Published: February 27, 2026 at 10:19 pm
Rowan Elaraby marked her return to the PSA Tour with a win, beating Hannah Craig 3-0 on day two of the Steel City Open in Pittsburgh, a day which saw top seed Satomi Watanabe survive a scare and Saran Nghiem knock out No.7 seed Malak Khafagy of Egypt.
The 25-year-old Elaraby had been out of action since suffering a devastating leg injury at last year’s World Championships in May, requiring surgery that she described as being the most painful of her entire life. But she made her long-awaited return to action here in Pennsylvania, where Irish No.1 Craig was standing in her way.
Elaraby had coach Wael El Hindi in her corner, but even he could not have scripted a better start to the match, as the No.6 seed won the first seven points inside four minutes, going on to close out game one 11-5. The Egyptian was moving freely and showed little sign of any lingering injury issues, picking up where she left off in game one with another 11-5 success in the second.
Craig dug deep in game three and even brought up a game ball at 10-9, but was unable to convert, opening the door for Elaraby to clinch the tiebreak and book herself into round two.
A hug from El Hindi after stepping off court prompted an outpouring of emotions from the 25-year-old, who was quickly congratulated by Jasmine Hutton and both Sabrina and Amanda Sobhy, who interrupted her own pre-match warm-up to celebrate with Elaraby, recognising the significance of the moment.
Sobhy’s attention soon turned back to her own round-two match, which saw her beat rising French star Lauren Baltayan to set up a mouthwatering quarterfinal with her sister, Sabrina, who was simultaneously beating wildcard Charlotte Pastel.
Satomi Watanabe celebrates winning the crucial second game against Nadien Elhammamy. Pics: PSA Squash Tour
Watanabe overcomes Nadien
Earlier in the day, top seed Satomi Watanabe overcame a tough test in the form of Nadien Elhammamy, having to fight back from a game down to win in four. Elhammamy was a World Junior Championships runner-up in 2025 and showcased her burgeoning talents to full effect in an impressive opening game here against the World No.6, needing just 10 minutes to close it out 11-5.
She continued to showcase her aggressive style and shot-making capabilities in a tense second game, too, matching Watanabe all the way to 9-9. The Japanese star held firm, though, letting out a huge roar and pumping her first after wrapping up the game 11-9 on a forehand down the line.
And from there, she took control, losing only nine more points in the match to book herself a spot in round two, where she will face England’s Nghiem.
Nghiem downs Malak
The 22-year-old was taking on Malak Khafagy in a battle between two of college squash’s most talented players, with Khafagy plying her trade at UPenn, while Nghiem lines up for Harvard.
They had never faced off on the PSA Tour before this match but went toe-to-toe for almost an hour in front of an engrossed crowd on the traditional court, with the match swinging one way and then the other.
Nghiem won the first 11-7 before losing the next two 11-8, only to force a decider with another 11-7 success in game four. She then found herself 4-2 behind in game five only to turn the tide with four points on the bounce, establishing a lead that she would never relinquish, with a stroke decision down the backhand side handing her another 11-7 success.
The day’s other winners were Georgina Kennedy – who will now play Elaraby – Hutton and Melissa Alves, who all recorded straight-game wins, beating Jana Swaify, Margot Prow and Nadine Shahin respectively.
Results (Round II): 5-Melissa Alves (FRA) beat Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (23m); 4-Jasmine Hutton (ENG) beat Margot Prow (BAR) 3-0: 11-1, 11-7, 11-8 (26m); Saran Nghiem (ENG) beat 7-Malak Khafagy (EGY) 3-2: 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 (54m); 1-Satomi Watanabe (JPN) beat Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) 3-1: 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6 (44m); 6-Rowan Elaraby (EGY) beat Hannah Craig (IRL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 12-10 (34m); 2-Georgina Kennedy (ENG) beat Jana Swaify (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (27m); 8-Sabrina Sobhy (USA) beat Charlotte Pastel (USA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-0, 11-1 (23m); 3-Amanda Sobhy (USA) beat Lauren Baltayan (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 (27m).
