Egypt's Gawad Over Alister Walker to Win $25K PSA Pittsburgh Title by Howard Harding 4 February 2014
- Egypt's Karim Abdel Gawad notched up the seventh - and biggest - PSA
World Tour title of his career when he defeated top seed Alister
Walker, the defending champion, in the final of the 3 Rivers Capital
Pittsburgh Open, the PSA International 25 squash event at Rivers Club
in Pittsburgh, USA.
"The match was
spectacular - perhaps the best match we have had in recent years,"
reported tournament director Steve Baicker-McKee of the climax of the
fifth tournament of the 2014 US Pro Squash Series. "The crowd literally
gasped and oohed and aahed repeatedly!"
An error-strewn
opening game saw Walker, the world No.19 from Botswana, take a first
game lead. After second seed Gawad raced to an early lead in the
second, Walker fought back to draw level - but was unable to stop
underdog Gawad drawing level.
Buoyed by this success, the Egyptian raced to an 8-0 lead in the third and soon closed it out to move ahead.
"Game four was a real
battle, as both players knew the championship was on the line,"
Baicker-McKee continued. "The game went back and forth, with neither
player managing to get ahead by more than two points. Gawad got the
first game (and match) ball at 10-9, but took a high backhand into the
top of the tin.
"Walker then scored
two straight to go up 11-10, but Gawad took a backhand short into the
front left corner, and earned a no-let call. The players then competed
fiercely for court space, with a series of lets the result, but Gawad
finally closed out the match to add his name to Walker's on the
tournament trophy."
Gawad, who moved to 17
in the latest PSA World Rankings, was delighted with his 5-11, 11-7,
11-4, 13-11 triumph after 82 minutes: "Really happy to win Pittsburgh
open against Alister Walker," tweeted the 22-year-old from Cairo to his
followers. "What a wonderful week for me :))"
RESULTS: PSA International 25 3 Rivers Capital Pittsburgh Open, Pittsburgh, USA
