Top seed Karim Ali Fathi claimed his seventh PSA Tour title when survived a marathon all-Egyptian final of the PSA Valencia Open in Spain.
He beat the unseeded Zahed Mohamed in the final of this PSA Challenger 10 event in its third year at Club Olympia in Valencia.
The triumph marked the 20-year-old from Cairo’s second PSA World Tour title in a row, and the eight-match run established Ali Fathi’s longest winning streak on the Tour.
The favourite ended Alejandro Garbi Caro‘s run in the semi-finals when he beat the Spanish wild card 11-9, 11-4, 11-5.
The other semi was a non-seeded affair in which Mohamed prevailed in an 80-minute five-game battle against Frenchman Joan Lezaud.
And, despite his marathon ordeal 24 hours earlier, the 21-year-old from Alexandria twice led Ali Fathi in the final.
But Fathi, boasting a career-high world No.39 ranking, forced the match into a decider and eventually secured his anticipated triumph over the world No78 Mohamed, winning 10-12, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6 in 85 minutes.
October 14, 2013
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 PSA Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Semi-finals:
[1] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt [WC] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 11-9, 11-4, 11-5 (40m)
Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt Joan Lezaud (FRA) 11-7, 3-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-7 (80m)
Final:
[1] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt Zahed Mohamed (EGY) 10-12, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6 (85m)
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