The 2026 STARR Bermuda Open reached a fever pitch at the Bermuda Squash Club as the semi-final stage delivered a masterclass in professional squash, setting the stage for a blockbuster final across both divisions.
In the men's bracket, tournament favorite and world number 21 Kareem El Torkey continued his relentless pursuit of the title. Facing the giant-killer Nicholas Spizzirri—who had stunned the fourth seed just a day prior—El Torkey was forced to utilize every inch of the court in a grueling opening set. After surviving a tense 14-12 tiebreak, the Egyptian top seed never looked back, closing out a straight-sets 14-12, 11-8, 11-7 victory to secure his place in the final.
He will be joined by second seed Miguel Rodriguez. The world number 24 showcased his trademark speed and recovery to overcome Leandro Romiglio in another high-quality straight-sets encounter. While Rodriguez controlled much of the first two games, the third became a war of attrition, eventually falling to the Colombian 16-14 to seal an 11-8, 11-7, 16-14 win.
The women’s final will feature a clash of the top two seeds, but their paths to the championship match could not have been more different.
Sabrina Sobhy, the tournament’s number one seed and world number 19, produced a display of clinical perfection to dismantle Menna Hamed. Sobhy’s precision hitting and high tempo left Hamed with few answers, as the American cruised to a 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 victory in one of the quickest matches of the tournament.
However, the match of the night belonged to Lucy Turmel and Haya Ali. In a marathon five-set epic that had the Devonshire crowd on its feet, the second-seeded Turmel was pushed to the absolute limit. After trading sets and battling through a physical 12-10 third frame, the match rested on a knife-edge in the decider. Turmel’s superior conditioning eventually told, as she held her nerve to claim the fifth set 11-9, finalizing a 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 3-11, 11-9 triumph.
With four of the world’s elite now set to battle for the STARR Bermuda Open crowns, the stage is set for a historic conclusion to professional squash’s return to the island.
