Reigning Champ El Hamammy Holds Off El Sherbini in Five Game Thriller; World’s Top Two Men to Clash

 

World No. 1 and defending champion Hania El Hammamy held off eight-time world champion El Sherbini in an instant classic five-game semifinal, while the top two men in the world are set to clash after the 2026 Sprott Tournament of Champions semifinals Wednesday, January 28, at Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

World No.1 El Hammamy, who clinched her first Tournament of Champions title last year, had a 2-1 lead before ElSherbini surged back to level the match and force a decider–just like the World No. 5 did when they last met in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open in December.

In a tense fifth game and with El Hammamy in command with a 5-3 lead, a blood injury sustained by the 25-year-old could have halted her momentum. However El Hammamy didn’t let the break in play disrupt her rhythm, clinching the decider 11-7 to round off an 80-minute blockbuster battle.

“It was such a battle, it was really hard,” she said. “I’m in my own journey with how I play those battles and win even if I’m not playing my best. I don’t think I played my best and that’s why I’m really proud I managed to dig deep and fight. I forgot I haven’t been playing like this for so long, I’ve been throwing myself on the floor and diving a lot and I don’t think my team will be happy with this either! We’ve been talking a lot about how I should be more stable on court and try to reduce the injuries. These battles are the kind of ones where I’m more at risk at injuring myself. I’m very proud I managed to get through it and it’s always tough playing against her [Nour ElSherbini], she’s always smart. I’m very happy.”

El Hammamy will face American Olivia Weaver in the final after the world No. 4 became the first American finalist since Amanda Sobhy in 2022. Weaver put in a commanding semifinal performance against Egypt’s world No. 8 Fayrouz Aboelkheir to reach her first ToC final 11-7, 11-5, 11-2 in twenty-eight minutes.

“It means the world to me [reaching the final in New York],”  Weaver said. “This was the first professional tournament I ever watched as a junior. I was eight years old and I came to see a match with my coach and I was just in awe of the players. I definitely didn’t see this in the future, seeing myself on court here let alone making it into the final. It means the world to play in front of this crowd and I’m very, very excited.”

Weaver has now reached the finals of back-to-back Platinum events after reaching the Hong Kong Open final last month–the first two Platinum final appearances of her career. The thirty-year-old American now has the opportunity to become the first American to win a PSA Platinum title Thursday night at 7pm ET.

There will be a new name on the men’s trophy after World No.1 Mostafa Asal and World No.2 Paul Coll progressed to their first final in New York City.

Asal was too strong for his fellow Egyptian Karim Gawad, dispatching the 2017 champion in straight games. The current World Champion played at a high intensity which Gawad couldn’t handle, with the 34-year-old unable to impose himself as Asal’s aggressive hitting helped him secure a 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 victory.

“Karim [Gawad] is such a unique player and all the respect goes to him and his team for sure,” Asal said. “Since I was 11 years old, he took me up and I was playing with him all the time since I was a kid. I love Karim, he’s a good friend and he is such a legend. Coming back from an injury like this to entertain us, he is such a unique player and I have to give all the credit to be a great champion. He is a legend for our game, an icon. I am really happy I am playing here, the atmosphere is amazing, having my team, my family and everyone, and for sure my coaches. James [WIllstrop] is doing a great job, so it’s one more push to lift this amazing title.”

Coll is the first male New Zealander to advance to the Tournament of Champions final after he overturned a 1-0 deficit to defeat World No.3 Diego Elias 3-1. Having seen his pressure absorbed well by Elias in the first as the ‘Peruvian Puma’ won the opener 11-7, Coll eventually got his rewards for wearing done Elias to win the ensuing games 11-6, 11-2, 11-8 to tee up a third title showdown of the season against Asal.

The 2026 Sprott Tournament of Champions presented by Crowd Street finals will begin at 7pm ET Thursday, January 29.