Abouelghar Grabs Gauteng Glory
by Howard Harding
14 April 2013 - Mohamed Abouelghar prevailed in the Assore Central Gauteng Open in South Africa when he beat Fares Mohamed Dessouki in the all-Egyptian final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 squash event in its second year at the Parkview Squash Club in Johannesburg.
Team-mates in Egypt's title-winning 2012 World Junior Championship squad in Qatar, the pair reached the final after similar score-lines - but whilst Abouelghar was expected in the final, his compatriot was not.
Surprisingly perhaps, unseeded Dessouki reached the last four without coming up against a seeded opponent - but then faced local hero Clinton Leeuw, the No2 seed from Cape Town, in the semi-finals.
The 18-year-old from Cairo recovered from a crushing first game defeat to beat Leeuw 2-11, 13-11, 11-3, 11-5 to reach the first Tour final of his career.
Meanwhile favourite Abouelghar claimed his place in the third PSA Tour final of his career when he beat England's unseeded Thomas Ford 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8.
And it was the higher-ranked top seed who triumphed in the final, beating Dessouki 11-6, 11-4, 12-10 to claim the third PSA World Tour title of his career.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Assore Central Gauteng Open, Johannesburg, South Africa
1st round:
[1] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Kyle Maree (RSA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-2
Rudi Willemse (RSA) bt [Q] Fernando Molina (ARG) 11-8, 8-11, 11-2, 11-6
[Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Cameron Stafford (CAY) 11-4, 12-10, 11-3
Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) bt [5] Geoffrey Demont (FRA) 11-7, 11-6, 11-8
Jerome Dadot (FRA) bt [8] Shinnosuke Tsukue (JPN) 11-5, 11-6, 11-3
Thomas Ford (ENG) bt Gareth Naidoo (RSA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-5
[Q] Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) bt Jonathan Maloney (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6
[3] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Suleman Khan (PAK) w/o
Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) bt [4] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-4, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5
[Q] Michael Wood (RSA) bt Christo Potgieter (RSA) 14-12, 9-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5
[Q] Kelvin Ndhlovu (ZAM) bt Sajid Khan (PAK) 11-2, 11-3, 11-0
Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) bt [6] Steven London (ENG) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4
[7] Alex Ingham (ENG) bt Zahir Shah (PAK) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4
[Q] Andrew Martin (RSA) bt [LL] Grant Viljoen (RSA) 11-7, 11-2, 11-2
[Q] Kwon Hyeon-Jun (KOR) bt Haseeb Gul (PAK) 11-8, 11-9, 11-5
[2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [Q] Craig van der Wath (RSA) 11-4, 11-5, 5-11, 11-3
2nd round:
[1] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Rudi Willemse (RSA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-6
[Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6
Thomas Ford (ENG) bt Jerome Dadot (FRA) 11-3, 3-11, 14-12, 11-7
[3] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [Q] Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5
Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) bt [Q] Michael Wood (RSA) 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8
[Q] Kelvin Ndhlovu (ZAM) bt Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) 11-5, 11-3, 3-11, 9-11, 11-9
[7] Alex Ingham (ENG) bt [Q] Andrew Martin (RSA) 12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8
[2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [Q] Kwon Hyeon-Jun (KOR) 11-8, 11-8, 11-3
Quarter-finals:
[1] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt [Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) 11-9, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7
Thomas Ford (ENG) bt [3] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 11-9, 11-8, 11-7
Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) bt [Q] Kelvin Ndhlovu (ZAM) 12-10, 11-6, 11-6
[2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [7] Alex Ingham (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 11-4
Semi-finals:
[1] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Thomas Ford (ENG) 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8
Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) bt [2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 2-11, 13-11, 11-3, 11-5
Final:
[1] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) 11-6, 11-4, 12-10
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