Egypt’s unseeded Tarek Momen denied Olli Tuominen the chance of celebrating his 32nd birthday in the semi-finals of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open when he upset the second-seeded Finn in the quarter-finals of the men’s PSA World Tour International 25 squash event at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin.
Momen, playing in his first Tour event since graduating with an Electronic Engineering degree from the American University in Cairo, defeated Tuominen, the world No22, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6.
The 23-year-old world No24 will now face third seed Saurav Ghosal for a place in the final. Ghosal, the world No23 from India, beat compatriot and Leeds house-mate Siddharth Suchde, a qualifier from Mumbai, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6.
Spain’s Borja Golan is one match away from his fourth appearance in the final since 2006 after beating Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet 11-9, 11-8, 11-1.
The former world No10 from Santiago de Compostela now faces Australian Stewart Boswell after the event favourite battled for five games to overcome England’s Chris Ryder 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 4-11, 11-2.
Irish eyes are still smiling in the women’s WISPA World Tour Silver 20 event where defending champion Madeline Perry beat Italy’s Manuela Manetta 11-7, 11-5, 11-6.
The 34-year-old world No3 from Belfast, seeded to win her fifth title since 2005, will now meet third seed Jaclyn Hawkes for a place in her third final in a row.
New Zealander Hawkes beat England’s No7 seed Dominique Lloyd-Walter 14-12, 11-13, 11-4, 11-3.
But there was disappointment for the local crowd when Sligo’s sixth seed Aisling Blake went down 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 to No2 seed Vanessa Atkinson.
The Dutch star, winner of the title in 2003 and 2004, now goes on to face Nour El Tayeb – the fourth-seeded Egyptian teenager who despatched South African qualifier Tenille Swartz 11-7, 11-6, 11-9.
RESULTS: Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open, Dublin, Ireland
Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 4-11, 11-2
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-9, 11-8, 11-1
[3] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [2] Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6
Women’s quarter-finals:
[1] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [8] Manuela Manetta (ITA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6
[3] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt [7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 14-12, 11-13, 11-4, 11-3
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [Q] Tenille Swartz (RSA) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [6] Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7
Men’s semi-final line-up:
[1] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v Borja Golan (ESP)
Tarek Momen (EGY) v [3] Saurav Ghosal (IND)
Women’s semi-final line-up:
[1] Madeline Perry (IRL) v [3] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v [4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)