Ali
Farag Flourishes In Rochester Pro-Am
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Layer 3 Telecom & Hazlow Electronics
Rochester Pro-Am, Rochester, NY, USA
Competing in his first PSA World Tour event since August last
year, Egypt's Ali Farag claimed the Layer 3 Telecom & Hazlow
Electronics Rochester Pro-Am title in the USA after stopping
unseeded South African Clinton Leeuw in the final of the PSA
Challenger 5 squash event in its eighth year at the University of
Rochester in Rochester, New York.
After
surviving an 81-minute five-game marathon against experienced Australian
Scott Arnold in the quarter-finals, the 20-year-old Harvard
student made his breakthrough in the semis, overcoming Mexico's No2 seed
Erik Tepos Valtierra in four games to earn his fifth appearance
in a Tour final.
But
Leeuw was enjoying a sensational run in his third event of the month,
which began when he dismissed Pakistan's top seed Yasir Butt in
the opening round.
A
straight games victory over third-seeded Australian Wade Johnstone
in the semi-finals took the Cape Town-born 30-year-old into the fourth
Tour final of his career.
Leeuw
raced to an 8-3 lead in the opening game of the final, and stemmed a
fightback by the young Egyptian to nine-all before taking a one-love
lead.
From
six-all in the second, fourth seed Ali moved on to draw level before
taking a positive lead after conceding just two points in a quick-fire
eight-minute third game.
In a
tight fourth, the South African briefly led in the early stages, but
Farag reclaimed the lead before clinching his 9-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-8
victory after 50 minutes.
The
win marks the world No 131 from Cairo's fifth PSA World Tour title.
1st
round:
Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [1] Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-7, 11-7,
8-11, 11-6 (53m)
Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG) bt Thomas Brinkman (CAN) 11-5,
11-8, 11-7 (47m)
Matthew Serediak (CAN) bt Benjamin Fischer (SUI) 12-10,
10-12, 11-4, 11-8 (49m)
[3] Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt [Q] Andres Duany (PER) 11-6,
11-7, 11-8 (35m)
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [Q] Joe Chapman (IVB) 7-11, 11-7,
11-3, 11-7 (45m)
Scott Arnold (AUS) bt Adrian Dudzicki (CAN) 9-11, 11-7,
11-5, 11-3 (55m)
Josh Cardwell (AUS) bt [Q] Christopher Binnie (JAM) 11-8,
7-11, 11-8, 11-7 (59m)
[2] Erik Tepos Valtierra (MEX) bt [Q] Graham Bassett (USA)
11-5, 11-8, 11-8 (43m)
Quarter-finals:
Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG) 11-4,
11-9, 11-2 (26m)
[3] Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt Matthew Serediak (CAN) 11-9,
12-10, 11-6 (42m)
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Scott Arnold (AUS) 11-9, 9-11,
12-10, 10-12, 11-5 (81m)
[2] Erik Tepos Valtierra (MEX) bt Josh Cardwell (AUS)
11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-1 (50m)
Semi-finals:
Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [3] Wade Johnstone (AUS) 11-8,
11-1, 11-8 (46m)
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [2] Erik Tepos Valtierra (MEX)
14-12, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8 (65m)
Final:
[4] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 9-11, 11-8,
11-2, 11-8 (50m)
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