The finals of the Odense Open took place yesterday evening, with Spain’s Cristina Gomez and Egypt’s Aly Hussein being victorious, the pair claiming their spots at the 2020-2021 PSA World Championships in Chicago in July.
The event was held at Squash Center Danmark, and was the sole qualifier for the World Championships, with the winners of both the men’s and women’s draws booking their places in the sport’s premiere event.
Hussein was the big story throughout the tournament, with the young Egyptian having already taken out three of the top eight seeds to reach the final, including the event’s top-ranked player, in Ryosei Kobayashi.
He beat the Japanese No.1 in the quarter-finals, with victories over No.7 seed Robert Downer and No.4 seed, and compatriot, Moustafa El Sirty, who he got the better of in the last four on Friday evening.
Hussein came up against No.6 seed Farkas Balazs in the final, with the Hungarian having also caused several surprises to make it to the final. However, the Egyptian would continue his amazing run, defeating Balazs in straight games to secure his first ever title on Tour, and a place at the World Championships in Chicago.
Joining him in the Windy City will be Spain’s Cristina Gomez, after she came through the women’s draw relatively unscathed, dropping just two games en route to her second title of the year.
The Spaniard, who only just missed out on qualifying for the main draw of the World Championships due to her World Ranking, downed Scotland’s Georgia Adderley to get her campaign underway at the quarter-final stage.
She then got the better of England’s Lily Taylor to reach the final, where she defeated Egypt’s Nour Aboulmakarim, the tournament’s No.6 seed, in four games to claim the win. Following her historic win earlier this year at the Codep94 Val de Marne International, she now has two titles to her name.
Men’s Final
Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [6] Farkas Balazs (HUN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (68m)
Women’s Final
[1] Cristina Gomez (ESP) bt [6] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-1: 11-4, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7 (56m)
Men’s Semi-Finals
Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [4] Moustafa El Sirty (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-8 (96m)
[6] Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt [5] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 3-1: 4-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (50m)
Women’s Semi-Finals
[1] Cristina Gomez (ESP) bt [4] Lily Taylor (ENG) 3-1: 11-3, 11-6, 11-13, 11-5 (45m)
[6] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bt [7] Hannah Chukwu (HUN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 5-5 rtd (32m)
Men’s Quarter-Finals
Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [1] Ryosei Kobayashi (JPN) 3-2: 11-7, 11-3, 4-11, 1-11, 11-7 (84m)
[4] Moustafa El Sirty (EGY) bt Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) 3-1: 12-10, 11-4, 6-11, 11-5 (51m)
[6] Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt [3] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (36m)
[5] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt [2] Faraz Khan (USA) 3-1: 12-14, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 (63m)
Women’s Quarter-Finals
[1] Cristina Gomez (ESP) bt [8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (41m)
[4] Lily Taylor (ENG) bt [5] Diana Garcia (MEX) 3-2: 11-9, 5-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 (56m)
[6] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bt [3] Alison Thomson (SCO) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (41m)
[7] Hannah Chukwu (HUN) bt [2] Karina Tyma (POL) 3-2: 4-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4 (47m)
Men’s Round Two
[1] Ryosei Kobayashi (JPN) bt [WC] Theis Houlberg (DEN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (37m)
Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [7] Robert Downer (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 12-10 (58m)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt [8] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 3-0: 12-10, 11-5, 11-2 (23m)
[4] Moustafa El Sirty (EGY) bt Matias Tuomi (FIN) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (33m)
[3] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt Rory Stewart (SCO) 3-0: 11-6, 15-13, 11-4 (40m)
[6] Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt Julius Benthin (GER) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-2 (25m)
[5] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt Owain Taylor (WAL) 3-0: 11-7, 12-10, 11-5 (40m)
[2] Faraz Khan (USA) bt Fergus Richards (SCO) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-1 (34m)
Women’s Round One
[8] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Lea Barbeau (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 (28m)
[5] Diana Garcia (MEX) bt Amina El Rihany (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (23m)
[4] Lily Taylor (ENG) bt [WC] Klara Møller (DEN) 3-1: 11-8, 4-11, 12-10, 11-5 (34m)
[6] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bt Taba Taghavi (FRA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (24m)
[7] Hannah Chukwu (HUN) bt Jelena Dutina (SRB) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (14m)
Men’s Round One
[WC] Theis Houlberg (DEN) bt Quint Mandil (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 (24m)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt [WC] Sebastian Pedersen (DEN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-1 (25m)
Matias Tuomi (FIN) bt Lukas Windischberger (AUT) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 (32m)
Julius Benthin (GER) bt [WC] Tobias Weel (DEN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (29m)
Owain Taylor (WAL) bt Simon Herbert (ENG) 3-2: 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 (74m)
Fergus Richards (SCO) bt [WC] Thomas Søgaard (DEN) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (24m)
