PSA Challenger
5 Aramex Open,
Amman, Jordan
Marwan El
Shorbagy Wins First Tour Title In Jordan
Egyptian
teenager Marwan El Shorbagy upset the seedings in the Aramex Squash
Open in Jordan to win his first PSA World Tour title at the Al
Hassan International Squash Center in the country's capital Amman.
The
17-year-old third seed from Alexandria reached the final of the PSA
Challenger 5 event after surviving a tough five-game battle against Ahmad
Alzabidi, Jordan's highest-ranked player.
His opponent,
fellow Egyptian Mazen Gamal, also made the final after being taken the
full distance in the previous round where he held off England's Robert Downer.
It was
19-year-old Downer who had earlier removed Ahmad Al-Saraj, the
16-year-old rising star from Amman who stunned top-seeded Italian Amr Swelim
in the opening round in straight games.
El Shorbagy
took the first two games against Gamal, the 24-year-old No2 seed from Cairo.
"The more
confident El Shorbagy played his best squash in the second game, proving how
dangerous he can be when he is in control of his sometimes hard temper," said
Ramzi Tabbalat, President of the Jordan Squash Federation. "He controlled
the T and dominated the front of the court, varying his shots and giving his
subdued opponent no chance to recover."
But world No
114 Gamal struck back in the third game, slowing the game down. "The impatient
El Shorbagy committed several unforced errors that provided enough fuel for the
tiring Gamal to win the game 11-4," continued Tabbalat.
But El
Shorbagy upped the pace in the fourth game, regaining the upper hand before
closing out the match 11-7, 11-5, 4-11, 11-4 after 42 minutes.
It was El
Shorbagy's third appearance in a PSA Tour final - and only his sixth in a Tour
event - but his first championship title.
The UK-based
youngster is following in the distinguished footsteps of his older brother
Mohamed El Shorbagy, the 20-year-old twice former world junior champion who
is now ranked nine in the world.
But
17-year-old Marwan has already out-achieved his older brother in one respect:
Mohamed was 19 years old when he won his first PSA World Tour title, in India in
April 2010.
1st round:
[2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Zeyad Tareq Alowaesh (KUW) 11-8, 11-6,
11-2 (22m)
Navid Maleksabet (IRI) bt [Q] Fallah Mohammed (KUW) 11-8, 11-13,
5-11, 11-7, 11-8 (52m)
Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) bt [Q] Mohammad Alzbaidi (JOR) 11-7, 11-9,
22-24, 11-9 (38m)
[4] Adam Murrills (ENG) bt Steven London (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 4-11,
11-2 (55m)
[3] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Ammar Al-Tamimi (KUW) 11-8, 8-11,
11-9, 11-2 (59m)
[Q] Khaled Zahran (EGY) bt [Q] Adeel Ahmed (PAK) 11-1, 11-6, 11-2
(11m)
Robert Downer (ENG) bt Alireza Sanaei (IRI) 9-5 ret. (7m)
Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) bt [1] Amr Swelim (ITA) 12-10, 14-12, 11-5
(35m)
Quarter-finals:
[2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Navid Maleksabet (IRI) 11-1, 11-3, 11-4
(25m)
Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) bt [4] Adam Murrills (ENG) 4-11, 11-6, 11-8,
12-10 (44m)
[3] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [Q] Khaled Zahran (EGY) 12-10,
9-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5 (49m)
Robert Downer (ENG) bt Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) 12-10, 6-11, 9-11,
11-9, 11-6 (61m)
Semi-finals:
[2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) 14-12, 11-8, 12-14,
5-11, 11-7 (59m)
[3] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Robert Downer (ENG) 11-6, 16-18,
7-11, 11-4, 11-5 (51m)
Final:
[3] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 11-7, 11-5,
4-11, 11-4 (42m)
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