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The Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Championships concluded at Giza’s Palm Hills Club in Egypt on Saturday, 16 May, with two thrilling all-Egyptian finals that showcased both the depth of Egyptian squash and the intensity of competition at the sport’s highest level.
In the women’s final, Amina Orfi overcame eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini in a marathon 1 hour and 46 minutes of play which was reportedly the longest women’s match in PSA World Championship history.
After dropping the opening set 6-11, Orfi won the second 11-6 and took the third 11-9 to shift momentum in a match that carried the weight of a potential record ninth world title for El Sherbini.
El Sherbini regrouped in the fourth, winning 7-11, and the match was then pushed into an intensely deciding fifth set which Orfi then won 14-12.
Orfi became the youngest player in history to claim the women’s world title and, at just 18 years old, also became the first player to hold both the junior and senior world titles at the same time.
In an interview after the match, Orfi described being “speechless” and emphasized the work she had put in, noting that although she had felt satisfied with her progress earlier in the season, she knew she could improve, when the pressure was greatest.
Orfi also spoke about confidence and the psychological advantage of having the “least pressure,” adding that once she chose to commit to her game plan, the decisive moments arrived through staying composed, and reducing errors.
In the men’s final, world Number 1 and top seed Mostafa Asal defended his world title with a three straight-games win over first-time finalist Youssef Ibrahim.
Asal’s 11-4, 11-1, 12-10 victory confirmed his status as world No. 1, while Ibrahim’s run to the final (despite playing with an injury) showed the true competitive nature of the tournament.
He credited Ibrahim with extraordinary courage and noted that the shoulder injury he was managing did not prevent him from reaching the final, describing him as a “superhuman” competitor and a close friend with shared roots in junior tournaments.
With both titles claimed in straight national finals, Orfi’s historic five-set win and Asal’s dominant title defense, the event delivered a powerful message about Egyptian squash’s current momentum.
