20-Year Old Hesham Ga Sabry Wins PSA Houston Challenger from PSA Media March 31, 2014
- Egyptian Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry celebrated his 20th birthday in the
best possible style when he upset an opponent ranked 12 places higher
to claim the sixth PSA World Tour title of his career at the Hamoco
Houston Open in the US state of Texas. The No.2 seed from
Cairo reached the final of the PSA Challenger 15 event at the Life Time
Athletic City Center in Houston without dropping a game. But Stephen Coppinger,
the top seed from South Africa, was tested in his semi-final where he
was taken to four games by fourth seed Campbell Grayson before seeing
off the New Zealander 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9. After dropping the
opening game in the final, 29-year-old Coppinger – ranked 23 in the
world – drew level when he took the second game. But birthday boy Ga
Sabry regained control of the contest, pulling ahead after the third
game then clinching the fourth to earn his shock 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7
title triumph. “Mazen produced his
best squash of the event in the final by beating Coppinger in 59
minutes,” said tournament promoter Andre Maur (pictured below flanked
by Sabry, right. and Coppinger) RESULTS: PSA Challenger 15 Hamoco Houston Open, Houston, Texas, USA 1st round: [1] Stephen Coppinger
(RSA) bt Lucas Serme
(FRA)
11-6, 11-5, 11-3 [8] Christopher Gordon (USA) bt [Q] Zac Alexander (AUS) 11-13, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 [5] Cesar Salazar
(MEX) bt [Q] Todd Harrity
(USA)
11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6 [4] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [Q] Shahjahan Khan (PAK) 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 [3] Ryan Cuskelly
(AUS) bt [WC] Joshua Masters
(ENG)
11-8, 11-7, 11-9 [6] Karim Ali Fathi
(EGY) bt Matthew Karwalski
(AUS)
11-4, 11-3, 11-9 [Q] Diego Elias (PER)
bt [7] Julian Illingworth
(USA)
11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 [2] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) bt Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) 11-6, 12-10, 11-8
Quarter-finals: [1] Stephen Coppinger
(RSA) bt [8] Christopher Gordon
(USA)
11-3, 11-7, 11-9 [4] Campbell Grayson
(NZL) bt [5] Cesar Salazar
(MEX)
11-4, 12-10, 11-2 [3] Ryan Cuskelly
(AUS) bt [6] Karim Ali Fathi
(EGY)
12-10, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 [2] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) bt [Q] Diego Elias (PER) 11-9, 11-2, 12-10
Semi-finals: [1] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [4] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9 [2] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) bt [3] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-4, 11-6, 12-10 Final: [2] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) bt [1] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7 (59m)
