Elrefaey and Roushdy Excel in Assore Tour Challenger Finals

Johannesburg – Egypt’s Amira Elrefaey and Youssef Roushdy have proudly hoisted their country’s flag after securing their first PSA titles at the Assore Tour Challenger #2 event held at the Parkview Squash Centre in Johannesburg.

During the recent tournament, 21-year-old Elrefaey faced a tough challenge in an exhilarating women’s final against her 18-year-old fellow countrywoman Malak ElMaraghy. She came back from a 2-1 deficit to clinch victory in five games and claim the title.

On the other hand, Roushdy had a more straightforward path in the men’s final.

The 20-year-old displayed a comprehensive performance, defeating second seed Ahmed Elsherif with scores of 11-3, 11-5, and 11-7.

This tournament marked the conclusion of the initial series of Challenger events under the Assore banner, which has raised the competitive standards following the earlier Assore Satellite Series.

A second Challenger swing is scheduled at the Parkview Squash Centre from May 20 to 24 and from May 26 to 30.

Both champions were thrilled to achieve their breakthrough at the Challenger level, with Elrefaey acknowledging that the final tested her determination.

“When I found myself 8-5 down in the fourth game and trailing 2-1, I realized it would be very challenging to rally back,” said the fifth seed.

“Thus, I was incredibly pleased to secure the win in the end.”

While Roushdy won the final with ease, his journey to the title was anything but simple.

Competing in the 17-24 seed bracket, he made his mark by eliminating the top-seeded English player Jared Carter—who had won Challenger #1—in four games during the second round.

He then followed up with a 3-1 victory against sixth seed Saeed Abdul in the quarterfinals, before narrowly defeating Yusuf Elsherif in a taxing five-game semifinal.

These latest results come on the heels of the Assore Tour Challenger #1 event earlier this April, where Egypt’s Hana Aladdin secured her first PSA Squash Tour title, while Carter continued his strong performance by winning the men’s title.

The 18-year-old Aladdin participated in only her fifth Challenger event, yet impressively reached the final against the also inexperienced ElMaraghy.

Both athletes showcased their talent by defeating higher-seeded players on their way to the final, with ElMaraghy overcoming top seed Helena Hudson and Aladdin defeating second seed Teagan Russell.

Though separated by just 19 places in the world rankings before the final, it was the lower-ranked Aladdin who emerged victorious.

After losing the opening game, she made a strong comeback to win 3-1 in just 42 minutes.

In the men’s tournament, England’s Carter claimed his second consecutive title by triumphing over Ahmed Elsherif in the final.

The 24-year-old arrived in Johannesburg brimming with confidence after winning the Edinburgh Open in February.

He carried that momentum forward with victories over Juan-Corne Brand, Abdul, and Roushdy, needing a full five games in the last match.

Carter once again exhibited his tenacity in the final after dropping the opening game to Elsherif, responding with commanding wins of 11-3 and 11-2 in the subsequent games before sealing the title 11-6 in the fourth.