Ashour bags title

Photo caption: The new title holder, Ramy Ashour.

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – A new Egyptian squash era started Friday night when the 22-year-old Ramy Ashour won over England’s Nick Matthew in the final of the Saudi International Squash Tournament at the Sunset Beach in Al-Khobar.

Ashour clinched the PSA World Tour Super Series title after defeating England’s third seed Nick Matthew in a dramatic 110-minute final. The 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 win ensured that Ashour would also become No. 1 in the PSA world rankings in January 2010 for the first time.

According to Alex Gough, Professional Squash Association (PSA) CEO the match was the most incredible and most tense he has seen in a long time.
Both Ashour and Matthew were eyeing up the winner’s check of $37,400 and the next world No. 1 ranking.

After Ashour took the first game, Matthew came back in the second after winning five points in a row from 6-7 down.
Ashour led through most of the third, but Matthew saved two games balls from 8-10 down after two sensational rallies before the pressure got to him as he made a costly error to give Ashour a confidence-boosting 2/1 lead.

The young Ashour scored six quick points in the fourth to reach 8-4 and just three points from the title, seemed in control.

Playing his best squash of the match, Matthew refused to give up and dug deep to claim the next seven points in succession to force a decider.

Incredibly, again Ashour moved ahead to 8-4 in the fifth game and again Matthew mounted a rear-guard action to reduce the deficit, winning the eighth point after sending Ashour scurrying to the back corner where he slipped and hit the glass wall of the court, after which he asked for a three-minute injury break.

He was back in less than three minutes to take the next two points to seal his longest-ever, historic victory.

After the match, Ashour said that he and Matthew have played well.
He also confessed that the match was probably his career’s toughest match.