DOHA (Qatar): Egyptian duo Ali Farag and Hania El Hammamy have been named the respective male and female PSA Players of the Month for October, the PSA said on Thursday.
Farag saw victory in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza at the third time of trying after he defeated compatriot and reigning World Champion Tarek Momen in the final of the CIB Egyptian Open last month.
Farag lost to World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad at both the 2016 Al-Ahram International and then at last year’s Egyptian Open but stormed out of the traps against a fatigued Momen to complete an 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 triumph which saw him win his 20th PSA title.
That victory also meant that he returned to the top of the PSA World Rankings for the second time in his career, taking the place from compatriot Mohamed ElShorbagy in November.
Meanwhile, El Hammamy continues her rise on the PSA World Tour after claiming the CIB PSA World Tour Finals title and reaching the semi-finals of the CIB Egyptian Open last month.
El Hammamy was forced to come from two games down against the in-form Nour El Tayeb at the Mall of Arabia to produce a stunning comeback and lift her second title of 2020 following her Black Ball Open triumph in March.
The 20-year-old Egyptian then secured a huge five-game win over France’s Camille Serme to advance to the semi-finals of the CIB Egyptian Open, where she lost out to then-World No.1 Nouran Gohar.
