Mohamed Makes It A Jordan Double
by Howard Harding
10 October 2012 - Egypt's Zahed Mohamed clinched the Royal Jordanian Open title in Amman to claim his second PSA World Tour squash trophy in Jordan.
It was after a massive cull of seeds in the first round of the PSA Challenger 5 event at the Al-Hassan International Squash Centre that Alexandria-based Mohamed emerged as the only seed still standing.
The No2 seed went on to face local hero Ahmad Al-Saraj in the final. The unseeded 17-year-old from the Jordan capital Amman made his breakthrough in the semi-finals where he ended the run of Syed Ali Shah Bokhari, the Pakistan qualifier who stunned top-seeded Englishman Charles Sharpes in the opening round.
Al-Saraj, celebrating his first appearance in a Tour final, recovered from two games down against the Egyptian to take the match into a fifth-game decider.
But 20-year-old Mohamed, ranked more than 40 places higher, regained control of the action to close out the match 13-11, 11-7, 5-11, 9-11, 11-4 after 78 minutes to earn the second Tour title of his career.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Royal Jordanian Open, Amman, Jordan
1st round:
[Q] Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) bt [1] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (52m)
[Q] Pablo Rawden (ENG) bt Kim Are Killingberg (NOR) 11-9, 12-10, 11-5 (31m)
Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) bt James Earles (ENG) 12-10, 11-4, 11-7 (40m)
Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) bt [4] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) 11-7, 11-9, 4-11, 12-10 (55m)
[Q] Amaad Fareed (PAK) bt [3] Ben Coleman (ENG) 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9 (57m)
Michael Harris (ENG) bt Daniel West (ENG) 11-2, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4 (45m)
Matias Tuomi (FIN) bt [Q] Mohammad Harb (JOR) 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (37m)
[2] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt Robert Downer (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 (29m)
Quarter-finals:
[Q] Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) bt [Q] Pablo Rawden (ENG) 12-10, 11-7, 12-10 (31m)
Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) bt Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) 4-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-2 (38m)
Michael Harris (ENG) bt [Q] Amaad Fareed (PAK) 11-6, 11-3, 11-8 (34m)
[2] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt Matias Tuomi (FIN) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)
Semi-finals:
Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) bt [Q] Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) 11-9, 11-3, 12-10 (38m)
[2] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt Michael Harris (ENG) 11-7, 6-11, 11-3, 11-7 (38m)
Final:
[2] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) 13-11, 11-7, 5-11, 9-11, 11-4 (78m)
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