WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: All Africa Games, Abuja, Nigeria

Men's Team Semi-finals:
Egypt 3 Zambia 0 (Mohammed Abbas bt Lazarus Chiluyfa 9-2 9-4 9-6, Wael El Hindi bt O'Neil Chilambwe 9-1 9-0 9-2, Hisham Ashour bt Richard Twali 9-2 9-4 9-7)
South Africa 3 Nigeria 0 (Rodney Durbach bt Wasiu Sanni 9-4 9-6 9-3, Adrian Hansen bt Ehime Ehalem 9-4 9-1 9-6, Greg La Mude bt Jonah Attah 4-9 9-0 9-4)
Final:
Egypt 2 South Africa 0  (Karim Darwish bt Rodney Durbach 6-9, 9-6, 9-6, 9-7; Mohammed Abbas bt Adrian Hansen 9-3, 9-1, 0-9, 1-9, 9-6; Wael El Hindi v Greg La Mude (dead rubber not played))

Women's Final:
Egypt 2 South Africa 1  (Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Claire Nitch 9-1, 8-10, 9-4, 9-7; Engy Kheirallah bt Angie Clifton-Parks 9-5, 8-10, 9-1, 7-9, 9-4; Eman El Amir lost to Sjeanne Cawdry 1-9, 5-9 (best-of-three dead rubber)

Egypt Sweep The Board In All Africa Games

Squash's maiden appearance in the All Africa Games produced a fitting finale in the Nigerian capital of Abuja with Egypt beating South Africa in both the men's and women's team finals to add to the gold medals the nation won in both singles disciplines last week.

The standard of squash in the men's matches was phenomenal.   South Africa's part-time player Adrian Hansen staged an amazing comeback against Egypt's Mohammed Abbas in the opening battle between the second strings - fighting back from 2-0 down to take the match into a fifth game decider before Abbas, ranked 25 in the world, clinched a 9-3 9-1 0-9 1-9 9-6 victory. 

In the top string tussle between Egypt's All Africa Individual gold medallist Karim Darwish and Rodney Durbach, the South African played the best squash of his life.   Focussed and calm, Durbach made Darwish earn each winning point.  Darwish, the world No8, just had the edge on Durbach both in speed and shot-making - and eventually came through as 6-9 9-6 9-6 9-7 victor to give the favourites the title.

In the women's final, South Africa's No2 Angie Clifton-Parks also took her opponent Engy Kheirallah the full distance in the opening match before the Egyptian claimed a hard-fought 9-5 8-10 9-1 7-9 9-4 victory.  In the top string clash, South Africa's now retired Claire Nitch pulled level after Egypt's world junior champion Omneya Abdel Kawy took the opening game - but world No14 Kawy's greater form eventually came to the fore as she secured her 9-1 8-10 9-4 9-7 victory and Egypt's fourth gold medal of the Games.

South Africa gained a morale-boosting consolation point when Sjeanne Cawdry beat Egypt's third string Eman El Amir 9-1 9-5 in the best-of-three dead rubber.