Salma : “My Own Playground”

Excited, or nervous, to be at home ?

Having a platinum event at my home club is beyond exciting for me, and an event I am very much  looking forward to.

Being at home doesn’t add pressure on me at all, it actually takes away all the pressure because I know I have everyone there supporting me and backing me up.

Upgrading the event into a platinum tournament in only its second edition is something spectacular.

The Black Ball team has been doing an amazing job to help our sport grow, and the tremendous amount of effort they have been doing the last couple of years to pull out great events presented in the best way for the men’s and women’s squash is really spectacular.

Calling Black Ball my home club, and being one their amazing players, is something I am very proud of.

You’ve seen the draw, what do you think ?

I had a tough first match last year against Nele Gilis and then played Nouran Gohar, who is second seed this year.

This time I’m seeded and get a bye into round two against Coline Aumard or Tong Tsz-Wing – they’re both tough players, and we’re in the same quarter as Joelle King and Nour El Sherbini so getting through that will be hard.

Everyone is getting better and stronger each tournament and you have to prepare very well for everyone and fight so hard to get to play for another day.

The tournament is branded as #HOME_OF_CULTURES – what cultures do you particularly enjoy ?

The 48 top female players are coming this year and the competition in women’s squash has never been stronger, each player from each country is coming to present their country and imposing their county’s culture.

I always enjoy visiting new places and discover new things wherever I go. I love playing in the States and I like that each state is completely different than the other.

Places I enjoyed visiting are California, South Africa and Colombia, although I think I would enjoy visiting any country with nice views and good coffee!

What culture should the visiting players take advantage of ?

There are so many things to do and places to visit in Egypt … not to mention our food is very very delicious!

We have a lot of great historical monuments about ancient Egypt that I am sure will be very interesting for anyone to learn about.

Places to visit such as the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum, Khan el Khalili, a tour on the Nile river and so many places …

Looking forward, what are your plans and hopes for the rest of the season ?

My aim for this season is to break into the top ten, and bring up my best squash in each match.

The Black Ball Squash Open in three words ?

My Own Playground!