SHARM EL SHEIKH: Omneya Abdel-Kawy became the first Egyptian woman ever to reach a World Open squash final when she beat the new French sensation Camille Serme in straight games in a slightly colorless semi-final by the side of the Red Sea.
Abdel-Kawy’s 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 win over Serme gives her the chance to emulate the many male legends of Egyptian squash over 70 years, two of whom, Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour have been dominating recently.
The 25-year-old from Cairo did that by again showing that she has creative racket skills unequalled in the women’s game, as well as an improved ability to cover the court and to play out the longer rallies when necessary.
Only when Serme made a push to reach 6-5 in the second game, and then 5-3 in the third, did it seem that she might make trouble for Abdel-Kawy.
She too had the ability to open up the court with disguised changes of direction and clinging drops, but looked a little sluggish compared with her surprise wins over Laura Massaro and Jenny Duncalf, and may well have been tired.
"It was the first time I had even been in the World Open semi-final, and I was really focused," said the fourth-seeded Abdel-Kawy. "I put the pressure on myself to deliver and it worked.
"I am higher ranked, this is my home, my family, my friends, my coaches and my supporters were all here — so I have to win. There could be no excuses."
And Abdel-Kawy has rarely played better. She moved from 4-3 to 8-3 with an ominous sequence of winners, two of which went to a perfect length and two into the sidewall nick, rolling dead.
It was a hot, humid night on the Sinai peninsula, and that may have contributed to the ninth-seeded Serme’s relatively patchy performance. She placed a drop into the tin to go 8-3 down, and another to go game ball down at 8-4.
She often attempted the right things, trying to play on Abdel-Kawy’s suspect mobility with sudden cross courts and cleverly masked drives, and her run from 2-5 to 6-5 in the second game was encouraging.
But she then put a forehand volley out of court, and thereafter her length was sometimes indifferent, and mistakes crept into her play at unfortunate moments.
One of them, a backhand faded boast off the sidewall, faded too much and dropped into the tin, giving Abdel-Kawy game ball at 10-6, an advantage the Egyptian converted amidst chants and flag-waving two rallies later.
Serme surged to 3-0 in the third game, suddenly playing very well again with three colorfully produced winners, but it was a deceptive burst and from 5-3 up she lost five points in a sequence which effectively ended the match.
By now Abdel-Kawy was looking supremely confident, and finished the match at the first attempt. Her backhand volley return of serve was swung almost arrogantly into the small target of the forehand sidewall nick, the ball rolling as if magnetized across the floor.
"I did my best, but I did not feel the same today," said Serme. "But I have had a great tournament and will try to do even better next time."
Abdel-Kawy will meet in the final the winner of Nicol David, the Malaysian who is aiming for a record fifth title, and Alison Waters, the third-seeded English player.
