The Hindu : Sport / Squash : Ashour takes out Shabana in the semifinals

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Ashour takes out Shabana in the semifinals

G. Viswanath

— Photo: AFP

DOWN AND OUT: Egypt’s Amr Shabana (right) slips while retrieving a ball against compatriot Ramy Ashour in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Mumbai: Ramy Ashour executed some bold, delectable shots and went for high-risk winners to beat Amr Shabana in four games in the semifinals of the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters on Wednesday.

The 11-9, 13-15, 11-8, 11-2 loss ended the current world champion’s 14-match winning streak.

In the other semifinal, Englishman Nick Matthew beat compatriot Peter Barker 13-11, 11-6, 11-5.

Ashour entertained the audience at the Thunderdome, Azad Maidan, here with superb skills and purpose, and showed intent in devastating his illustrious compatriot.

Upright and awesome in presence and powerful and dextrous in wielding the racquet, the 22-year-old Cairo-born Ashour — who was 5-6 head-to-head against Shabana going into the semifinal — closed the match out in 44 minutes to enter his fifth final of the year.

Though nothing would compensate for Ashour’s World Cup final loss at Kuwait against Shabana just a month ago, this victory was remarkable for many reasons. Ashour’s transition game — going relentlessly from rallying strokes to the risky winner, weathering several unforced errors in the process — stood out.

Not that Shabana, a seasoned campaigner, felt overpowered. The two Egyptians matched each other shot-for-shot in the first three games. They teased and taunted each other using the breadth of the front wall, showed off the power and leg speed in retrieving balls from the back court and struck a number of reflex action shots.

Shabana lead 9-4 in the second and faltered many times before winning it at 15-13. After losing a close third game, Shabana went through the motions in the fourth, seemingly troubled by a nagging hamstring.

Shabana had won 34 matches this year and Ashour 31. The latter’s lone success against the legend had come at home in the Hurghada Open in March.

“I was really happy with my focus today. I stayed mentally strong, which I’m very proud of. I’m really happy with the way I handled my game today — the way I held the racquet, the way I ran and the way I played tactically.

“I hear that Shabana injured himself out there. Maybe he is injured, maybe he is not. I know that when he is losing or injured, Shabana is so clever he gets even more dangerous than he is fit!,” said Ashour.

The results: Semifinals: Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt Amr Shabana (Egy) 11-9, 13-15, 11-8, 11-2; Nick Matthew (Eng) bt Peter Barker (Eng) 13-11, 11-6, 11-5.

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