Munster Squash

CANNON KIRK HOMES IRISH SQUASH OPEN FINALS DAY AT FITZWILLIAM LAWN TENNIS CLUB ON SATURDAY 16th APRIL

EGYPTIAN DOUBLE IN SQUASH FINALS

Egypt has much cause to celebrate a fine double victory in the Cannon Kirk Homes Open squash finals today. Both Irish Open champions are from Egypt.

Their women’s rising star, eighteen year old, Nour El Tayeb,*4 won a dramatic and exhausting match in one hour fifty minutes: a world record for a women’s game, the previous record was one hour forty five minutes. Her opponent Hawkes*3 raced off to a 2 game lead, and led the third game 8/5, the more experienced Hawkes looked to have the match well under control, needing only 3 points for the title. The very talented El Tayeb tighted her game a little and eliminated her error count and suddenly it was 2 games all. Hawkes had a match ball in the fourth game but El Tayeb went on to level the match at 2 all. The fifth game went all the way, Hawkes had 2 further match balls and El Tayeb had to wait for her fourth match point before winning her first Irish Open title. Her athleticism and stroke range produced squash that left the crowd gasping.

The men’s final saw the defeat of Stewart Boswell( AUS) *1 by the unseeded Tarek Momen ( EGY). Momen has a world ranking of 24 and Boswell is 21 so it was inevitable it would be a encounter. However, Momen chased down every ball from the start and never looked likely to lose even when her lost the third game.

Women’s Final
4* Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt 3* Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 3 / 2 13/15, 5/11, 11/9, 12/10, 16/14 (110 mins)

Men’s Final
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt 1* Stuart Boswell (AUS) 3 /1 12/10, 11/7, 8/11, 11/3 (54 mins).