28/02/2007
FAJR INTERNATIONAL
Wheadon Waltzes Into Maiden Tour Final In Iran
Tournament
FAJR Squash International,
Kish Island, Iran
Final:Final:
Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt [1] Sherif Kamel (EGY) 9-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 (78m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Sherif Moustafa Kamel (EGY) bt [16] Omar Tarek Mahm Aly (EGY) 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (38m)
Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt [6] Robbie Temple (ENG) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 (33m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Sherif Moustafa Kamel (EGY) bt [5] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5 (92m)
[16] Omar Tarek Mahm Aly (EGY) bt [4] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (22m)
[6] Robbie Temple (ENG) bt [3] Ahmed Gamal Swaify (EGY) 9-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (52m)
Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt [15] Jonas Laursen (DEN) 11-9, 11-3, 4-11, 11-8 (42m)
2nd round:
[1] Sherif Moustafa Kamel (EGY) bt [14] Mohammed Hajeyah (KUW) 11-6, 11-2, 11-3 (22m)
[5] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [10] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) 11-7, 11-2, 11-3 (23m)
[4] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) bt [13] Yasin Amjad (PAK) 11-4, 11-4, 11-1 (13m)
[16] Omar Tarek Mahm Aly (EGY) bt [7] Nasser B Al-Ramzi (KUW) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (20m)
[6] Robbie Temple (ENG) bt [11] Chris Tasker-Grindley (ENG) 11-7, 10-11 (3-5), 5-11, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1) (69m)
[3] Ahmed Gamal Swaify (EGY) bt [12] Chris Truswell (ENG) 11-4, 11-6, 7-11, 11-3 (33m)
[15] Jonas Laursen (DEN) bt Mohamad Hassan Jafari (IRI) 11-2, 11-6, 11-9 (21m)
Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt [2] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 11-4, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0) (31m)
1st round:
[1] Sherif Moustafa Kamel (EGY) bt [Q] Payman Siavashi (IRI) 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (20m)
[14] Mohammed Hajeyah (KUW) bt Mohamad Hossein Sanaee (IRI) 11-2, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4 (30m)
[5] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [Q] Sajad Fateminassab (IRI) 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 (17m)
[10] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) bt [Q] Parham Saedi (IRI) 11-1, 11-7, 11-4 (15m)
[4] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) bt Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour (IRI) 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (15m)
[13] Yasin Amjad (PAK) bt [Q] Pedram Rezai (IRI) 11-7, 11-10 (4-2), 9-11, 11-4 (33m)
[7] Nasser B Al-Ramzi (KUW) bt Ahmed Nafie (EGY) w/o
[16] Omar Tarek Mahm Aly (EGY) bt [Q] Babak Shahabi (IRI) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (17m)
[11] Chris Tasker-Grindley (ENG) bt Mohd Sayed Mahmoud Aly (EGY) 11-6, 4-11, 11-4, 11-8 (27m)
[6] Robbie Temple (ENG) bt [Q] Mohammad Amin Ataee (IRI) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4 (17m)
[12] Chris Truswell (ENG) bt Sam Iravanian (IRI) 11-0, 11-0, 11-0 (6m)
[3] Ahmed Gamal Swaify (EGY) bt Masoud Gharehzyaldini (IRI) 11-3, 11-4, 11-3 (12m)
[15] Jonas Laursen (DEN) bt [Q] A Reza Hajnasrollah (IRI) 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (11m)
Mohamad Hassan Jafari (IRI) bt Iman Rafizadeh (IRI) 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (11m)
Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt [9] James Snell (ENG) 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7 (59m)
[2] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) bt [Q] Mahyar Abrishami (IRI) 11-1, 11-3, 11-1 (13m)
Wheadon Wins In Tour Debut In Iran
South Africa's Gary Wheadon concluded a remarkable run in the FAJR Squash International when he triumphed in five games over Egypt's top seed Sherif Moustafa Kamel in the final of the PSA Tour event in its second year at Kish Island in Iran to claim the title in his maiden appearance on the Tour.
Competing in the event in his first month as a member of the Professional Squash Association, Wheadon made his Kish Island breakthrough in the second round when he defeated Kuwait's second seed Bader Al Hussaini.
Victory over 15th seed Jonas Laursen, of Denmark, in the quarter-finals took the 26-year-old from Cape Town into the last four - where he beat the out-of-sorts Englishman Robbie Temple, seeded six, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 in 33 minutes.
In the final, Wheadon twice had to come from behind before recording his sensational 9-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 victory in 78 minutes over Kamel, the 22-year-old from Alexandria appearing in his third PSA Tour final.
Wheadon is in good company: the last player to storm through a PSA Tour field as a debutant did so in November 2004, in the Athens Open in Greece. The then 17-year-old had just won the first of his record two World Junior Championship titles, and this week enthralled the Grand Central Terminal crowds in New York to reach the semi-finals of the Tournament of Champions. His name: Ramy Ashour, the 19-year-old Egyptian now ranked five in the world.
Wheadon Waltzes Into Maiden Tour Final In Iran
Gary Wheadon joins a distinguished club of professional squash players who reached the final in their maiden appearance in a Tour event when he despatched sixth seed Robbie Temple in the semi-finals of the FAJR Squash International, the PSA Tour championship in its second year at Kish Island in Iran.
The unseeded South African will face top seed Sherif Moustafa Kamel, who beat fellow Egyptian Omar Tarek Mahm Aly in the other semi-final.
Wheadon has enjoyed a remarkable run in the event which he entered within weeks of joining the PSA. The 26-year-old from Cape Town made his Kish Island breakthrough in the second round when he defeated Kuwait's second seed Bader Al Hussaini in straight games.
Victory over 15th seed Jonas Laursen, of Denmark, in the quarter-finals took Wheadon into the last four - where he beat the out-of-sorts Englishman Robbie Temple 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 in 33 minutes.
"It's quite a good first PSA Tour - I didn't quite expect to reach the final of my first PSA Tour," said the modest South African afterwards. "I'm quite excited about that! I definitely will give it 100% effort tomorrow. It should be quite a good game!"
Kamel, 22, dropped the first game against Omar Tarek Mahm Aly, but fought back to beat the 18-year-old 16th seed 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 in 38 minutes.
"Omar is my team-mate in Alexandria," explained Kamel afterwards. "We play together every day. It was a hard match today, because we know each other's game so well. He covered all the court and played some good winners.
"I tried to put the ball away from his hand and to keep him at the back of the court. Then he got tired, so I paced the game up and could win the match."
Kamel Keeps Order In FAJR International Opener
Event favourite Sherif Moustafa Kamel became the only top four seed to reach the semi-finals of the FAJR Squash International - but the Egyptian had to battle for 92 minutes before overcoming South Africa's Stephen Coppinger in the quarter-finals of the PSA Tour event in its second year at Kish Island in Iran.
The 22-year-old from Alexandria defeated fifth-seeded Coppinger 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5 and will now meet fellow Egyptian Omar Tarek Mahm Aly in the semi-finals. 16th seed Aly upset Pakistan's No4 seed Khawaja Adil Maqbool 11-6, 11-6, 11-6.
Ahmed Gamal Swaify's bid to reach the final for the second year in a row failed in the quarter-finals. The No3 seed from Egypt crashed out in five games to Robbie Temple, the sixth seed from England winning 9-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 in 52 minutes.
Temple will face Gary Wheadon, the unseeded South African who followed his upset of Kuwait's second seed Bader Al Hussaini in the second round by defeating 15th seed Jonas Laursen, of Denmark, 11-9, 11-3, 4-11, 11-8 in the quarter-finals.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Sherif Moustafa Kamel (EGY) v [16] Omar Tarek Mahm Aly (EGY)
Gary Wheadon (RSA) v [6] Robbie Temple (ENG)
Wheadon Weeds Out Snell In FAJR International Opener
South African Gary Wheadon caused the only upset on the opening day of the FAJR Squash International when he beat England's No9 seed James Snell in the first round of the PSA Tour event in its second year at Kish Island in Iran.
The 26-year-old from Cape Town, in his Tour debut, battled for 59 minutes before triumphing 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7 to claim an unexpected place in the last sixteen.
Wheadon will now face Bader Al Hussaini, the second seed from Kuwait who beat local qualifier Mahyar Abrishami 11-1, 11-3, 11-1.
Ahmed Gamal Swaify made a positive start in his bid to reach the final for the second year. The No3 seed from Egypt beat Iran's Masoud Gharehzyaldini 11-3, 11-4, 11-3 - and will now face England's 12th seed Chris Truswell for a place in the quarter-finals.
2nd round line-up:
[1] Sherif Moustafa Kamel (EGY) v [14] Mohammed Hajeyah (KUW)
[5] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [10] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG)
[4] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) v [13] Yasin Amjad (PAK)
[7] Nasser B Al-Ramzi (KUW) v [16] Omar Tarek Mahm Aly (EGY)
[6] Robbie Temple (ENG) v [11] Chris Tasker-Grindley (ENG)
[3] Ahmed Gamal Swaify (EGY) v [12] Chris Truswell (ENG)
Mohamad Hassan Jafari (IRI) v [15] Jonas Laursen (DEN)
[2] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) v Gary Wheadon (RSA)
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