Salma Eltayeb (EGY) 3-0 Nadine Shahin (EGY) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (23m)
Salma Eltayeb was the one seeding upset of the session, defeating compatriot Nadine Shahin in straight games.
Eltayeb, who sits three spots behind Shahin in the current world rankings, looked in razor-sharp form from the very first point. She found her length well and disdained her opponent’s loose shots. The World No.40 only needed 23 minutes on court to progress to the second round, setting up a tie with No.6 seed Salma Hany.
That's how you save a game ball 👏
Flat as a pancake from @Nadine1Shahin 🥞#BlackBallOpen pic.twitter.com/rYlTeuitdx
— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) April 11, 2024
Salma
“It’s my first time playing Nadine, and obviously she’s a really good player and a really experienced one so I’m really pleased to get through in three.
“It’s my first Black Ball Open and my second PSA Tour event in Egypt so I’m really happy to have my friends and family watching me. Honestly, seeing them all here cheering me on is so thrilling and it makes me more excited to play.
“I have always watched Salma play while I was growing up, so I’m really excited to play her. Obviously, there is no pressure on me, so I just want to play my best squash.
“I’ve just started a new programme of training, so that’s what is helping me play my best squash recently. I’m really excited to try and perform tomorrow.”