Karim Crowned
Kolkata King
In the longest
three-game match either player had ever played, world No3 Karim Darwish
overcame fellow Egyptian Omar Mosaad in today's final of the Kolkata
International to win the PSA World Tour International 35 squash title
at the Calcutta Racket Club in the Indian city of Kolkata.
"The battle of
91 gruelling minutes for a straight games win was a reflection of how the two
Egyptians fought for each and every point," said an event spokesman.
"Mosaad,
currently ranked 17 in the world, had lost in the Kolkata International
semi-finals two years - but was not overawed playing someone ranked 14 places
above him."
Both the first
two games went to tie-breaks, with Darwish coming out on top at crucial points
of the games.
Frustrated by
not being able to get his nose ahead of higher-ranked opponent, Mosaad buckled
in the third as Darwish closed out the historic match 12-10, 12-10, 11-4.
"I am
recovering from a hamstring injury and so I wanted to come here and win so that
I can take a few points. It would help my ranking," explained Darwish, after the
longest recorded 3/0 match on the PSA World Tour since October 2008.
The
29-year-old from Cairo is celebrating his second PSA Tour title in a row
- after winning the CIMB KL Open in Malaysia last month - and the
21st of his career.
Darwish Disappoints Home Crowd In Kolkata
Egypt's world No3 Karim Darwish dashed hopes of local success in the
Kolkata International when he defeated the Kolkata-born Indian number one
Saurav Ghosal in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour International 35
squash event at the Calcutta Racket Club in Kolkata.
Despite the distraction of the cricket world cup final, Calcutta Club regulars
turned up as if bound by duty to support their fourth-seeded local hero in his
match against the Egyptian favourite.
"Not
that they had come there anticipating Ghosal to script the biggest upset of his
career," said an event spokesman. "All they wanted to see was the boy, who they
saw up learning the ropes here, put up a fight.
"Ghosal
did not disappoint. And had the opening game ended up in his favour, then who
knows?"
The
24-year-old world No23 matched Darwish shot for shot and, after trailing 0-3,
caught up with the Egyptian at 7-7. Ghosal retrieved almost every ball with
amazing agility.
Tied
at nine-all, a 'stroke' went against Ghosal, and Darwish followed that up with a
perfectly played drop to steal the first game.
Ghosal came back all guns blazing in the second and from 4-4 opened up a 10-4
lead. He kept the ball in play and mixed it up with a range of drops and boasts.
Darwish helped Ghosal's cause with a couple of mistimed shots that hit the tin.
But,
with the score poised at one game all and 2-2 in the third, Ghosal tripped on
Darwish's heel and crashed into the wall, bruising his knee. The Indian star
took a three-minute time-out to apply ice, but the break did not help his cause.
Darwish took full advantage and went on to claim the 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 11-4
victory in 54 minutes which took the 29-year-old former world number one into
the 34th PSA Tour final of his career.
"I
thought Ghosal likes to play in these conventional courts a lot better," said
Darwish later. "I played him in Malaysia two weeks back in all glass and won it
a lot easily."
Darwish will face second seed Omar Mosaad in an all-Egyptian final.
Mosaad did not break a sweat demolishing unseeded compatriot Karim Abdel
Gawad 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 in just 28 minutes. The 19-year-old had no answer to
Mosaad's precise cross-courts and scorching backhands.
Mosaad, the 23-year-old world No17 from Cairo who is celebrating his 14th Tour
final, has met Darwish twice before - and will no doubt take heart from the fact
that he won their last encounter, on home soil last year.
Ghosal Eases
Into Kolkata Semis
Local hero
Saurav Ghosal had an unexpectedly easy run through to the semi-finals of the
Kolkata International after his opponent was forced to withdraw midway
through today's quarter-final match in the PSA World Tour International 35
squash event at Calcutta Racket Club in Kolkata.
The
Kolkata-born world No24 was leading qualifier Amr Khaled Khalifa 11-8,
6-2 when the reigning world junior champion conceded the match due to congestion
in his chest.
It will be a
fresher-than-anticipated Ghosal, the 24-year-old fourth seed, who will now face
top seed Karim Darwish for a place in the final. The world No3 from Cairo
was fully tested by younger compatriot Mohd Ali Anwar Reda before
emerging the 11-4, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10 victor after 73 minutes.
Ghosal will go
into the match 6/0 down in his career head-to-head record against former world
number one Darwish - hoping that his 'fresh' legs may give him the edge this
time.
The other
semi-final will be a surprise all-Egyptian contest after unseeded Karim Abdel
Gawad upset Malaysia's No3 seed Ong Beng Hee 12-14, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9
in just under an hour.
The
Alexandria-born 19-year-old will now line up against second seed Omar Mosaad,
the world No16 from Cairo who beat Englishman Robbie Temple 11-8, 11-6,
11-7.
Ghosal Canters Into Kolkata Quarters
Top-ranked Indian Saurav Ghosal led home hopes through to the
quarter-finals of the Kolkata International after a straight games
win over Malta's Bradley Hindle in theopening round at Calcutta
Racket Club in Kolkata.
The Kolkata-born world No24 prevailed 12-10, 12-10, 11-3 in 49
minutes to set up a clash with reigning world junior champion Amr
Khaled Khalifa. The 18-year-old Egyptian survived an 81-minute
battle against fellow qualifier Ivan Yuen, beating the 20-year-old
Malaysian 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5.
Top seed Karim Darwish led a quintet of Egyptians through to the
last eight in Kolkata. The world No3 from Cairo despatched South
African qualifier Clinton Leeuw 11-5, 11-1, 11-5 and will now face
compatriot Ali Anwar Reda, the world No27 from Cairo who also
overcame a qualifier when he beat Mexican Jorge Baltazar 11-9, 11-5,
11-9.
Former world number one Darwish is expected to meet a fellow
countryman in Sunday's final. Second seed Omar Mosaad also put out a
Mexican, defeating Cesar Salazar 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 13-11.
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