Gawad Claims Dubai Cup Crown by Nathan Clarke November 28, 2014
- Egyptian Karim Abdel Gawad claimed his second PSA World Tour title of
2014, defeating England's Chris Simpson 3-2 in the final of the 2014
Dubai Cup, PSA International 25 tournament to add to the 3 Rivers
Capital Pittsburgh Open title he won in January.
After losing the first game to Simpson 5-11, Gawad upped his game to
combine accurate defensive play with flair and killer instinct to turn
the game around and move into a 2-1 lead.
The World No.17 from Cairo appeared to ease off his game in the fourth
and was punished by Simpson, with the World No.23 continuing to fight
doggedly for every point and earning his reward to force the game into
a deciding game.
That was a s good as it got for Simpson however, as Gawad recaptured
the play that saw him take the second and third games to see out the
match and become the inaugural Dubai Cup champion.
“I am really happy to win the tournament. It’s my last tournament of the year, so I’m really happy," said Gawad.
"I’ve been suffering from a back injury since February so it’s not been the best season but I’m happy to finish it like this.
"I want to thank Chris for such a great game and the organising
committee for such a great week. I’m looking forward to the next
tournament here in Dubai.”
