Harinder’s happy to gain revenge in Mumbai final
By Squash Mad Reporter
India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu claimed his second title on the JSW Indian Squash Challenger Circuit when he beat Egyptian Shehab Essam Hosny in the final of the third PSA Challenger 10 event at the National Sports Club of India in Mumbai.
Sandhu was successful in the opening tournament of the series in Jaipur – but then went out in the quarter-finals of event No.2 in Mumbai, losing in four games to the lower-ranked Hosny.
So revenge was uppermost in his mind when the top seed from Chennai lined up against the Egyptian for the second time in just over a week – Sandhu celebrating the eighth PSA World Tour final of his career and 19-year-old Hosny, the fourth seed, his first after upsetting Kuwait’s No.2 seed Ammar Altamimi in the semi-finals.
Sandhu recovered from 1-7 down in the opener to take the first game – and again came from behind in the second to extend his lead to 2/0.
But the local hero was dominant in the third and closed out the match 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 in 50 minutes to secure the fourth Tour title of his career.
“It went better than expected,” explained the Chandigarh-born 25-year-old later. “It’s only been a week since I lost to him the 3/1 in quarterfinals at Juhu.
“I knew from the first point today that he’d come out fighting,” added Sandhu. “I had to stick to the side walls or keep him behind me. It wasn’t working till I was 7-1 down in the first game. But from then, I just kept the pressure on.”
PSA Challenger 10 JSW PSA Indian Circuit 3, Mumbai, India.
1st round:
[2] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) bt Josh Taylor (ENG) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (32m)
Kush Kumar (IND) bt [5] Valentino Bon Jovi Bong (MAS) 8-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9 (81m)
[8] Sanjay Singh (MAS) bt [Q] Alex Noakes (ENG) 11-6, 11-2, 11-6 (25m)
[4] Shehab Essam Hosny (EGY) bt [Q] Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-2 (49m)
[3] Matias Tuomi (FIN) bt [Q] Sandeep Jangra (IND) 16-14, 11-7, 11-9 (35m)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt [7] Adam Murrills (ENG) 2-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9, 11-3 (80m)
[6] Ravi Dixit (IND) bt [WC] Deepak Mishra (IND) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (29m)
[1] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [Q] Benjamin Coates (ENG) 11-1, 11-5, 11-5 (22m)
Quarter-finals:
[2] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) bt Kush Kumar (IND) 8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-1, 3-2 ret. (42m)
[4] Shehab Essam Hosny (EGY) bt [8] Sanjay Singh (MAS) 8-11, 11-1, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (60m)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt [3] Matias Tuomi (FIN) 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
[1] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [6] Ravi Dixit (IND) 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (30m)
Semi-finals:
[4] Shehab Essam Hosny (EGY) bt [2] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 11-3 (50m)
[1] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10 (73m)
Final:
[1] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [4] Shehab Essam Hosny (EGY) 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 (50m)
Picture courtesy of PSA