Abhay Singh enters maiden PSA Gold-level quarters in Zurich

Zurich, April 24
India’s Abhay Singh stunned Egyptian world No. 13 Aly Abou Eleinen to enter his maiden PSA Gold-level event quarterfinals at the Grasshopper Cup squash.

The World No.24 trailed 8-5 in the opener before pegging the score back to 8-8 and saved both of Eleinen’s game balls before converting in the tiebreak.

Singh, who defeated Eleinen 3-2 at the El Gouna International earlier this month, had to withstand an Eleinen comeback in the second when the Egyptian was 7-3 down before levelling, but the strength of Singh’s backhand helped him win 12-10, 11-9.

He will next take on Egyptian world No 4 Karim Gawad for a place in the semifinals.

"What a match!", Singh said after the win as quoted by PSA Tour. “In the deep end of both games I had to show some real fight to come back with the deficit in the first. I think that was deja vu with a similar situation. I had it with him in El Gouna. Credit to Jimbo (James Willstrop) he put together a good plan, as I was going to be in a deficit in the first, and that paid off.”

In the opening round, Singh beat Swiss David Bernet 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, while compatriot Ramit Tandon lost to Egypt’s Fares Dessouky 6-11, 9-11.

Meanwhile, Iker Pajares are through to the quarter-finals of a Gold-level event for the first time after ousting No.6 seed Youssef Soliman.

Pajares, who’s reached the last eight of Platinum events previously, produced another impressive performance to down Soliman in straight games having taken out Swiss No.1 Dimitri Steinmann in round one.

Home hopes were dashed after 14-time Swiss national champion Nicolas Mueller was defeated by Joel Makin.

Mueller, the last Swiss player remaining following six exits from the host nation in round one, lost 2-0 to the World No.5.

Elsewhere, former World Champion Karim Gawad downed Auguste Dussourd 2-0.