El
Tayeb Topples Title-Holder Serme In Creteil Crash
Local star and top seed Camille Serme failed to retain her
Women's Creteil International Open title afterlosing out to
unseeded Egyptian teenager Nour El Tayeb in the final of the $16,000
WISPA World Tour squash event in its fourth year at Centre Marie Therese
Eyquem in Creteil, France.
It was a sensational performance by El Tayeb, who becomes only
the third sixteen-year-old in the history of the WISPA World Tour to win a Tour
title – following in the footsteps of Malaysia's reigning world number one
Nicol David and US teenager Amanda Sobhy.
El Tayeb, who celebrates her 17th birthday in just over a week,
reached the final after upsetting eighth seed Annelize Naude and fourth
seed Emma Beddoes. In the semi-finals, the Cairo star outplayed
compatriot Heba El Torky, a qualifier.
Serme, ranked 11 in the world and playing on her home club
courts, battled back after losing the first two games to draw level.
But the Egyptian novice refused to be outdone and dug deep to
reclaim the advantage in the decider to record her historic 11-8, 11-9, 8-11,
8-11, 11-8 title-winning victory.
The success gives El Tayeb her maiden title on the WISPA Tour –
but, no doubt, the first of many more to come.
Serme Stops Sherbini In Creteil
Local star Camille Serme is one win away from defending
her title in the Women's Creteil International Open after holding off the
teenage challenge of Egypt's unseeded Nour El Sherbini in the semi-finals
of the $16,000 WISPA World Tour squash event in its fourth year at
Centre Marie Therese Eyquem in Creteil, France.
Along with fellow teenaged compatriots Nour El Tayeb and
Heba El Torky, 14-year-old El Sherbini secured an unexpected place in the
last four where she faced top seed Serme, the world No11 who won the title for
the first time in her home town last year.
But the 20-year-old favourite was too strong for El Sherbini, the
world junior champion, winning 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 in 34 minutes.
The other all-Egyptian semi-final saw 16-year-old Nour El Tayeb
prevail 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 against 19-year-old qualifier Heba El Torky.
El Tayeb, from Cairo, is celebrating her first appearance in a
WISPA Tour final – while Serme is marking her ninth.
Egyptian Teens Take Over In Creteil
A trio of Egyptian teenagers created havoc with the seedings of
the Women's Internationaux de Creteil after claiming unexpected places in
the quarter-finals of the $16,000 WISPA World Tour squash event in its
fourth year at Centre Marie Therese Eyquem in Creteil, France.
Qualifier Heba El Torky secured the biggest scalp after
dismissing fifth-seeded Indian Joshna Chinappa 11-6, 11-7, 11-7.
The 19-year-old from Alexandria will now faces second seed
Jaclyn Hawkes after the New Zealander beat England's Fiona Moverley
11-6, 11-3, 11-7.
Unseeded Nour El Sherbini, the 14-year-old from Alexandria
who became the sport's youngest ever world champion last year, despatched
Lauren Siddall, the 25-year-old No6 seed from England, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8.
The youngster now lines up against further English opposition as she takes on
third seed Dominique Lloyd-Walter for a place in the semi-finals.
Experienced Dutch player Annelize Naude also felt the
effect of the rising tide of Egyptian juniors. The eighth seed from Amsterdam,
winner of the Creteil title in 2008, went down 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 to unseeded
Nour El Tayeb.
The 16-year-old from Cairo will now meet Emma Beddoes, the
24-year-old fourth seed who ousted Coline Aumard, one of two French
qualifiers, 11-7, 11-7, 11-2.
Italian Manuela Manetta also recorded an upset after
beating Orla Noom, the seventh seed from the Netherlands, 11-8, 8-11,
11-7, 11-9.
The unseeded 26-year-old from Parma will now face local heroine
Camille Serme in a repeat of last year's final. Serme, who delighted her
local fans by winning the title for the first time in 2009, beat Egyptian
qualifier Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy 11-3, 11-7, 11-6.
El
Tayeb Topples Title-Holder Serme In Creteil Crash