Perry won the first of two Black Ball Squash Open events over the past 12 months, winning the Professional Squash Association Gold event last December.

A second platinum event was won by Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini in March.

Perry was unable to match her run from 12 months ago after the fourth seed was impressively beaten in straight games 11-7, 13-11, 11-6 by Kennedy.

Kennedy, who is ranked 25th on the World Tour circuit, earned a quarter-final meeting with Egypt’s Farida Mohamed.

Mohamed had also earned a surprise second-round win by beating fifth seed Joelle King of New Zealand in a five-game contest.

The Egyptian won the final two games of the match to triumph 9-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-9, 12-10 to reach the last eight at the Black Ball Sporting Club in Cairo.

El Sherbini, the tournament top seed, secured an 11-1, 11-6, 11-2 win over Belgium’s Nele Gilis to reach the quarter-finals.

She will face compatriot Nour El Tayeb, who is making her return to the circuit five months after giving birth to her daughter.

El Tayeb came from a game down to beat Hana Ramadan 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8.

Third seed Hania El Hammamy secured an 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 victory over compatriot Nada Abbas in her second round match.

She will play another all-Egyptian match in the quarter-finals, after Rowan Elaraby overcame Wales’ Tesni Evans 13-11, 14-12, 6-11, 14-12.

The host nation boast seven of the final eight players after second seed Nouran Gohar beat France’s Coline Aumard 11-4, 11-2, 11-4.

Gohar will face Salma Hany, who overcame fellow Egyptian Mariam Metwally 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 in the second round.