Azman (MAS) 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (26m)
[6] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (26m)
[5] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [9/16] Georgia Adderley (SCO) 11-9, 13-11, 11-8 (51m)
[2] Nele Coll (BEL) bt [9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) 11-6, 7-3 ret. (25m)

Men’s 1st Round:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bye
Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt [9/16] Ramit Tandon (IND) 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (32m)
[9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 11-8, 12-10, 5-11, 11-9 (63m)
[6] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bye
[5] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bye
Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt [9/16] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-2 (27m)
[9/16] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 (36m)
[4] Victor Crouin (FRA) bye
[3] Diego Elias (PER) bye
[9/16] Bernat Jaume (ESP) bt Rory Stewart (SCO) 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (39m)
[9/16] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) bt [WC] Samuel Kang (SGP) 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 (23m)
[8] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bye
[7] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bye
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [WC] Jerome Aw (SGP) 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (29m)
[9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt Leung Chi Hin Henry (HKG) 11-8, 7-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7 (77m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bye

Women's 1st round:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
[9/16] Aira Azman (MAS) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 11-5, 11-6, 12-10 (28m)
[9/16] Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [WC] Wai Yhann Au Yeong (SGP) 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 (28m)
[8] Tomato Ho (HKG) bye
[7] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bye
[9/16] Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (26m)
[9/16] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt [WC] Cassandra Ong (SGP) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (19m)
[3] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bye
[4] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bye
[9/16] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Alicia Mead (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 12-10 (25m)
Grace Gear (ENG) bt [9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) 9-11, 10-12, 13-11, 11-8, 11-8 (50m)
[6] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bye
[5] Amina Orfi (EGY) bye
[9/16] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Torrie Malik (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9 (37m)
[9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 11-5, 7-11, 3-11, 11-1, 11-6 (39m)
[2] Nele Coll (BEL) bye

The 2024 PSA Vitagen Singapore Squash Open provided contrasting fortunes for UNSQUASHABLE players Velavan Senthilkumar of India and Rory Stewart of Scotland.

Velavan Senthilkumar defeated Argentine No.1 Leandro Romiglio 11-7 11-4 11-2 in 27 minutes to progress to the 2nd round where he was beaten by 5th seed Malaysia Eain Yow Ng at the OCBC Arena.

Fellow UNSQUASHABLE player Rory Stewart was denied a place in the 2nd round by Bernat Jaume of Spain who claimed a 39-minute 11-9 11-5 11-8 win over the Scottish No.2.

The 2024 VITAGEN Singapore Squash Open will be staged at OCBC Arena from the 19th to 24 November with World No.1 Ali Farag and World No.3 Hania El Hammamy confirmed as the respective men's and women's top seeds of the PSA World Squash Tour Gold level event.

World No.1 Ali Farag returns as the top seed, aiming to defend his 2023 title and extend his winning record in Singapore. Farag shares the top half of the draw with France's No.4 seed Victor Crouin who is targeting his first-ever semi-final appearance at a PSA World Tour Gold event. Ali Farag will begin his campaign in round two, facing either Tsz Kwan Lau or Ramit Tandon, while Victor Crouin is set to meet the winner of Curtis Malik and Yahya Elnawasany.

In the bottom half of the men’s draw, New Zealand's second seed Paul Coll is aiming to improve on his previous performances in Singapore, where he has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Diego Elias of Peru, the reigning Men's World Squash Champion and third seed, is looking to break his run of two successive final defeats in Singapore and build on his excellent form at the start of the 2024-2025 squash season.

The women’s draw is led by World No.3 Hania El Hammamy who will make her debut in Singapore and eager to add another title to her collection, having last tasted victory on the PSA World Tour in December 2023. Hania El Hammamy faces either Kenzy Ayman or Aira Azman in round two, with a potential quarter-final matchup against compatriot Salma Hany.

Belgian sisters Nele and Tinne Gilis, seeded second and third respectively, are also title contenders. The sisters delivered a thrilling five-game final last year, with Nele triumphing after 82 minutes. They are once again in separate halves of the draw, with Tinne potentially needing to overcome El Hammamy in the semi-finals, while Nele is on track to meet either Hollie Naughton or the in-form Ka Yi Lee in her second-round match.

Singapore is represented by two wildcards in the women’s draw, with local hopes pinned on Wai Yhann Au Yeong and Cassandra Ong. Au Yeong, ranked World No.95, faces the daunting task of overcoming England’s Katie Malliff, who sits 61 places higher in the rankings. In the men’s event, Singaporean wildcards Jerome Aw and Samuel Kang will rely on home crowd support as they take on Egypt’s Omar Mosaad and Mohamad Zakaria, respectively.

UNSQUASHABLE will be represented at this years VITAGEN Singapore Squash Open by Indian No.1 Velavan Senthilkumar, who will face Argentine No.1 Leandro Romiglio in the 1st round, and Scotland's Rory Stewart who will play Spain's Bernat Jaume in his opening match.

VITAGEN Professional Squash Association (PSA) Singapore Squash Open 2024 Men’s Draw:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bye
Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) v [9/16] Ramit Tandon (IND)
[9/16] Balazs Farkas(HUN) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
[6] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bye
[5] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bye
Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) v [9/16] Leandro Romiglio (ARG)
[9/16] Curtis Malik (ENG) v Yahya Elnawasany (EGY)
[4] Victor Crouin (FRA) bye
[3] Diego Elias (PER) bye
Rory Stewart (SCO) v [9/16] Bernat Jaume (ESP)
[9/16] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) v Samuel Kang (SGP)
[8] Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) bye
[7] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bye
[WC] Jerome Aw (SGP) v [9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY)
Henry Leung (HKG) v [9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bye
 
VITAGEN Professional Squash Association (PSA) Singapore Squash Open 2024 Women’s Draw:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
Kenzy Ayman (EGY) v [9/16] Aira Azman (MAS)  
[9/16] Katie Malliff (ENG) v [WC] Wai Yhann Au Yeong (SGP)
[6] Salma Hany (EGY) bye
[8] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bye
Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) v [9/16] Salma Eltayeb (EGY)
[9/16] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v [WC] Cassandra Ong (SGP)
[3] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bye
[4] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bye
Alicia Mead (ENG) v [9/16] Aifa Azman (MAS)
[9/16] Tomato Ho (HKG) v Grace Gear (ENG)
[7] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bye
[5] Amina Orfi (EGY) bye
Nadine Shahin (EGY) v [9/16] Georgia Adderley (SCO)
[9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Ka Yi Lee (HKG)
[2] Nele Coll (BEL) bye