Hedrick Claims Canberra Crown
by Howard Harding
2 April 2012 - Australia's Rex Hedrick ended the giant-killing run of exciting Egyptian Omar Mohie Elddin Marei to win the ACT Open, the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 squash event at the Woden Squash Centre in the Australian capital Canberra.
Hedrick claimed the second professional title of his career when he beat qualifier Marei 11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7 in a thrilling final to the latest Australian Squash Tour tournament.
The 23-year-old from Melbourne, who broke through for his first Tour title in January, was able to contain the brilliant shot-making of his Egyptian rival.
But it was a remarkable performance from Marei, who was competing in only his second Tour event - yet celebrating his second successive appearance in a final as a qualifier!
The Alexandria-born 20-year-old, now based in Cairo, made his major breakthrough in the quarter-finals where he despatched Australia's top seed Justin Beard, before then ousting fifth-seeded New Zealander Paul Coll in the semis.
Marei's final appearance was his sixth match in four days.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 ACT Open, Phillip, Canberra, Australia
1st round:
[1] Justin Beard (AUS) bt Rohan Toole (AUS) 11-2, 11-5, 11-3
[Q] Omar Mohie Elddin Marei (EGY) bt Cameron Stafford (CAY) 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 8-11, 11-3
SungYoung Kim (KOR) bt Matthew Bridle (AUS) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5
[Q] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) bt [6] Ben Takamizawa Harris (JPN) 11-7, 11-4, 11-5
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [Q] JaeJin Yoo (KOR) 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-1
Walter Koteka (AUS) bt [Q] Hyun Goo Kim (KOR) 11-2, 11-6, 11-6
Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt [Q] Michael Badenhorst (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-4
[3] Chris Lloyd (NZL) bt Courtney West (AUS) 11-4, 11-5, 11-7
[4] Jamie McErvale (AUS) bt Thomas Calvert (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-2
Ben Marschall (AUS) bt T J Rarere (AUS) 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7
James Huang (TPE) bt Joshua Stack-Masula (AUS) 11-3, 11-7, 11-2
[7] Tsukue Shinnosuke (JPN) bt James Skiffington (NZL) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5
[8] Lance James Beddoes (NZL) bt [Q] SeungYong Yoo Yoo (KOR) 9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-3
[Q] Christo Potgieter (RSA) bt Luke Sims (AUS) 11-5, 11-5, 11-7
[Q] Tim Cowell (AUS) bt Joshua Southwell-Nobbs (AUS) 11-8, 13-15, 11-5, 11-4
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Alex Grayson (NZL) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4
2nd round:
[Q] Omar Mohie Elddin Marei (EGY) bt [1] Justin Beard (AUS) 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4
[Q] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) bt SungYoung Kim (KOR) 11-2, 11-4, 11-2
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Walter Koteka (AUS) 11-3, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8
[3] Chris Lloyd (NZL) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 11-6, 11-9, 11-3
[4] Jamie McErvale (AUS) bt Ben Marschall (AUS) 11-1, 11-1, 11-3
James Huang (TPE) bt [7] Tsukue Shinnosuke (JPN) 11-8, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7
[Q] Christo Potgieter (RSA) bt [8] Lance James Beddoes (NZL) 11-5, 11-6, 11-4
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Tim Cowell (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-5
Quarter-finals:
[Q] Omar Mohie Elddin Marei (EGY) bt [Q] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [3] Chris Lloyd (NZL) 11-4, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8
James Huang (TPE) bt [4] Jamie McErvale (AUS) 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-1
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Christo Potgieter (RSA) 11-8, 11-3, 11-2
Semi-finals:
[Q] Omar Mohie Elddin Marei (EGY) bt [5] Paul Coll (NZL) 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 15-13
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt James Huang (TPE) 11-1, 8-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-1
Final:
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Omar Mohie Elddin Marei (EGY) 11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7
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