PSA $190K Kuwait: Tough Opening Day As Abdullah Does Kuwait Proud
by Steve Cubbins
photos courtesy Steve Cubbins
World Series Platinum, Kuwait PSA Cup - Thu 8th March, Round ONE:
March 8, 2013 - The first round of the $190k PSA World Series 2013 Kuwait PSA Cup at the Qadsia Club in Kuwait City saw sixteen highly-competitive matches, a series of five-game marathons, and a dramatic upset win for the home favourite.
With the top sixteen seeds waiting in the second round, today's matches were as tough as any qualifying finals ever are, between closely ranked players who were all fresh, and on the warm courts, so it was hardly surprising that many of the matches were lengthy affairs, with six of the eight glass court matches going the full distance.
It was Abdullah Al Mezayen who stole the show though, as the Kuwaiti number one, who always performs well at home and came close to a big upset in the last edition of the Kuwait Cup in 2011, triumphed over in-form South African Steve Coppinger to the delight of himself and the Kuwait crowd.
He was delighted with the win, but realistic of the size of his next task: "Steve's a great player but I've always played well in Kuwait and I really wanted to win it for the fans, and to give something back to the coaches and the KSF who have supported me so much," said Abdullah.
"I hope everyone comes to support me when I play Gregory Gaultier, I'll give it everything I have but they have to remember that he's the world number three!"
Full reports, quotes and photos available on the official tournament site: www.kuwaitpsacup.com
Saturday sees the top seeds enter the action with eight matches in the top half of the draw, including world number one and world champion Ramy Ashour, the Egyptian who is unbeaten since last May and is aiming to capture a seventh consecutive major PSA title.
Round One Results: Glass Court:
Nicolas Mueller (Sui) 3-2 Campbell Grayson (Nzl) 6/11, 11/4, 7/11, 11/7, 11/8 (70m)
Olli Tuominen (Fin) 3-2 Kristian Frost (Den) 9/11, 11/6, 13/11, 9/11, 11/8 (91m)
Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy) 3-2 Joe Lee (Eng) 11/9, 8/11, 11/7, 6/11, 11/4 (89m)
Saurav Ghosal (Ind) 3-1 Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) 13/11, 4/11, 11/4, 11/5 (58m)
Cameron Pilley (Aus) 3-2 Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) 11/7, 12/10, 11/13, 5/11, 11/4 (81m)
Abdullah Al Mezayen (Kuw) 3-2 Steve Coppinger (Rsa) 9/11, 11/9, 11/9, 5/11, 11/6 (73m)
Adrian Grant (Eng) 3-0 Yousif Nizar Saleh (Kuw) 11/3, 11/1, 11/7 (34m)
Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 3-2 Omar Abdel Aziz (Egy) 11/5, 8/11, 4/11, 13/11, 11/7 (73m)
Court One:
Leo Au (Hkg) 3-1 Omar Abdel Meguid (Egy) 5/11, 11/7, 16/14, 11/7 (72m)
Jonathan Kemp (Eng) 3-1 Chris Simpson (Eng) 13/11, 9/11, 11/6, 12/10 (54m)
Karim Ali Fathi (Egy) 3-2 Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col) 11/6, 11/6, 8/11, 8/11, 11/4 (68m)
Grégoire Marche (Fra) 3-1Alan Clyne (Sco) 11/13, 11/8, 11/9, 11/8 (73m)
Mathieu Castagnet (Fra) 3-0 Adrian Waller (Eng) 11/8, 14/12, 11/4 (64m)
Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) 3-2 Siddarth Suchde (Ind) 12/14, 11/8, 4/11, 11/8, 11/9 (80m)
Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) 3-1 Max Lee (Hkg) 11/2, 11/13, 11/7, 11/8 (54m)
Zac Alexander (Aus) 3-0 Martin Knight (Nzl) 11/6, 12/10, 11/9 (43m)
Back To Main
