Local star and top seed Camille Serme failed to retain her Women’s Creteil International Open title after losing out to unseeded Egyptian teenager Nour El Tayeb in the final of the $16,000 WISPA World Tour squash event in its fourth year at Centre Marie Therese Eyquem in Creteil, France.
It was a sensational performance by El Tayeb, who becomes only the third sixteen-year-old in the history of the WISPA World Tour to win a Tour title – following in the footsteps of Malaysia’s reigning world number one Nicol David and US teenager Amanda Sobhy.
El Tayeb, who celebrates her 17th birthday in just over a week, reached the final after upsetting eighth seed Annelize Naude and fourth seed Emma Beddoes. In the semi-finals, the Cairo star outplayed compatriot Heba El Torky, a qualifier.
Serme, ranked 11 in the world and playing on her home club courts, battled back after losing the first two games to draw level.
But the Egyptian novice refused to be outdone and dug deep to reclaim the advantage in the decider to record her historic 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8 title-winning victory.
The success gives El Tayeb her maiden title on the WISPA Tour – but, no doubt, the first of many more to come.
Final:
Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [1] Camille Serme (FRA) 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8
Semi-finals:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (34m)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 (33m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Manuela Manetta (ITA) 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5 (43m)
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [3] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 11-9, 11-13, 11-7, 11-7 (41m)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [4] Emma Beddoes (ENG) 11-7, 14-12, 13-11 (35m)
[Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) bt [2] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9 (51m)
1st round:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [Q] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) 11-3, 11-7, 11-6
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt [7] Orla Noom (NED) 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9
[3] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [Q] Maud Duplomb (FRA) 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [6] Lauren Siddall (ENG) 11-5, 11-5, 11-8
Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [8] Annelize Naude (NED) 11-9, 11-7, 11-7
[4] Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt [Q] Coline Aumard (FRA) 11-7, 11-7, 11-2
[Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) bt [5] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 11-6, 11-7, 11-7
[2] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt Fiona Moverley (ENG) 11-6, 11-3, 11-7
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