Johannesburg – South African Dewald van Niekerk’s brave run in the Assore Joburg Open came to an end when he was edged out by Egyptian Ibrahim Elkabbani in an epic men’s final at Parkview Squash Centre in Johannesburg on Saturday, 24 October 2026.
Earlier, the women’s title went to second-seeded teenager Rouqaia Othman, who continued her dominance over compatriot Habiba Tharwat with a fifth successive victory in an all-Egyptian final.
In the men’s championship, 29-year-old Van Niekerk had demonstrated his fighting qualities by eliminating third seed Mohamed Gohar in a marathon 82-minute semifinal, clinching the deciding game 11-9.
Elkabbani, seeded fourth, also produced an impressive performance to defeat top seed Mahomed Sharaf 3-1 in their semifinal encounter.
Saturday’s final tested the resilience of both players.
Elkabbani made the early running, taking the first two games to put himself in a commanding position.
However, Van Niekerk refused to surrender, claiming the third game 11-8 before pushing his opponent through an exhausting fourth.
The Egyptian ultimately held his nerve to secure an 11-8 11-6 8-11 11-9 victory.
Elkabbani acknowledged that Van Niekerk’s determination made for a demanding contest, particularly in the fourth game, when the conditions added to the physical challenge.
“It was a very tough game. Stepping on court, I knew he would never give up because he wanted it as much as I did,” Elkabbani said.
“Especially at this high altitude, it was very physical in the fourth game. It came down to who could be just that little bit more patient because the ball was hot and bouncing a lot.
“He was very physical and mentally strong.”
Elkabbani admitted that he had rushed his shots at times in the third game as the lively ball made it difficult to control the rallies.
“In the third game, I felt I was rushing a bit and the ball was bouncing a bit too much, which wasn’t helping me,’’ Elkabbani said.
“In the fourth, I just tried to be patient and take advantage whenever there was a loose ball.”
The victory was particularly significant for the Egyptian, who said he had struggled to produce his best results over the past two years.
“This win is very, very important to me because I haven’t done that well over the past two years, so winning this is very special and a big boost for my confidence,” he said.
Van Niekerk, meanwhile, took encouragement from reaching the final after what he described as a difficult year on the squash court.
“This tournament has been a great success,” Van Niekerk said.
“I haven’t had the best of years in 2026 squash-wise, so it was good to come into the tournament, make the final and give it a good battle,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way, but well done to Ibrahim. He played really well.”
Van Niekerk also thanked tournament sponsors Assore and organizer Craig van der Wath, along with his sponsors, for their support.
In the women’s final, 18-year-old Othman completed a memorable first visit to South Africa by beating Tharwat 11-7 7-11 11-8 11-7.
The second seed took control in the third and fourth games to claim the title against an opponent who had earned her place in the final through two gruelling victories.
Tharwat upset top seed Nour Megahed in a five-game quarterfinal before overcoming third seed Hana Aladdin in another five-game battle in the semifinals.
However, she could not find a way past Othman, who maintained her unbeaten record against her compatriot in five meetings.
Othman was delighted with the victory, which secured her second Challenger title at this level and is expected to lift her to No 85 in the world rankings as she pursues her ambition of breaking into the PSA Tour’s top 30.
“I knew she would be very keen to get more games, so I just tried to make sure I pushed her hard in the third and fourth games, and managed to do that to take the win,” Othman said.
“Going into the third game, I knew I had to be mentally strong, take the ball early with volleys and try to move her to all four corners of the court.”
Othman’s tournament also included a quarterfinal encounter against her twin sister, Salma, whom she defeated 3-0.
“We practise with each other a lot, but there are obviously a lot of emotions when we play each other, and that is difficult,” Othman said.
“But it’s also great to have her at tournaments with me because we travel together and encourage each other.
“That’s a privilege for me. She always supports and helps me.”
Tournament director Craig van der Wath said the inaugural Assore Series had delivered significant benefits for South African squash during 2026.
Alongside introducing many young children to the sport, the events have given local players valuable opportunities to compete against international opposition and improve their world rankings on home soil.
“We have delivered nine satellite tournaments during 2026, and this Joburg Open is our eighth Tour event,” Van der Wath said.
“It has been fantastic for our players to experience squash being played at another level, and the events have enabled them to try to improve their world rankings by gaining PSA Tour points on their home turf.”
Saturday’s results were:
Women’s final: 2-Rouqaia Othman (Egypt) bt 5-Habiba Tharwat (Egypt) 3-1 (11-7 7-11 11-8 11-7).
Men’s final: 4-Ibrahim Elkabbani (Egypt) bt 2-Dewald van Niekerk (South Africa) 3-1 (11-8 11-6 8-11 11-9).
