[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-0 [2] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) 11-9, 12-10, 11-6 (39m)
Those two played their first PSA match in 2018, and Nour won comfortably that first encounter. It’s only in March 2020 – the last tournament of the Pre Covid era – that Hania actually got her first win, 13/11 in the 5th, as you do!!!!
Today was their 30th encounter on the PSA, with a little incentive to play with, on top of the prize money and the Optasia title, only the World Number One ranking!!!!
It was the first time Hania had to play win or lose it all for her number 1 ranking, but she wasn’t at least nervous today. She zoomed 8/2 9/3 within minutes against Nour that seemed a bit wobbly at the start, struggling a bit on her movement. I know she called the physio just before the match, maybe she was weary on a niggle…
But whatever it was, this is the turninng point, as out of nowhere, Nour nearly clinched that opener out of Hania’s racquet, pushing hard, clawing back from 10/6, and only bowing 11/9, on a video decision – good pickup for Hania, who run like the Gazelle she is to pick up a devastating should have been a winner at the right front corner. 10m first game.
Had Nour taken that one, we would have had a completely different match….
Still, Nour went on the Warrior mode, and hunted the ball, coverning a lot of ground, finding her accuracy again, and putting a lot of pressure on her compatriot. 3/1 Nour, 3/3, 4/4, 6/6.
With three strokes decisions, we were at 9/9!
Nour had her chances, a game ball at 10/9, but she tinned not only that one but also Hania’s game ball, 11/10. Game 2 to Hania, in 17m, 12/10.
The mountain today was a bit too high for Nour, who tried to contain the Bursting of Energy Gazelle, but Hania was truly unstoppable, 3/0, 4/1, 5/2. Still, the Princess nearly caught up with her opponent, 5/6, 6/8, but that was the last point Nour scored, and Hania zoomed to close the game and match, 11/6, 8m, the shortest game of the match….
1 unforced error for Hania the whole match, high-quality squash from both, but just more uncharacteristic errors than normal for Nour, 6.
🗣️ "Playing Nour [ElSherbini] is always hard, always tough, and she always turns up at the big moments" @HaniaaElHammamy reflects on another final with @noursherbini #psasquashtour pic.twitter.com/pq11dk8JwG
— PSA Squash Tour (@PSASquashTour) March 29, 2026
Hania : “I feel great, I get to live another day at world No.1.
“I’m really proud of how I played and how I conducted myself, it was a big test, the first time I was playing in a match that could take me down to World No.2 so I’m really, really happy and very proud that I managed to maintain my composure.
“It makes it extra special to be able to come here and play like that against Nour El Sherbini. There’s no other player like her, she can come back from any scenario, she saves her best squash for the big moments, she’s such a great champion and I’ve learned a lot from her over the years.”
