The Quilter Cheviot British Open witnessed history on Saturday as reigning Women’s World Champion Amina Orfi survived a monumental 110-minute marathon against World No. 1 Hania El Hammamy to book her place in her maiden British Open final.

The grueling four-game semifinal battle at the Rep Theatre in Birmingham officially became the longest women’s match in the tournament’s history.

It also entered the squash record books as the joint fourth longest women’s match ever recorded, eclipsing the pair’s previous 103-minute World Championship semifinal battle by seven minutes.

Orfi Overcomes Injury to Take Control

From the opening serve, the 18-year-old Orfi showcased the devastating form that earned her the World Championship crown. Her ferocious ball-striking deep into the back corners constantly troubled top-seeded El Hammamy, allowing the teenager to claim the first game 11-8.

The second game took an alarming turn early on when Orfi suffered an ankle injury following a heavy collision with El Hammamy. Under tournament rules, the World No. 3 was granted up to 15 minutes of recovery time.

Showing incredible resilience, Orfi returned to the court and actually elevated her hitting quality, forcing errors out of El Hammamy to take the game 11-7 and establish a commanding 2-0 match lead.

A Monumental Tiebreak Across 110 Minutes

El Hammamy proved exactly why she holds the World No. 1 ranking during a sensational third game. Refusing to back down, she fought off two match balls from Orfi.

In a dramatic, extended tiebreak that pushed both athletes to their physical limits, El Hammamy finally converted her fourth game ball to edge out a thrilling 16-14 victory, keeping her finals hopes alive.

Despite the immense physical toll of the third game, Orfi requested a new ball and re-entered the court for the fourth game with unwavering resolve. Keeping her nerve across the historic 110 minutes of total play, she dominated the closing exchanges to seal a thrilling 11-8, 11-7, 14-16, 11-6 triumph.

“I knew Hania is a fighter and she would come back regardless of the score,” Orfi said post-match. “After that ankle fall, I told myself I’m leading, and I kept that with myself to keep going. I really want to win and do good in these big tournaments, so I think the will to win is keeping me going.”

The victory also catapults Orfi to the top of the Squash Tour Finals standings ahead of the season-ending tournament in Paris.

ElSherbini Awaits in Final

Orfi will face a familiar and formidable foe in Sunday’s final: four-time British Open champion Nour ElSherbini. The World No. 2 made quick work of Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in her semifinal, delivering a masterclass 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 victory in under half an hour to reach her eighth British Open title decider.

“Having a big statement win after the World Championships will help me move on from it quickly,” ElSherbini said, eyeing the final. “I am definitely happy to make it to the finals, and hopefully I get revenge this time.”

Asal and Coll Set for Men’s Championship Clash

The men’s draw served up its own epic drama, as World No. 1 Mostafa Asal survived a grueling 115-minute, five-game thriller against defending champion Diego Elias.

Asal looked poised for a swifter victory when he led 2-1 in games and 9-5 in the fourth, but Elias mounted a fierce six-point comeback to force a deciding fifth game.

Asal held his nerve at the absolute business end of the match to win 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, advancing to his third consecutive British Open final.

Asal will battle New Zealand’s Paul Coll for the title. The two-time champion effectively ended the dream run of World No. 22 Yahya Elnawasany—who was the lowest-ranked semifinalist in eight years—with a clinical 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 victory.

Coll enters the final in spectacular form, having not dropped a single game throughout the entire tournament.