Top seed Tarek Momen survives match ball against Max Lee
By ANDREW CROSS – Squash Mad Reporter in Macau
Quarter-final day at the Macau Open 2014 began with a stunning result as Saurav Ghosal from India lost 13-11 in the fifth to Egyptian Mazen Hesham.
Saurav was good in the opening game keeping in front of Mazen hitting some good low cross courts for winners.
In the second Mazen was getting in front of Saurav this time winning the second game 11-7. In the third it looked like Saurav had regained control of the match and he took a two game to one advantage winning 11-7.
Mazen wasn’t done there though and came back to win the fourth and we were set for a deciding fifth. Saurav led 10-7 but Mazen seemed to play his best squash at this time and at 9-10 down he hits an unbelievable drop to level up at 10-10. He was now in the ascendancy and he took the last two points for the first upset of the day.
The next encounter was between top seed Tarek Momen (right) and Max Lee, who has been in some fine form in the last couple of months.
Second match of the day and yet another brutal five setter, with both players putting everything on the line. Tarek sneaks the opening game on a tie break but Max fights back to win the second on a tiebreak.
Max, who is playing well now, solid and looking to take the ball early is applying the pressure and it pays off when he wins the third 11-7. The fourth was tight but Max squeezesd a match ball and created the chance, unfortunately missing a backhand volley into the tin. Tarek seized the chance and won the fourth.
The fifth was very even but whenTarek moved ahead to match ball at 10-6 he suddenly suffered cramps in his arm, but fortunately he was able to survive and close out the match.
Young Egyptian Marwan El Shorbagy and Ong Beng Hee were the third men’s quarter final and what else to expect but another five-set match.
Beng Hee was playing well creating lots of chances and Marwan was hitting a lot of tins for Beng Hee to win the first game.
The second game was similar to the first Beng Hee with a good start and Marwan coming back in the middle of the game. Beng Hee came from game ball down to carve out a two game lead. Marwan wasn’t done though fighting back to win games three and four.
Game four was more controversial as the ball looked down at 10-10 a let was played and with Beng Hee still thinking about it Marwan won 12-10. Beng Hee again got a good start in the fifth but this time was able to hold onto it winning 11-5.
Last year’s defending champion Omar Mossad and Nafiizwan Adnan were the final match of the day and because the previous matches were so long they decided to shift to another court. Luckily they did because the opening game was around 40 minutes at least with both of them playing really well.
Wan, however, seemed to force things slightly more in the second game and found himself behind Omar and under pressure. The third was competitive but Omar was now in full flight and playing good squash and it was he that moved into the semi finals.
Macau Open Quarter-Finals:
(1) Tarek Momen (Egy) bt (5) Max Lee (HK) 11-1, 10-12, 7-11, 13-11, 11-7
(6) Mazen Hesham (Egy) bt (3) Saurav Ghosal (Ind) 5-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 13-11
(7) Ong Beng He (Mas) bt (4) Marwan Elshorbagy (Egy) 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 10-12, 11-5
(2) Omar Mosaad (Egy) beat (8) Nafizan Adnan (Mas) 17-15, 11-2, 11-4
Semi-Finals:
Momen v Hesham
Mosaad v Beng Hee
Picture by ANDREW CROSS