A historic and deeply emotional night at Golf Central Palm Hills saw the landscape of global squash shift dramatically on Saturday, May 16, as 18-year-old Amina Orfi became the youngest-ever women’s World Squash Champion after capturing an all-time classic final. In the men’s division, defensive resilience and sheer power ruled the court as reigning champion Mostafa Asal successfully retained his world crown.

The women’s showpiece was a grueling, heart-stopping marathon that officially clocking in at 106 minutes, making it the longest women’s PSA World Championship match of the modern point-a-rally (PAR11) era.

At just 18 years and 10 months old, the No. 3 seed eclipsed the previous age record held by her legendary opponent, Nour ElSherbini, who won her first title at 20 years and five months. The extraordinary triumph also cements Orfi as the first female player in squash history to hold both the World Junior Championship and the Senior World Championship titles simultaneously.

The narrative entering the glass court carried immense historical weight. The No. 2 seed ElSherbini was hunting a historic ninth world title to definitively surpass Malaysian squash icon Datuk Nicol David’s record of eight championships. Orfi, meanwhile, was chasing her maiden major on the sport’s grandest stage after enduring a punishing 103-minute semifinal against World No. 1 Hania El Hammamy the night before.

ElSherbini started with a champion’s authority, utilizing rapid-fire nicks to fly into a 6-0 lead within two minutes as Orfi showed early signs of physical fatigue. While the teenager rallied back to 6-8, ElSherbini claimed the opener 11-6.

Far from discouraged, Orfi adapted brilliantly in the second and third games, using aggressive lines down the wings to pin the veteran deep into the corners before taking the ball short. After securing the second game 11-6, the third game ended in controversy at 10-9 when ElSherbini opted to ask for a let rather than volley a backhand. The referee issued a “no-let” ruling, handing Orfi a crucial 2-1 match lead.

After a ball change, “The Warrior Princess” ElSherbini found her second wind to confidently take the fourth game 11-7, forcing a decisive fifth.

The final game will go down as one of the most dramatic spectacles in squash history. Orfi seemed to have one hand on the trophy after surging into a commanding 9-4 lead. However, ElSherbini put on a masterclass in resilience, clawing her way back to 9-8 and subsequently saving two championship balls to force a tie-break.

A nerve-shredding tie-break saw match points repeatedly traded. ElSherbini squandered two opportunities to seal her ninth crown, while Orfi missed a third chance of her own. Finally, at 13-12, Orfi whipped a devastating backhand winner across ElSherbini’s body. When the final refereeing review came back as a match-ending no-let, the teenage phenom collapsed to her knees in sheer disbelief.

“Honestly I don’t know what to say,” an emotional Orfi stated after the match. “At 9-4 in the fifth, I started to think a lot, she came back and a bunch of decisions didn’t really go my way. At that point I just stuck to my gameplan, kept out my errors and waited until she made the error.”

“I knew there was going to be pressure on both of them. Hania being World No. 1 and Nour being a title away from breaking the record. I knew I had the least pressure and I went for it. I’m just so happy.”

While the women’s final was defined by microscopic margins and marathon rallies, the men’s final saw the continuation of a modern dominance. Egypt’s Mostafa Asal successfully defended his men’s World Championship title, delivering a commanding straight-sets victory over dangerous No. 7 seed and compatriot Youssef Ibrahim.

Asal, who has completely revolutionized his game over the past year to marry his unmatched physical power with immaculate discipline, never truly allowed Ibrahim to establish a rhythm. The reigning champion controlled the T ruthlessly, extinguishing Ibrahim’s trademark deception with explosive movement and clinical finishing to secure the coveted trophy in front of a passionate home crowd.

Final Results:

Women’s Final: Amina Orfi def. Nour ElSherbini 3-2: 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 14-12

Men’s Final: Mostafa Asal def. Youssef Ibrahim 3-0: 11-4, 11-1, 12-10