Players turn on the style in glass court at V&A Waterfront

Cape Town - Action moved to the glass court at the V&A Waterfront on Day 3 of the SA Open and the players turned on the style for the capacity crowd.

Salma Youssef (EGY) edged compatriot Farah Momen (EGY) 3-2 in a match that captivated the vocal crowd. Youssef started off the stronger of the two with an easy 11-3 win in the first game, but Momen showed she wasn’t going to be dispatched easily to take the second 11-9.

Yousef then won the third before Momen took game four with scores of 11-8 and 12-10, respectively.

The final game went down to the wire, but after Momen was pushed all the way by South Africa's Siyoli Waters in the previous round, it was just not meant to be with Youssef taking the final game 11-9.

Earlier in the day Blessing Muhwati (ZIM) lost to Tristan Eysele (RSA) 3-1. Muhwati started where he finished off in the round of 16 and won the first game 11-9.

Eysele however once again showed his ability to bounce back from a first round defeat, and won the next three 11-7, 11-9 and 11-5 to move into the semi-finals.

The other women’s quarter-final for the day was a far more straight-forward affair with Egypt's Menna Hamed beating local favourite Alexa Pienaar 11-3, 11-6 and 11-6.

The crowd at the V&A Waterfront were keen to see French top seed Lucas Serme play and they were not left disappointed as he put on a clinic in top squash to beat Egyptian Abdallah Elmasry in straight games 11-5, 11-4 and 11-2.

Day 4 of the event will see the remaining quarter-finalists take to the glass court for the first time to fill the remaining semi-final spots.

2019 SA Open results - Day 3:

(3) Menna Hamed (EGY) beat (8) Alexa Pienaar (RSA) 11-3, 11-6, 11-6

(1) Salma Youssef (EGY) beat (7) Farah Momen (EGY) 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9

(4) Tristan Eysele (RSA) beat (6) Blessing Muhwati (ZIM) 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5

(1) Lucas Serme (FRA) beat Abdallah Elmasry (EGY) 11-5, 11-4, 11-2

2019 SA Open, Quarter-finals

Men

(3) Ahmed Hosny (EGY) vs Hazem Helmy (EGY)

(2) Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) vs (8) Khaled Labib (EGY)

Women

(4) Cindy Merlo (SUI) vs (5) Milnay Louw (RSA)