The 2026 Egypt Open Squash Championship has witnessed important developments in the round of 16 after Egyptian player Youssef Soliman, ranked 11th in the world, withdrew due to injury.

His withdrawal allowed fellow Egyptian Mohamed Zakaria, the world No.

6, to advance directly to the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Fayrouz Abouelkheir continued her impressive run in the women's competition after winning a thrilling five-game match.

The tournament is taking place in Cairo from October 10 to 16, bringing together some of the world's leading squash players.

Egypt has a strong presence in both competitions, showing its important position in international squash.

Zakaria Advances After Soliman Withdrawal

The Professional Squash Association announced that Youssef Soliman had withdrawn from his round-of-16 match because of an injury.

No further details were provided about the injury or how long the Egyptian player might need to recover.

As a result, Mohamed Zakaria secured a place in the quarterfinals without having to play his scheduled match.

The Egyptian star will now continue his journey in the tournament as he looks to move closer to the title.

Zakaria is among the leading Egyptian players competing in this year's event.

His position as world No.

6 makes him one of the players to watch during the remaining rounds.

In the women's competition, Fayrouz Abouelkheir also booked her place in the quarterfinals after defeating Britain's Jasmine Hutton by three games to two.

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Abouelkheir lost the opening game 5-11 but responded strongly, winning the next two games 11-2 and 11-5.

Hutton fought back and took the fourth game 11-7, forcing the match into a deciding fifth game.

However, the Egyptian player regained control in the final game and secured an 11-3 victory to complete an important win.

The result showed Abouelkheir's ability to recover from a difficult start and perform under pressure against a determined opponent.

35 Egyptians Compete as Pyramids Await

The 2026 Egypt Open features 35 Egyptian players across the men's and women's competitions, including 16 men and 19 women.

The men's draw includes several leading Egyptian names, such as Mostafa Asal, Karim Abdel Gawad, Karim El Hammamy, Mohamed Zakaria, Youssef Soliman, Aly Abou Eleinen, Mohamed Abouelghar, Fares Dessouky, Mohamed Nasser and Mohamed El Sherbini.

Other Egyptian participants include Yassin Shohdy, Yassin Elshafei, Yehia Elnawasany, Marwan Asal, Adham Roshdy and Ismail Amr Abdel Latif.

In the women's competition, Egypt is represented by several well-known stars, including Nour El Sherbini, Nouran Gohar, Hania El Hammamy, Amina Orfi, Fayrouz Abouelkheir and Nadine Shahin.

The Egyptian women's list also features Haya Ali, Jana Sewify, Habiba Hani, Farida Walid, Salma Hany, Farida Mohamed, Menna Walid, Rowan Elaraby, Nada Abbas, Nour Megahed, Nour Khafagy, Nadia Mahmoud and Habiba Rizk.

The Egypt Open belongs to the Diamond category, the highest tournament level on the Professional Squash Association tour.

The competition offers $366,000 in prize money for the men's event and the same amount for the women's event, bringing the combined prize fund to $732,000.

The early rounds are being played in 6th of October City before the competition moves to the famous Giza Pyramids for the quarterfinals and later stages.

A glass court will host the decisive matches near one of Egypt's most famous historical landmarks, creating a special setting for players and spectators.

With Mohamed Zakaria and Fayrouz Abouelkheir reaching the quarterfinals, attention now turns to the next matches as Egyptian players aim to continue their strong performances and compete for both titles.