Men’s world No. 1 Ali Farag showcased why he is the planet’s best squash player, overcoming Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng in four games to advance to the final of the VITAGEN Singapore Open for the second consecutive year.

Farag’s intense 52-minute battle with Ng treated the crowd at the OCBC Arena to a thrilling spectacle. The defending champion had to dig deep to break down the Malaysian’s spirited challenge.

The first game, highlighted by both players’ hard-hitting rallies and lightning-fast court coverage, went to a tie-break before Farag edged ahead 13-11. He followed up with a composed 11-6 second game, but Ng fought back to take the third 11-9. Farag regained control in the fourth, combining speed and deceptive shots to close the match 11-6.

“It was very tough to beat Yow. He has been in top form and he just won the Malaysian Squash Cup last week.

“I could see why he was playing so well today. But thankfully, I was about to win the fourth game and close out the match,” said the defending champion.

Amina Orfi’s fairytale run in Singapore continued after the 17-year-old defeated Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam 3-1 (11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 11-8) to reach her first PSA Gold final.

Orfi, who beat Sivasangari last week to claim the Malaysian Squash Cup, a PSA Bronze title, was ecstatic after securing victory. Her joy was evident as the teenager screamed in delight upon clinching the winning point in the fourth game.

“I’m so happy and relieved as there was so much pressure during the match and I’m able to finally relax a bit now. I came into this match thinking only of playing my best and not think too much about last week’s match.

“It’s a new match and new day. We were both very exhausted by our previous matches and I was just focused on winning each point,” said Orfi.

Women’s top seed Hania El Hammamy of Egypt continued her dominance over Belgium’s Tinne Gilis, cruising to a 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-7) victory in just 34 minutes. El Hammamy extended her perfect head-to-head record against the third seed to 13-0, ensuring her place in her first Singapore final.

The prospect of lifting her 14th PSA title is now within reach for El Hammamy, who last won a tournament at the Hong Kong Squash Open in December 2023.

“It has been some time for me since I last reached a final. The last time I won an event was in December last year (Hong Kong Squash Open). So, it’s definitely a huge day for me tomorrow. I have to be focused on how I play and the tactics I have to adopt against my opponent, and hopefully, I can raise the trophy tomorrow,” said El Hammamy.

The last match of the evening saw men’s world champion Diego Elias of Peru come back from two games down to defeat second-seed Paul Coll of New Zealand 3-2 (5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3), setting up a repeat of last year’s final against Farag.

“That was a tough one. Paul was playing really well in the first two games and the start of the third. I couldn’t really find my game. But then, I started to play the ball tighter to the wall and pushed myself as hard as I could.”

Elias, making his third consecutive final appearance in Singapore, is determined to improve on his runner-up finishes. “It’s my third final in a row here in Singapore, and hopefully, I can win,” said Elias.

Photo Credit: VITAGEN Singapore Squash Open

The VITAGEN Singapore Squash Open, with a prize purse of US$220,000, takes place at the OCBC Arena from 19th to 24th November 2024, showcasing 48 of the world’s top men’s and women’s squash players. Tickets and more information available here