Egypt's Ramy Ashour upset the seedings for the second time in 24
hours when he beat world No3 Gregory Gaultier in the final of the
Delaware Investments US Open to win the PSA World Series squash
event at Drexel University in Philadelphia for the first time.
The straight games triumph also marks the 25th PSA Tour title of the
25-year-old's career - a remarkable 17 of which have been World Series
events.
World No4 Ashour reached his 40th Tour final after beating English rival
Nick Matthew, the world No2 - while Frenchman Gaultier also took out an
Englishman, James Willstrop, the world No1, in the other semi.
Ashour, playing with the speed and control with which he wrapped up his
semi-final, was quickly 6-3 up in the opening game of the final, and took it
after just six minutes.
Gaultier fought back from 1-6 down in the second to draw level at nine-all -
but Ashour found two winners to extend his lead.
After an even start to the third, Ashour raced from five-all to 9-5, and
although Gaultier again pulled back - going on to save two match-balls - it
was a Gaultier volley into the tin that gave the Egyptian the title for the
first time.
"I lost in this final three years ago so to win a prestigious title like
this against such a great player as Greg feels just unbelievable," said
Ashour, the fourth successive Egyptian winner of the title. "I felt good on
court tonight but I had to fight really hard to win.
"It's been a great week, everyone here does a tremendous job and makes us
all feel so welcome, so thanks to everyone involved and we're all looking
forward to next year already!"
Ashour's 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 victory also takes him to the top of the 2012
Dunlop PSA World Series Standings - 10 points ahead of Matthew. Both
have won two World Series titles in 2012, but Ashour has made the final in
all of the four in which he has competed. Willstrop slips down to third
place - again only 10 points behind Matthew - while Gaultier strengthens his
grip on fourth place.
The Venue Drexel University, Philedelphia USA
Champions Egypt's Ramy Ashour Alongside Malaysia's David Nicol After Their
Title Wins
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier Unable tTo Overcome Egypt's Ramy Ashour
Semi Final Wins For Gregory Gaultier (Above) and Ramy Ashour (Below) Through
To The Final
Shabana
starts the defence of his title with a controlled win over Rodriguez
Nick Matthew through to Semi Final
Mohamed Shorbagy battles through against Cameron Pilley
Ramy Ashour in
electric form against Tarek Momen
Chris Gordon
beating Hisham Ashour
for ‘the best win of his professional career’
Delaware Investments US Open
2012 Drexel University,
Philadelphia USA $115,000 MEN'S DRAW
Adrian Grant (ENG)
11-9, 8-11,
11-1, 5-11, 11-9 (88m)
[Q] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Adrian Grant
11-2, 11-5, 15-13 (68m) Nick Matthew
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG)
7-11, 11-7,
11-5, 11-9 (66m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY)
Qualifying finals: Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Martin Knight (NZL)
11-6, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9 (77m) Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Matthew Karwalski (AUS)
11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5 (54m) Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt Alan Clyne (SCO)
11-4, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3 (81m) Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Julian Illingworth
(USA) 11-9, 11-3, 8-11, 3-11, 14-12 (90m) Joe Lee (ENG) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-9,
11-4, 11-3 (43m) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (41m) Max Lee (HKG) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 16-14,
9-11, 11-6, 11-3 (70m) Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt Siddharth Suchde
(IND) 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5 (78m)
Semi Finals
Ramy & Greg To
Contest Surprise US Open Final
After overturning recent form, it will be third seed Gregory
Gaultier and No4 seed Ramy Ashour who contest the
unexpected final of the Delaware Investments US Open
following the exit of the two top seeds from England in the
semi-finals of the PSA World Series squash event at Drexel
University in Philadelphia.
"I
felt really good right from the start," said Frenchman Gaultier
after a comprehensive straight games win over top seed James
Willstrop in the first men's semi-final - his first win over the
world number one this year.
"I
felt that James wasn't quite there, a little slow ... or maybe I
just played too well, I don't know!"
Gaultier was ahead throughout and always seemed to be in charge of
the rallies. The Englishman came into the match following three
80-minute-plus matches in a row - but it was a fine performance from
Gaultier that earned the 29-year-old from Aix-en-Provence a
well-deserved 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 win, and a place in the 46th Tour
final of his career.
"He's been playing so well and making all the finals," added
Gaultier, who lost a 118-minute battle with Willstrop last month.
"And in the end it just takes its toll on your body - I've been
there myself!
"I
analysed my matches at the British Grand Prix two weeks ago, and
adjusted a few things.
"It was fantastic to win a major event like this in 2006, and I'm
pleased to be back in the final," said the world No3. "It would be
great if I could win it again - I just hope the next two play for
five hours!"
In
fact Ashour claimed the other place in the final in 74 minutes -
with a performance that was entirely different from his display in
the previous round when he beat Peter Barker after saving a
match-ball in the decider.
His opponent was another Englishman Nick Matthew, the second
seed bidding to reach a second successive final.
Matthew, the world No2, took an early lead and increased it to 10-6.
Ashour took the next five points and eventually took what proved to
be a crucial lead 15-13 on his third game ball.
Matthew managed to contain his opponent in the second game to draw
level. But Ashour - who boasted an 11-7 Tour record over his rival
before the match, but lost the most recent encounter in the
British Open in May - led throughout the next two games.
The 25-year-old from Cairo clinched victory with a trademark volley
drop that brought the appreciative crowd at Drexel University to its
feet one final time.
"I'm happy with how I played tonight," said Ashour after the 15-13,
8-11, 11-8, 11-4 triumph which marks up his 40th appearance in a
Tour final.
"I
didn't make the mistake I made yesterday, of concentrating on what
my opponent was doing. It's always about how I deal with it
mentally, and I was happy with that too tonight.
"I'll need to make sure I can recover and be at 100% tomorrow - Greg
looks to be on top form!"
Matthew reflected on the match: "It's not the first time I've lost a
lead like I had in the first to Ramy, so he must be doing something
right. I thought I'd won it on a video review - that didn't go my
way - but I still had four more chances.
"I
think I should have won the first and if I'd gone 2/0 up it might
have been different.
"He played well though - he adapted to tonight's slower conditions
better than me, and my defence wasn't as good as Pete's last night.
The work he made me do took its toll and I faded a bit in the
fourth.
"In the end he got on top and deserved to win."
Matthew was succinct on Twitter later: "I could make excuses as to
why I didn't win but the honest truth is the better player won
tonight. Well played Ramy hope it's a good final."
Quarter-finals
Matthew & Ramy Prevail In
Dramatic Five-Game US Quarter-Finals
England's Nick Matthew
and Egyptian Ramy Ashour prevailed as predicted to
reach the semi-finals of the Delaware Investments US Open
in Philadelphia - but both players were taken the
full distance before avenging defeats to lower-ranked
opponents in their previous meetings.
In a sensational second night
of quarter-final action in the fifth PSA World Series
squash event of the year at Drexel University, second
seed Matthew overturned last year's final outcome after
coming back from 2/1 down to beat Egypt's twice champion
Amr Shabana 11-6, 4-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-9 in 92 minutes,
while Ashour, the No4 seed, survived a tie-break decider to
overcome Englishman Peter Barker 10-12, 11-5, 11-6,
7-11, 13-11 in 75 minutes.
Reigning world champion
Matthew was in impressive form in the first game to take the
lead - but Shabana, four times a winner of the world title,
struck back to take the next two games, coming from behind
in the third to take the lead after a tie-break.
The defending champion and
seventh seed, looking as fit and fresh as he ever has,
established a 7-4 lead in the fourth. But Matthew fought
back, taking seven of the next nine points to level the
match.
The Englishman maintained the
upper hand to storm into a 6-1 lead in the decider, subduing
his opponent and the crowd. Shabana struck back with some
brilliant winners, and levelled at nine-all. Matthew moved
to match ball on a stroke before a fabulous last rally saw
both players covering all four corners of the court -
Matthew finally leaving Shabana stranded at the front as he
punched the ball deep for the winning point.
Shabana's racket made its own
way to the back corner in vain pursuit as the players
embraced in mutual respect and the crowd rose in
appreciation.
"I really don't know how I
did that," said Matthew after the 92-minute encounter which
saw the 32-year-old from Sheffield extend his Tour
head-to-head record over the Egyptian to 11-9. "The last few
points are a bit of a blur, I expected him to get up and
chase that last ball down, he'd been playing so well!
"I knew he would come out
strong, the shape he looks to be in has been the talk of the
tour, so it wasn't a surprise that he played so well -
hopefully he'll carry on and move up the rankings so that I
don't have to meet him in the quarter-finals anymore!
"At 2/1 and 7-4, I was down
and out - but one of the things I pride myself on is being
able to work out what needs doing if things aren't going the
way you'd like, and I was able to do that tonight.
"I had a lead in the fifth,
but it always felt like I needed one more point to be really
safe," explained the former world number one. "Shabs and
Ramy can switch the momentum of a match with a single shot,
and, sure enough, he came back and nearly snatched it.
"I was lucky to win that in
the end. I'll take a little time to go through what went
wrong and what went right, then think about preparing for
the semi-final - I just hope the others have a long one
too!"
Matthew's wish was later
granted when his next Egyptian opponent was stretched to the
limit in the last quarter-final, reversing the result of his
previous meeting with Barker in the PSA Masters last
December in India.
The Londoner took the first
game aided by numerous unforced errors from Ashour. But the
25-year-old from Cairo took the second and third games, with
left-hander Barker now struggling to contain his opponent's
mobility and shot-making.
Ashour held a slender
advantage for the majority of the fourth game, but Barker
kept plugging away and the Egyptian errors returned with a
vengeance as Barker went from 5-7 down to level the match
11-7.
The decider was close all the
way, but only from seven-all did the tension really arrive:
Ashour dived in vain for a dropshot; Barker fell after a
collision at the front of the court; Ashour found the tin
with his favourite backhand volley, then buried one deep
into the back corner; Barker scored with his opponent's own
favourite shot, then volleyed into the tin; Ashour powered
the ball down the middle for a stroke - and it was match
ball to the Englishman!
An Ashour winner and a Barker
volley into the tin led to match ball to the Egyptian!
Successful video appeals by both players then took the score
to 11-all.
A chopped volley into the
nick brought up a second match ball for Ramy - and, at the
end of a long rally, Barker aimed for the nick but his
volley clipped the tin, and it was all over after 75
minutes, the last 15 of which were pure drama and tension.
"You try to be entertaining
and sometimes it doesn't work so you have to revert to a
basic game," explained the winner. "I'm really proud of how
I managed to win that. He played so well, but at times it
looked as though there was something wrong with him - I
think he was trying to fool me. It broke my concentration,
but to win such a match gives me a lot of confidence.
"I just didn't want to go
home, that's the thing," concluded Ashour at the venue.
But later, the 2009 runner-up
added on Twitter: "Clever tactic 2day from peter barker all
credit to him. I've a lot to learn from that. Glad to win
tho."
Eighth seed Mohamed El Shorbagy survived a
92-minute marathon in the second round of the Delaware Investments US Open
to ensure that there will be Egyptian interest in all four quarter-finals of the
PSA World Series squash event at Drexel University in
Philadelphia for the first time in the Tour event's 27-year history.
The 21-year-old world No8 from Alexandria faced a
ferocious challenge from Cameron Pilley, the world No17 from Australia.
After an evenly-contested first four games - three of which went to tie-breaks -
El Shorbagy was dominant in the decider to become the first player to reach the
last eight.
"It's always tough between me and Cameron, so I'm really
happy to have won this time," said El Shorbagy after his 10-12, 11-8, 12-10,
10-12, 11-4 victory.
The youngest seed now faces favourite James Willstrop.
The world number one from England took on fellow countryman Daryl Selby
with a 10-0 PSA head-to-head record in his favour.
But underdog Selby came close to producing a major upset.
The world No11 from Essex took a 23-minute first game, and had a 9-4 lead in the
third, but felt the force of the world's top player thereafter.
"That was probably one of Daryl's best performances," said
an impressed and relieved Willstrop. "I had to bring out my A game to get
through that."
Karim Darwish will
represent Egyptian interest in the other quarter-final in the top half of the
draw. The No4 seed from Cairo despatched US hope Christopher Gordon, the
wildcard entrant who produced the highlight of the first round by ousting
higher-ranked Egyptian Hisham Mohd Ashour.
Despite a spirited finish from the New York-born
26-year-old, Darwish was always well in control of his match against the home
favourite. "You have to focus 100% on every match," explained the former world
number one. "It's important to save energy in the early rounds if you can."
Gordon was delighted with his performance in Philadelphia:
"I feel a bit tired after that," admitted the world No72.
"I commentated on a lot of Karim's matches last season so
I know how efficient he can be at blitzing people in the early rounds. It was so
tough, his length is just immaculate and I just tried to keep it going as much
as I could.
"It's been a fantastic week, I'm so glad to have had this
amazing opportunity to play these guys when I'm fresh rather than after slogging
through qualifying. The support from US Squash and the crowd has been fantastic.
I hope they all enjoyed it as much as I did."
Darwish moves on to meet Frenchman Gregory Gaultier,
the third seed who won a scrappy encounter with Spaniard Borja Golan.
Egypt's defending champion Amr Shabana moved closer
to his fourth appearance in the final after surviving a shaky opening to his
match against Laurens Jan Anjema. The Dutchman overpowered the resurgent
former world number one and world champion to take the first game.
But left-hander Shabana's silky skills and smooth
shot-making started to tell as he took the next three games to win 9-11, 11-7,
11-1, 11-5 in 64 minutes.
"I had a game plan and I stuck to it," revealed the
title-holder from Cairo afterwards. "He's physically very strong and it was
tough in the beginning, but I'm happy with how I played in the end."
Shabana will now meet No2 seed Nick Matthew in a
repeat of last year's final. The 32-year-old from Sheffield survived one of
three all-English second round clashes, beating Adrian Grant 11-2, 11-5,
15-13 in 68 minutes.
Matthew took advantage of an out of sorts opponent to take
the first two games - but Londoner Grant was unlucky not to take one of his
three game balls before Matthew edged the third.
"He seems to come alive when he's 2/0 down," smiled the
relieved winner. "I had a lead in the third and let it go, that's something
we'll have to work on."
2009 runner-up Ramy Ashour produced the fourth
Egyptian quarter-finalist after coming through a "fast and furious" three games
against compatriot Tarek Momen.
"It's always like that between us," admitted Ashour, the
No4 seed, after his 13-11, 11-7, 11-8 win. "It has been ever since we started
playing as juniors. He's a flying machine, you just have to try to control him."
Ashour will face Peter Barker, an 11-5, 11-7, 11-8
winner over his regular training partner Tom Richards.
"I was happy with my form tonight," said Barker, the sixth
seed. "Tom maybe wasn't at his best but I'll take that and hope to have a good
game with Ramy in the quarters."
Champion Shabana Shakes Off Rodriguez In US Opener
Defending champion Amr Shabana secured his
place in the second round of the Delaware Investments US Open after
shaking off Colombian number one Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the opening
round of the PSA World Series squash event at Drexel University in
Philadelphia.
Undefeated in the US Open since 2007, it was the
seventh-seeded Egyptian's tenth straight win in the event.
The penultimate match of the day was a
much-anticipated clash. Shabana, a four-time world champion, was looking lean
and fit - but the speedy and unorthodox qualifier from Bogota arrived in
Philadelphia fresh from three PSA Tour title triumphs in South America over the
past six weeks.
Rodriguez led 9-4 in the first game, but the
experienced 33-year-old from Cairo entertained the crowd with his dazzling
racket skills to take a two-game lead.
And, despite a trio of successful appeals to the
video referee by the Colombian near the end of the match, it was Shabana who
closed out the match 11-9, 11-6, 15-13 after 60 minutes.
Shabana will now face fellow left-hander
Laurens Jan Anjema in a repeat of their quarter-final clash in the 2011
championship. The Dutchman faced Aamir Atlas Khan, the Pakistani who
defeated US number one Julian Illingworth in a marathon qualifying final.
Khan improved game by game but Anjema proved too
strong, claiming the final last sixteen spot in an 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 victory.
Second seed Nick Matthew was forced to
recover from a game down to overcome tall and imposing world No10 Omar Mosaad.
Despite the Egyptian's best efforts, world No2 Matthew finally took the match
7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9.
"It's tough to play Omar," said the 2011
runner-up later. "I like to play a fluid game but we always seem to have a lot
of stoppages and lets. It wasn't a lot of fun but I'm pleased to be through to
the next round."
Matthew, the 2007 champion, will take on England
team-mate and Commonwealth Games Doubles gold medal-winning partner Adrian
Grant for a place in the quarter-finals.
Grant boosted the English contingent in the last
sixteen to six after a hard-fought five-game win over young Egyptian qualifier
Karim Abdel Gawad, winning 11-9, 8-11, 11-1, 5-11, 11-9 in 88 minutes -
the longest match of the day.
"I don't plan to have five-setters," said the
relieved Londoner. "But I suppose I have a lot of experience at them which
stands me in good stead! I was playing well enough, I had leads in all the games
except the fourth.
"I just need to be able to finish them off better
- not slow down near the line like Usain Bolt!"
Matthew and Grant's clash will be the third
all-English second round meeting after Peter Barker and Tom Richards
also survived their opening round matches.
The day started with a solid performance from
world No14 Richards against Ong Beng Hee, the former world No7 from
Malaysia. After dropping the first two games, the 32-year-old from Penang took
the third - but Richards reasserted in the fourth, taking advantage of his
six-year age advantage to win 11-6, 11-3, 10-12, 11-6.
Sixth seed Barker comprehensively beat Shahier
Razik 11-4, 11-6, 11-1. The 34-year-old Canadian, who successfully came
through qualifying to contest his ninth US Open since 2002, never seriously
troubled the English left-hander who reached the quarter-finals last year.
"It will be a tough match against Tom, but
hopefully I can hold off the youngsters for another year or two," said Barker.
Indian hopes in Philadelphia were dashed when
Egypt's No4 seed Ramy Ashour beat Saurav Ghosal 11-7, 13-11, 11-9
in 46 minutes.
"He's very quick," admitted 2009 runner-up Ashour.
"I had to push myself all the time, he could have taken any of those games. I'm
happy with how I played but I'll have to push myself harder in the rest of the
tournament.
Ghosal, the top-ranked Indian from Kolkata,
tweeted later: "Lost to Ramy Ashour today in 3 really close games.
Obviously disappointed with the result but have to take positives from that
performance."
Ashour will now face fellow countryman Tarek
Momen. The recent Malaysian Open champion twice came from behind to
beat Switzerland's Nicolas Mueller 5-11, 11-7, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6 in 70
minutes.
Home Hero Gordon Marks Maiden
World Series Win At US Open
National wild
card Christopher Gordon, ranked 72 in the world, celebrated a dream
result for the hosts of the Delaware Investments US Open when he upset
world No15 Hisham Mohd Ashour in the first round of the PSA World
Series squash event at Drexel University in Philadelphia to
mark his first ever World Series win.
The
26-year-old from Hartford was visibly overwhelmed with his victory, dropping to
his knees with emotion as he won the final point against the talented Egyptian.
"I can't
believe it," said Gordon after his historic 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 5-11, 11-6
triumph in just under an hour. "I've always dreamed about playing well on this
court, and it was just an amazing experience - the best moment of my squash
life.
"I'd like to
say a huge thank you to US Squash. I wouldn't be out here if it wasn't for them.
They gave me huge confidence by giving me a wildcard and helped me in my dream,"
said Gordon, who began his quest for success in PSA World Series events at the
2003 Tournament of Champions in New York.
After the win
which produced only the second home player to make the last sixteen of the US
Open since 1994, event spokeswoman Kristi Maroc said: "A huge win in his
career, and a significant achievement for any player to beat an opponent over
fifty places ahead in world rankings, the win will go down in the books as an
important moment for squash in the United States."
Kevin
Klipstein,
the CEO of US Squash, added: "It's a great win for Chris. We're extremely happy
for him, and we expect even greater things for him in the future. It's great
having a wildcard pull through. It's a big breakthrough and we wish him luck in
the next round."
Earlier, top
seed and world number one James Willstrop opened proceedings on the
all-glass court against Alister Walker - the world No12 from Botswana who
has had several close matches with the Englishman. But, with a 10-0 head-to-head
record, Willstrop started the firm favourite.
Relatively
untroubled in the first two games, Willstrop opened up a 2/0 lead before Walker
struck back to take the third. But it was the favourite who went on to make the
second round, winning 11-4, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9 in 80 minutes.
Willstrop's
next opponent will be England team-mate Daryl Selby, the world No11 from
Essex who defeated Egyptian qualifier Omar Abdel Aziz 11-5, 11-9, 12-10.
"If someone
had offered me 3/0 before the start I'd have taken it, even though there were
some things I could have done better," said the 29-year-old Englishman. "I can
do better - and I'll have to against James, but at least I have a chance to do
that!"
Hopes of
further English success on the day were dashed by Spaniard Borja Golan.
But the world No16 had to battle for 76 minutes to overcome London-born Joe
Lee, the lowest-ranked qualifier in the event, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5.
Egyptian seeds
Mohamed El Shorbagy and Karim Darwish took their anticipated
places in the last sixteen - but in contrasting styles: Fifth seed Darwish, one
of six former world number ones in the event, despatched Hong Kong qualifier
Max Lee 13-11, 11-2, 11-9 in just 38 minutes.
"It's my first
real tournament since El Gouna," said the 31-year-old from Cairo. "We had a
baby, spent some time in the US, training back in Egypt and I was injured in the
Malaysian Open, so it's been a long time since I've been on court feeling right!
"The first
match in any tournament you're always a bit nervous, especially in a big
tournament like this, and against someone like Max who is improving all the time
it was never going to be easy.
"I love the
venue, I love playing in the US, they take care of us so well here. My aim for
any tournament is to play as well as I can and win it, so I'll be trying my best
for the rest of the week."
El Shorbagy,
the 21-year-old No8 seed, survived a closely-contested battle against Germany's
Simon Rosner. The Egyptian took the lead, but Rosner levelled - then,
early in the third, required treatment on his back.
Seemingly
unaffected, the German number one had leads in both the third and fourth games -
but El Shorbagy held his nerve to close out the match 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 in
68 minutes.
"I've seen
some of Simon's recent matches where he's had good results, so I knew it was
going to be tough," said the relieved world No8 from Alexandria. "When we had
that break I took the time to think about my tactics and I managed to play well
enough to win the next two games."
Preview
Illingworth Leads Home
Hopes Into Qualifying Finals
US champion Julian Illingworth
carried home hopes into the qualifying finals of the Delaware
Investments US Open after defeating fellow countryman Dylan
Murray, the US junior champion, in straight games in the opening
qualifying round of the fifth PSA World Series squash event
of the year in Philadelphia.
Illingworth, the record eight-time
national champion from New York who is ranked 28 in the world,
cruised to an 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 win in 25 minutes over 17-year-old
Murray at Germantown Cricket Club.
The sole US survivor of the first
round will now face lone Pakistani Aamir Atlas Khan. The
world No40 from Peshawar beat Henrik Mustonen, a Finn ranked
just three places lower, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10 in 53 minutes.
An eagerly-awaited battle at
Drexel University saw popular coach John White,
Scotland's former world number one, face in-form Colombian Miguel
Angel Rodriguez.
"The packed crowd, which included
last year's finalists Amr Shabana and Nick Matthew,
got fully involved and enjoyed it immensely," said event spokeswoman
Kristi Maroc. "But they couldn't spur White on to victory as
Rodriguez took three close games, the last two both on extra
points."
The 11-8, 12-10, 12-10 victory takes
Rodriguez on to face Siddharth Suchde for a place in the main
draw. Indian Suchde beat England's US-based Joe Russell 11-3,
11-3, 11-2.
Canadian interest in the qualifiers
is being led by Shahier Razik, who eased to an 11-9, 11-8,
11-7 win over Pakistan's Yasir Butt. The six-time Canadian
champion from Toronto will now face Matthew Karwalski, the
Australian who recorded his first win in three years over
higher-ranked compatriot Zac Alexander in a 10-12, 11-8,
11-9, 11-6 scoreline.
The longest match of the day saw
Joe Lee survive an all-English tussle, upsetting Chris
Simpson 11-4, 6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7 in 111 minutes in their
third PSA World Tour qualifying clash this year.
Lee's next opponent will be Mexican
Cesar Salazar, who prevailed in an equally tough marathon
against world junior champion Marwan El Shorbagy, ultimately
triumphing 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 4-11, 11-9 in 75 minutes over the
world No26 from Egypt.
Qualifying finals line-up: Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v Martin Knight (NZL) Matthew Karwalski (AUS) v Shahier Razik (CAN) Alan Clyne (SCO) v Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) v Julian Illingworth (USA) Joe Lee (ENG) v Cesar Salazar (MEX) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Max Lee (HKG) Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v Siddharth Suchde (IND)
