Mathieu Castagnet Caps Brilliant Week in Winning Canary Wharf Squash Classic by Alan Thatcher photos squashpics.com
March 12, 2016
- French number three seed Mathieu Castagnet capped a brilliant week in
London by beating the top seed Omar Mosaad to win the Canary Wharf
Squash Classic final.
Before a packed crowd in the stunning East Wintergarden venue, both players served up a superb display of high-quality squash.
In
each round the 5ft 10in tall Castagnet overcame giant opponents, Joe
Lee (6ft 3in), James Willstrop (6ft 4in), Cameron Pilley (6ft 3in) and
finally blunting the blows of Mosaad (6ft 4in).
It was
Castagnet who walked tall after a dynamic performance in which he
recovered from losing the first game and dominated long spells of the
match.
For Mosaad, it was his 12th match in less than three
weeks, having finished runner-up in Colombia and reaching the
semi-finals in Chicago.
Understandably, he occasionally
looked a little tired but still summoned up the enormous power which
has earned him the nickname of The Hammer Of Thor.
Castagnet had one simple game plan: to keep getting back as many balls as possible.
In
several rallies, Mosaad fired in a succession of attempted kill shots
only to find Castagnet returning his efforts with interest. He is more,
much more, than a simple runner and retriever.
He has improved his quality in all areas of the court and his counter-drops often caused Mosaad problems.
Castagnet began brightly and raced into a 6-2 lead only for Mosaad to win nine points in a row to win the game.
The
29-year-old Frenchman quickly regrouped and built a 6-1 lead in the
second. This time he withstood all that Mosaad could throw at him and
drew level at one game all.
The crucial third game was even
all the way but Castagnet won four points in a row from 8-7 down to
strike a major psychological blow to the 27-year-old Egyptian.
Mossad led 4-3 in the fourth game but Castagnet broke his spirit with a massive run of six consecutive points.
After
a flurry of exchanges, Mosaad claimed one more point and the outcome
was decided on a penalty stroke with a tired shot down the middle of
the court.
A delighted Castagnet followed French legend Thierry Lincou to have his name on the Canary Wharf trophy.
It was a milestone performance in a career that clearly promises so much more.
