British Open Squash 2023: Mazen Hesham ready for ‘octopus’ Ali Farag

April 14, 2023 - 4:46am

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Birmingham — Mazen Hesham has dismissed any suggestion he has the edge ahead of Saturday’s British Open semi-final with Ali Farag, a player he dubbed ‘The Octopus’ ahead of their all-Egyptian clash.

The World No.9 defeated Karim Abdel Gawad in the ultimate squash shoot-out 3-1 in a 63-minute feast of squash invention which drew a standing ovation from the enthralled and packed Rep crowd as the two embraced at the end.

Read More: Our British Open coverage

Now, ‘The Falcon’ will look to make prey of Farag for a second time following their recent meeting at the Optasia, which Hesham won 3-2.

Yet despite emerging from a match that had the crowd gasping at the quality on show Hesham says he can still lift it another notch for Farag: “No, this was not the best squash match of my life, yes, maybe the most entertaining as we both go for our shots but there must be more to come from me.

“It was a good match for me to win, especially coming back from 5-1 down in the third to take it 14-12, so, very good mentally but what happened at Optasia with Ali it counts for nothing, it is done and we start again on Saturday in the semi-final.

“Saturday is another day and another match in another tournament and I will play the player and forget about the rest.”

So two gun-slingers desperate to get off the first shot and to be fair the dexterity displayed by these great mavericks would not have been out of place on the set of a Keanu Reeves Matrix Film.

Gawad was first to unload in the opening set, using all his grace and languid movement to make time stand still as he appeared to be waiting for Hesham’s hit before he had made up his mind where to play it. 11-6 Gawad.

In the second stanza the standard of play was notable, the invention of the shot-making and dynamism of it all just got better – and better.

Yet although Hesham held off a determined Gawad fightback, in which points won were accompanied by rapturous applause and gasps of appreciation 11-9, the balance of work was favouring the former world champion.

This did appear to wind the Falcon at the start of the third game but the World No.9 has become increasingly adept at rolling with the punches this term and back Hesham came to within a point at 4-5, as the squash pulsed with class.

What followed at the end of game from 10-9, when Gawad did a full 360 degree pirouette to take Hesham’s lob off the back wall, through to 14-12 for Hesham, came a fine sequence of points.

With both men blowing the only question left to answer was who had enough left in the tank?

With successive five-setters in his legs after a two-year period punctuated by injury and time spent in a wheelchair, one wondered if Gawad may be found wanting when the going got tougher and at 2-5 down it looked the case.

So it proved and Hesham stretched his lead out to 9-3 and, with anguish increasingly written large on Gawad’s baby-faced features, it was to be the day of the underdog – and one those who witnessed it will not long forget.

The post British Open Squash 2023: Mazen Hesham ready for ‘octopus’ Ali Farag appeared first on Squash Mad.

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British Open Squash 2023: Mazen Hesham ready for ‘octopus’ Ali Farag

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