The Egyptian, ranked number two, started day three of this tournament at the Mall of Arabia by beating her fourth-seeded opponent after losing five of the first six points of the match before fighting fback to win the first game 11-9, and taking the second 11-7 to maintain her perfect record in Group B.

“Today was a very difficult match, even though it was a 2-0 win. I was very uncomfortable playing Amanda, like always, so I am really happy to be able to get the win,” El Hammamy said. 

“I didn’t have a very good start in the first game but I tried to push myself mentally to find a way back into the game. 

“It is the best-of-three so I had to do it in any possible way. 

“I am known for being 2-0 down and then coming back but in. 

“This tournament, there is no way to do that so I had to find a way.

“I try to come out of the tournament, trying to take the positives. 

“Even though I lose sometimes and I have tough losses, I try and take the positives and that is how I can keep pushing.”

Also into semi-finals is New Zealand's Joelle King, who beat England's Sarah-Jane Perry 12-10, 11-7.

King and El Hammamy are due to meet in their final Group match tomorrow to decide who finishes top.

"Playing Hania tomorrow and we are both in the same situation," King said. 

"We have both won two matches so it just brings a new challenge. I go out on court every time to win, so I will give it my all tomorrow."

France’s Camille Serme kept her chances of making it into the last four alive with a convincing 11-4, 11-2 straight games victory over Egypt’s Salma Hany.

The world number was already out of the tournament after losing her first two matches, and Serme was able to make the most of that, allowing the Egyptian to score just six points across the match, which lasted 17 minutes.

New Zealand’s Paul Coll also put himself close to reaching the knockout stage in the men’s tournament thanks to a last game tie-break victory over Wales’ Joel Makin.

Mackin took the first game relatively comfortably, but Coll fought back, taking the second 11-4. 

The Kiwi eventually came out on top after 64 minutes of play by winning the third set 12-10,

“It was a bit of an up-and-down match today, you know,” Coll said. 

“He won the first pretty easily, then I won the second pretty easily and it got scrappy at the end of the third there. 

“Really happy to close it out and to have two wins to start with. Really, really happy to get through that one.”

Reigning world champion Tarek Momen kept his chances of reaching the semi-finals alive with a third game victory over Frenchman Gregoire Marche.

Having lost to Coll in his opening match, the Egyptian needed to win to keep his hopes alive, and after two tie-breaks, his clash with Marche, the tournament’s number eight, was level. 

Momen came from a 6-3 deficit in the third to win it 11-7, and he now sits second in Group B.

The final match of the day was a family affair with Egypt's Marwan ElShorbagy getting the better of older brother, Mohamed, winning 2-1 in a quick-fire encounter.

After winning the first game 11-8, Mohamed secured a spot in the last four, before Marwan came back to win the second and third games - both 11-4 - with ease to take the win.

"Today’s match was a little bit different of course. I knew my brother only needed one game to qualify so I knew as soon as he won the first game, things were different for him, he was a bit more relaxed knowing he was qualified," said Marwan.

Marwan still does not know yet if he will qualify for the next stage, despite having already beaten the top seed Ali Farag on Tuesday (June 22). 

"It is a tough group. I beat the world number one and world number two and I still don’t know whether I have qualified or not," he said.