El Sherbini needed to equal or better her compatriot Raneem El Welily’s result at the competition to maintain her top spot in the world rankings.

As play moved to the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre, El Sherbini took the lead in the first game 11-7 but Perry responded by taking the second game by the same margin.

The Egyptian won a tie break in the third game to edge ahead once more, but Perry’s comeback ensured the English player’s 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5 victory.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” said the world number six.

“It was one of those where I just tried to get into the zone and just play how I could and get on with my shots.

“Nour is an amazing player, she’s the World No.1 going into the match and she’s earned that.

“I’ve beaten her before but not in a best of five and so to beat her, 3-2, I’m really pleased.”

El Welily, who has replaced her team-mate at the top of the rankings, only needed three games to progress to the semi-finals as she dispatched home favourite Joey Chan with ease.

The 22-minute 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 demolition saw the Egyptian advance to play compatriot Nouran Gohar for a place in the final.

Gohar, the 2016 Hong Kong Open champion, defeated France’s Camille Serme in another five-game battle.

The Egyptian player won the first game before Serme levelled, a pattern which played out once more in the third and fourth games.

But a strong finish from Gohar sent her through to the semi-finals with an 11-6, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3 win.

New Zealand’s Joelle King completes the last four in the women’s singles event as she beat Egypt’s world number three Nour El Tayeb to advance to her first PSA World Tour semi-final.

The match finished 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 and King goes through to face Perry.

In the men’s draw, world number one Mohamed ElShorbagy is still on track to defend his title as he overcame New Zealand’s Paul Coll.

Despite dropping the first game, the Egyptian rallied to win 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7.

El Shorbagy will face compatriot Tarek Momen next after the world number four eliminated Mohamed Abouelghar.

After 82 minutes of play, Momen defeated his Egyptian teammate 13-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-7.

The other semi-final will feature Germany’s Simon Rösner and Egypt’s Ali Farag.

Rösner beat Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez 11-8, 4-11, 11-6, 7-11, 18-16, while the world number two beat Karim Abdel Gawad 7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 12-10.