RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Paddy Whack West of Ireland Open,
Galway, Ireland
Ga
Sabry Scores Galway Glory
Unseeded Egyptian teenager Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry celebrated the
third PSA World Tour title success of his career when he beat
Australian Steven Finitsis in the final of the Paddy Whack
West of Ireland Open, the PSA Challenger 10 squash event in
its seventh successive year at the Galway Lawn Tennis Club in
Galway.
"It
was a fantastic final with a packed audience - played at a ferocious
pace that demonstrated what true athleticism was," said tournament
spokesman Andre Davies.
"Both
players played with power and finesse in equal measure sending their
opponent to every corner of the court. It was incredibly evenly-matched
in both the first and second game with both players reaching nine points
- but it was the young Egyptian who managed to sneak both games 11-9 to
develop a 2/0 cushion.
"Finitsis came back fighting in true style and in another tense and
close game managed to close out the third 11-9. The crowd were hopeful
of the match going the distance but it proved to be a little too much
for Finitsis as Sabry kept up the intensity and pace and had Finitsis
covering every inch of the court.
"Unsurprisingly Sabry finished the match at the front of the court with
another attacking shot that handed him the championship title, much to
his delight," concluded Davies.
The
11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 triumph in 56 minutes makes 18-year-old
Cairo-based Ga Sabry the first Egyptian winner of the popular Tour event
whose roll of honour includes players from Ireland, England, Scotland,
Germany and Hungary.
Sabry
& Finitsis To Contest Galway Final
Egypt's Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry and Australian Steven Finitsis
are each hoping to be the first from his country to win the Paddy
Whack West of Ireland Open trophy after surviving contrasting
semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event in
its seventh successive year at the Galway Lawn Tennis Club in
Galway.
Unseeded Ga Sabry, the 18-year-old world No77 from Cairo, took on fellow
countryman Mohamed Abouelghar, a qualifier aged a year older but
ranked five places below.
"The
showdown between two young but superbly talented Egyptians was played at
a blistering pace with the ball barely touching the back wall,"
exclaimed tournament spokesman Andre Davies.
"The
energy on court was a sight to behold and the shot-making skills of two
players so young was breath-taking. Abouelghar played a great first game
and looked full of confidence but Mazen Hesham took the next three in a
row to secure the first spot in the final on Easter Sunday."
The
6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 victory in 44 minutes takes Ga Sabry into the
fifth Tour final of his career, but his first this year.
Finitsis, also unseeded, battled for 80 minutes before overcoming
England's Eddie Charlton.
"Both
played some outstanding squash but it was Finitsis who took the early
initiative and opened a two-game lead," continued Davies. "Eddie showed
how determined he was by digging deep and grinding out the next two
games to level the match.
"But
it was Finitsis who took the opportunities when they presented
themselves and won the fifth 11-7 after a draining 80 minutes of top
squash."
The
30-year-old Amsterdam-based Queenslander, who won 11-4, 11-6, 9-11,
4-11, 11-7, is celebrating the 19th PSA Tour final of his career, and
also his first of the year.
Abouelghar Makes Galway Semis
Egypt's Mohamed Abouelghar became the only qualifier to reach the
semi-finals of the Paddy Whack West of Ireland Open after beating
England's Charles Sharpes in the quarter-finals of the PSA
World Tour Challenger 10 squash event in its seventh successive year
at the Galway Lawn Tennis Club in Galway.
The
11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8 victory was the Cairo-born 19-year-old's second
upset over a higher-ranked Englishman, following Abouelghar's defeat of
No4 seed Robbie Temple in the opening round.
A
fellow countryman now awaits Abouelghar in the semis after 18-year-old
Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry defeated experienced Englishman Chris
Ryder, a 32-year-old former world No33, 1-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-2.
But
there will be English interest in the other semi following Eddie
Charlton's 12-10, 11-6, 11-4 win over qualifier Lucas Serme,
the Frenchman who triumphed in last week's Swiss Open.
Charlton, the world No75 from Nottingham, clinched the first game after
saving seven game-balls from 3-10 down!
The
24-year-old Englishman now faces Steven Finitsis, the
Amsterdam-based Australian who defeated Germany's Raphael Kandra,
ranked a single place higher, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9.
Seeds
Culled In Galway
On a
day of unprecedented shocks in the Irish city of Galway, all four
seeds crashed out of the Paddy Whack West of Ireland Open in the
first round of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event in
its seventh successive year at the Galway Lawn Tennis Club.
Australia's Steven Finitsis claimed the biggest scalp in an 11-6,
11-5, 11-8 defeat of Henrik Mustonen, the top seed from Finland.
"Steve
arrived only just in time to get ready for his match due to the dreaded
Galway traffic," reported tournament spokesman Andre Davies. "But
he proceeded to play some stunning attacking squash with nicks left,
right and centre to take out top seed Henrik 3/0."
Egyptians triumphed in two of the upsets: Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry
celebrated his 19th birthday in appropriate style by dismissing
second-seeded South African Shaun le Roux 12-10, 7-11, 13-11,
11-0, while fellow Cairo-based compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar, a
qualifier, ousted England's No4 seed Robbie Temple 11-5, 6-11,
12-10, 10-12, 11-5 in exactly an hour.
It was
an all-English clash which saw the demise of the third seed when
Eddie Charlton beat 2011 champion Olivier Pett 11-7, 12-10,
11-5 in just 27 minutes.
"Pleased to win tonight 3/0 against Ollie," tweeted Charlton later.
"Strange match - but a wins a win. Lucas Serme tomorrow in the
QF, looking forward to it."
Frenchman Serme became the second qualifier to prevail when he upset
higher-ranked German Jens Schoor 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7.
