[5] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 3-2 Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-8, 9-11, 16-14, 1-11, 11-9 (71m)
One superb match that was, although the start was very, very slow. Lots of errors to start with, and it looked like it was going to be a quick three love. We couldn’t be more wrong.
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After a slow start 8/11 – SJ says clearly she HATES the glass floor – the English showed her talent from the second onward. Worst and Best of SJ could be the title of the article to be fair. She came from finding the tin in the first game to play 9 winners in the second, led the whole game 3/6, but finding her best shots from that point, 6/6, 7/7, 8/8. Sana saved a game ball, 10/8, 9/10 but the English levelled one game all, 11/9 in 12m.
The third is incredible of suspense! 23m of seesaw squash, 4/1 DJ, 6/6, 8/8, 9/9. Game ball SJ – she’ll remember THAT tin for a long time – another one at 14/13, but it’s the Egyptian that finally clinches the third, 16/14 on her 4th game ball!
Sana didn’t show for the fourth, SJ took it nicely 11/1 in 6m and it looked like she was going to take the 5th as well. Completly in control, 4/1, she looked good and secure, while Sana still looked out of sorts and physically suffering.
But as it often happens, Sana got her second win at 7/4 SJ leading, and the Egyptian strung the points to reach match ball, 10/8 – 6 points – to finally take the match 11/9 on a video ref decision, stroke…
SJ
“How many winners 2mm above the tin can she play!!!
“At the start, the ball wasn’t bouncing. It was skidding straight through. The first two points, I missed the ball. I wish we weren’t playing on the glass floor. There. I said it. Simple.
“It’s so different. The bounce is different, feels differently, it’s 75% there. Add to that, Sana hitting low and hard, I can’t get underneath the ball.
It’s twist and turns everywhere. I don’t know how I lost the 5th! I felt like I was in control for most of it, but then, she just like … went for a few and they all literally came off! Same at the end of the third as well. The two she had at the end of the 3rd were.. pfffffew…. unbelievable, at full stretch, two millimetres about the tin, can’t do much about those… And I just want to play one more, so I play a crosscourt, I played too many of those..
A couple of wrong shot choices, a bit of bad luck and it’s all it was today. A great battle, and it’s a privilege to still be part of these battles, Sana won that one today, but one four or five other days, it might have gone my way.”
What a way to win a 23-minute third game! 🔥
Sana Ibrahim coming in clutch to move 2-1 up in the first match of the day 💪#OptasiaChampionships pic.twitter.com/ssaISJTbXS
— PSA Squash Tour (@PSASquashTour) March 27, 2025
Sana
“I have never been on court and played with SJ before, so I was very nervous.
“To play with her on court was amazing, and for Englishwomen, she is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my life. It’s tricky and she has had a lot of experience. I know she is so tricky and I’m so pleased to get through today.
“I was thinking too much in periods of the match. After I was 2-1 up, that was. The fourth game went so quickly that I didn’t really realise what was going on.
“In the fifth game, when I was losing, I just freed up a bit because I knew that I was losing. That’s why I didn’t even think about the score. Even at 10-7 up, I knew she could come back and I was so scared. I was so scared that they were going to give me a let on that match ball.”
