News from the 2024 Carol Weymuller Open

PSA Recap: Finals at the Carol Weymuller

Egypt’s Farida Mohamed has won her maiden title on the PSA World Tour after overcoming her compatriot Fayrouz Aboelkheir 3-1 at the Carol Weymuller Open.

The World No.18 has tasted success on the PSA Challenger Tour, but she clinched her first-ever triumph on the World Tour after downing the World No.28 at the Bronze-level event in Brooklyn, New York.

The rallies were short and sharp as Mohamed overturned a 4-0 deficit in the opening game after a slow start, finding her targets towards the backend of the game. However both her game balls were saved by Aboelkheir, but Mohamed converted at the third attempt in the tiebreak.

Mohamed, who won their only previous meeting at the Rhode Island Open in 2022 on the Challenger Tour, increased her advantage as she dominated the second with an 11-4 victory.

Aboelkheir, featuring in her first final of a World Tour event, fought back from two games down in her semi final against Salma Hany yesterday and she began to use more height at the front to recover from 5-1 down to have two game balls, which she clinched at the first time of asking to halve the deficit.

The confidence was flowing from Aboelkheir as she move 6-4 up in the fourth, as the 17-year-old looked to repeat yesterday’s feat.

But Mohamed surged back to diffuse the Aboelkheir comeback, tidying up her play which earned her four championship balls. Two were saved, but it was third time lucky for Mohamed to secure her first-ever title on the World Tour.

“It’s overwhelming – I really needed this one badly,” she said.

“I came here to win the event and I’m really happy with the mental stability I was in this week. I’m so glad – I don’t think I can reflect on anything right now.

“I’m just really happy and proud that I came through this tournament with all the challenges I faced since last year. I’m really happy.

“It’s so special [winning her first title on the World Tour], especially here where it’s home away from home because I studied in New York.

“This tournament is very special for me because it was where I had my first-ever win in round one. What made it extra special today was having my sister here on the coaching side. It was very special.”

Result:
[4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) 3-1: 12-10, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8 (35m)

PSA Recap: Semi-Finals at the Carol Weymuller

In-form Farida Mohamed stunned World No.10 Olivia Weaver to book her place in the final with an emphatic 3-0 victory.

Mohamed, who was facing Weaver for only the second time on the PSA World Tour having met at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions recently, was in scintillating form against the U.S. No.2 with her aggressiveness leaving the American short of answers in all three games. 

The Egyptian lost their previous encounter, and she was on the front foot from the off and was unrelenting in her pursuit of a place in the final. Mohamed kept the rallies short by taking the ball early and finding winners from the back of the court.

After winning the first game in just six minutes, the second game followed suit as Mohamed doubled her advantage in the same time, as an 8-0 lead was converted into an 11-6 win.

Mohamed, who will feature in a final on the PSA World Tour for the first time since the Oracle Netsuite Open in 2022, was pushing Weaver to the front of the court and putting her under pressure as she went 6-0 up.

Weaver needed a response, and she delivered as she reduced the arrears to two points at 9-7 down. The Egyptian then had three match balls, converting at the first attempt to book her place in the final.

“I’m overwhelmed, but I’m pretty happy with my performance today,” she said.

“I came in mentally strong and I needed revenge. I knew I would win as I had this mental mindset that I wanted to fire everything today and I’m really happy with my performance.

“I was ready physically and my squash was good. Mentally I was struggling in the last few years and it’s been getting better every day.

“This tournament I came in and I wanted to be there and I wanted to put in my best squash and I’d had enough of the bad attitude I had on court. I think it worked out and I’m happy with that.”

Fayrouz Aboelkheir came from 2-0 down to complete a sensational comeback to reach her first-ever final of a PSA World Tour event.

The young Egyptian trailed 2-0 to her compatriot Salma Hany, who had four match balls in the fourth game after Aboelkheir halved the deficit by taking the third, before the 17-year-old triumphed 3-2 to make it 50 wins on Tour and reach her maiden final.

The second seed Hany was in control in the opening two games, keeping Aboelkheir at bay with the Egyptian teenager trying to apply pressure in the front of the court and take the ball in early as Hany went 2-0 up.

Aboelkheir’s relentlessness was rewarded in the third as she pulled one game back, and she looked to be on her way out of the tournament when Hany had four match balls. All four were squandered by the World No.11, who had another one in the tiebreak which she saw wiped away, as Aboelkheir converted her game ball chance to make it all square.

Every game between the Egyptian pair was close, and that followed into the fifth game. Both players were using the front of the court very well, but it was Aboelkheir who would profit with one match ball chance. Hany saved it, before denying Aboelkheir again with match ball.

However it was third time lucky for Aboelkheir, rounding off a remarkable comeback to progress to her first-ever final at a PSA World Tour event.

“I don’t know what to say!” she said afterwards.

“To come from 2-0 down against one of the best players on Tour in Salma [Hany], it wasn’t easy at all. In the fourth I was down match ball and I’m happy that I regained my focus and found my length again.

“I was thinking I have nothing to lose [being match ball down]. I was match ball down and I wanted to do my best. I didn’t want to think about the score and then overthink on court – I just wanted to find my length back and go for my shots more.”

Carol Weymuller Open 2024 - Finals

Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v [4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) - 7pm

PSA Recap: Quarter-Finals at the Carol Weymuller

Egypt’s 17-year-old rising star Fayrouz Aboelkheir has reached the semi finals of a PSA World Tour event for the second time in her career after overcoming former World No.5 Sarah-Jane Perry in the last eight of the Carol Weymuller Open.

Aboelkheir, who reached the last four of the Open de France de Squash in 2022, downed Perry 3-1 in Brooklyn for a place in the semi finals of the Bronze-level event as her rich vein of form continues.

The young Egyptian appeared in a quarter final of a Platinum-level event for the first time at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York City at the beginning of this week, as Aboelkheir claimed a 3-1: 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9 win over the former England No.1 for her second semi final appearance on the World Tour.

“I don’t want to repeat what I’ve been saying every day but I’m very overwhelmed right now,” she said.

“SJ [Perry] is one of the legends on tour and it’s one of the hardest things to do [beat her] with her movement, and I’ve been playing on Tour for a few years but playing her is never easy.

“I’m very happy to get the win tonight and to get to another big semi final here in New York.”

The tournament’s second seed Salma Hany will lock horns with Aboelkheir again in the semi finals having met at the Tournament of Champions, as the World No.11 defeated her Egyptian compatriot Hana Ramadan in straight games to reach the last four of this event for the first time since 2018.

Hany, who was taking on Ramadan for the first time in a PSA World Tour match, dominated the opening game to draw first blood with an 11-2 win, before resisting a fightback from Ramadan in the second to make it a two-game advantage.

Ramadan’s spirited display in the second gave her a boost in the third, and she had three game balls as she aimed to halve the deficit. Hany saved all three for a tiebreak and, after Ramadan squandered a game ball chance at 11-10, Hany clinically converted her only match ball opportunity for a place in the semi finals.

“Hana [Ramadan] is such a fighter and a great player,” said Hany.

“I had a pretty good start in the first and she surprised me in the second – she came out pretty strong, she kept fighting until the last point and I’m super proud to get the win in three.

“She was 8-2 up in the third, and I wasn’t really happy with the start to the third. I’m going to have to sort that out tomorrow, I can’t afford to make those mistakes. I’m glad I found a way and closed it in three.”

On the other side of the draw, U.S. No.2 Olivia Weaver recovered from 2-1 down to defeat Canadian No.1 Hollie Naughton 3-2 to advance to the semi finals.

It was the duo’s second five-game battle in the space of a few months, with Naughton the victor in the previous meeting at the Hong Kong Open.

Last year’s finalist Weaver took the first and looked be on course to doubling her lead when she had four game balls in the second, before Naughton deservedly wiped out all four to force a tiebreak where the Canadian equalized.

Confidence was high for Naughton as she pushed higher up the court and took a 2-1 lead before Weaver began to find her range while some costly errors from the Canadian’s racket were punished to make it all square again. The American was dominating the middle of the court as she closed out the match and complete an excellent fightback.

“It was a battle,” said Weaver.

“The last time we played was in Hong Kong and I was disappointed to lose that in five after being up in the fifth, so I came out today to get some revenge and Hollie [Naughton] has been playing really well so I knew it was going to be tough. 

“I was happy with how I came out and I had that lead in the second and credit to her, she battled back really well to get that second game and the third.

“I’m really happy with how I battled back and managed to finish strong.”

Egypt’s Farida Mohamed will be Weaver’s semi final opponent following a confident victory over Lucy Beecroft.

The World No.17 was in sensational form, dispatching the Englishwoman 3-0 in just 20 minutes to make it back-to-back semi final appearances in this tournament.

Mohamed had the measure of Beecroft going into today’s last eight clash, winning all three of their previous meetings with the most recent being a 3-2 triumph at the South Western Open in September.

The Egyptian didn’t require five games this time round, and came through a testing opener which was neck and neck until Mohamed pulled clear to win 11-8. The 22-year-old dominated the next two games, finding good fortune with her backhand and capitalizing on errors from Beecroft to round off an impressive performance to prevail.

“I feel pretty relieved, honestly,” she said.

“It’s always tough playing against Lucy [Beecroft] – our last meeting was 3-2 and it was pretty tough so I came here ready mentally and physically and I put everything in on court. I’m really happy it worked out in three.

“I wasn’t feeling my best in the first game and I was telling myself to finish this game and you’re going to be relieved after. I guess it worked out and once I was done with the first game, I felt so good on court and I gave it my all.”  

Carol Weymuller Open 2024 - Semi-Finals 

[1] Olivia Weaver (USA) v [4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) - 4pm
Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v [2] Salma Hany (EGY) - 4:45pm

PSA Recap: Day 2 at the Carol Weymuller

Canadian No.1 Hollie Naughton battled back from one game down to defeat tournament wildcard Min Jie Teh to book her place in the quarter finals of the Carol Weymuller Open.

Min, who’s ranked 219 places lower than Naughton in the World Rankings, was coming into the second round having knocked out Kenzy Ayman in the first round and the Malaysian got a dream start against the Canadian when she went 1-0 up.

Naughton hit back with a dominant 11-2 win in the second, and the World No.19’s experience told in the following games, winning 11-7 and 11-5 to secure a quarter final berth.

“It was always going to be tough,” she said.

“I watched her match yesterday and she’s clearly a very talented player. I’ve never seen her play before but she had the crowd behind her which always gives you a bit of an extra push. I’m happy I got through it really.

“When you’re playing in front of their home crowd, especially for a wildcard they’ve got nothing to lose. She works her, it’s not her full-time job and it’s always hard finding that balance of enjoying playing and putting it into perspective a little bit.

“I’ve been fighting with that over the last few years and I’ve been trying to get the best out of myself without feeling like it’s the world on my shoulders. I’m happy to get through it.”

Egyptian starlet Fayrouz Aboelkheir continued her excellent recent form by overcoming French No.1 Melissa Alves.

Aboelkheir, who reached the quarter finals of a Platinum event for the first time in her fledgling career at the Tournament of Champions, emphatically won 3-0 inside 23 minutes against Alves for a quarter final berth where she will face Sarah-Jane Perry, who saw off Nicole Bunyan in straight games.

“I feel very happy,” said Aboelkheir.

“Keeping my winning streak going in New York, I’m happy with how I’m playing.

“My confidence has been going up since the BJO [British Junior Open]. Last year wasn’t my best year on Tour, so I was trying to regain my confidence and it’s working. I’m playing well and I’m happy with the way I’m playing.”

Farida Mohamed triumphed in the all-Egyptian clash with Malak Khafagy, winning 3-1 to set up a last eight tie with Beecroft tomorrow evening.

In the other two all-Egyptian matchups, Hana Ramadan downed Sana Ibrahim 3-1 while the number two seed Salma Hany dispatched Mariam Metwally 3-0.

The top seed and USA’s No.2 Olivia Weaver, who takes on Naughton in the next round, cruised into the last eight after downing Nadine Shahin in three games.

“I’m feeling good. ToC [Tournament of Champions] has just ended and I have a lot of tournaments coming up,” said Weaver.

“One of my goals is to focus on my consistency and Nadine has been as high as the top 15 in the world, she’s a great player so I knew I had to come out and put my best foot forward. I’m really pleased to get through that 3-0.”

England’s Lucy Beecroft held off young Egyptian Haya Ali to prevail in round two, winning 3-1.

Beecroft was coming into this event having had a successful Tournament of Champions, having reached the last 16 and, after drawing first blood by winning 11-5, Ali restored parity with an 11-9 success.

19-year-old Ali dispatched Anna Serme 3-0 in round one, but Beecroft won both the third and fourth games 11-8 to earn her place in the quarter finals

“It was a tough one. She’s an up and coming player and I didn’t really know much as I’ve not seen her play before,” she said.

“I didn’t know what to expect but she was pretty dangerous if you gave her any space around the middle, and it was a little bit up and down.

“I found my way pretty quickly in the first and then she came back and got me in the second, and the third was a real battle and I managed to come through the end and I’m pleased to get off in four because it was getting a little bit scrappy.”

Carol Weymuller Open 2024 - Quarter Finals 

[7] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) v [4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) - 4:30pm 

[1] Olivia Weaver (USA) v [5] Hollie Naughton (CAN) - 5:15pm
[8] Hana Ramadan (EGY) v [2] Salma Hany (EGY) - 6pm
[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) - 6:45pm

PSA Recap: Day 1 at the Carol Weymuller

Event wildcard Min Jie Teh delighted the Height’s Casino Club crowd on day one of the Carol Weymuller Open a she claimed an impressive win over Egypt’s Kenny Ayman. The Malaysian took a 2-1 lead after winning games two and three both in tiebreaks 13-11 and 12-10. Ayman managed to take the match into a fifth game but was unable to stop the fifth game momentum of Teh as she ran out to an 11-6 win to move into round two.

The other upset of the day came from Egypt’s Haya Ali, who needed just 19 minutes to defeat Anna Serme. Ali took control of the contest, winning 11-3 in the first game and despite Serme showing more positive signs in the following two games, the Czech International was unable to stop the 19-year-old. Ali now faces England’s No.7 seed Lucy Beecroft in the next round.

Ali was one of six Egyptian winners on day one as Nadine Shahin, Mariam Metwally, Malak Khafagy, Sana Ibrahim and Fayrouz Aboelkkheir all scored confident victories. The latter, Aboelkheir, reached the quarter finals of the recent J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions and continued her strong form with a win over Australia’s Jessica Turnbull in just 24 minutes. The 17-year-old has now set up a clash with France’s Melissa Alves for a spot in the quarter finals.

Canada’s in form Nicole Bunyan continued her good form with a five-game win over England’s Millie Tomlinson. After beating compatriot Hollie Naughton in the Tournament of Champions, Bunyan took a 2-1 lead over Tomlinson by winning games one and three both 12-10. After Tomlinson bounced back to force a decider, Bunyan found more in the final game to win 11-6 in 54 minutes.

Day 2 Match Schedule (5pm start):

[1] Olivia Weaver (USA) v [9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY)
[5] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v [WC] Min Jie Teh (MAS)
[7] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) v Haya Ali (EGY)
[4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) v [9/16] Malak Khafagy (EGY)
[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [9/16] Nicole Bunyan (CAN)
[6] Mélissa Alves (FRA) v [9/16] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY)
[8] Hana Ramadan (EGY) v [9/16] Sana Ibrahim (EGY)
[2] Salma Hany (EGY) v [9/16] Mariam Metwally (EGY)

Home Favourite Weaver To Headline Carol Weymuller Open 2024

USA No.2 Olivia Weaver is set to headline the Carol Weymuller Open, PSA World Tour Bronze event, which will take place at The Heights Casino in New York between January 25-29, 2024. 

World No.10 Weaver, who finished runner-up to Georgina Kennedy in the 2023 edition of the event will be joined by stars such as Egypt’s Salma Hany and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry, who are seeded at No.2 and No.3, respectively.

Weaver, who captured a gold medal in the singles event at the Pan American Games in November, will receive an opening round bye, before taking on either Spain’s Marta Dominguez or Egypt’s Nadine Shahin in the last 16. From there, the New York-born player could potentially meet Hollie Naughton and Farida Mohamed en route to the final. 

World No.11 Hany is in the bottom half of the draw and is set to face one of Mariam Metwally or Menna Hamed in the second round. The Alexandrian has enjoyed a strong start to the 2023/24 season, having reached a pair of quarter-finals as well as a semi-final at the South Western Open, and will be looking to translate this form into a maiden PSA World Tour title. 

No.3 seed Perry will hope to continue her fine form from the first half of the season in New York, which saw the Englishwoman reach back-to-back semi-finals at the Singapore Open and the Hong Kong Football Club Open. The 33-year-old will be on the hunt for her 12th PSA World Tour title and will begin her campaign against one of Millie Tomlinson or Nicole Bunyan after receiving a first-round bye. 

Egypt’s Mohamed, 21, who hasn’t featured on tour since the Malaysia Cup in November, will be the No.4 seed for the event and take on either compatriot Malik Khafagy or Cindy Merlo in her opening match. 

Elsewhere, No.5 seed Naughton will hope to build on her impressive showing at the Platinum-level Hong Kong Open, which included a second-round victory over Weaver in five games, while France’s Melissa Alves has been seeded at No.6. 

The seventh and eighth seeds are England’s Lucy Beecroft and Egypt’s Hana Ramadan, and the pair will looking to claim their first Bronze-level titles on the PSA World Tour. 

Tickets for the event are available HERE whilst live action will be streamed on SQUASHTV. 

For more information on the Carol Weymuller Open 2024, visit the PSA World Tour website or follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Draw: 

[1] Olivia Weaver (USA) [bye] 

Marta Dominguez (ESP) v [9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) 

[9/16] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) v [WC] Min Jie Teh (MAS)

[5] Hollie Naughton (CAN) [bye]

[7] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) [bye]

Haya Ali (EGY) v [9/16] Anna Serme (CZE)

[9/16] Malak Khafagy (EGY) v Cindy Merlo (SUI)

[4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) [bye]

[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [bye]

Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [9/16] Nicole Bunyan (CAN)

[9/16] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v Jessica Turnbull (AUS)

[6] Melissa Alves (FRA) [bye] 

[8] Hana Ramadan (EGY) [bye] 

Saskia Beinhard (GER) v [9/16] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 

[9/16] Mariam Metwally (EGY) v Menna Hamed (EGY)

[2] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]