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Western Province Open 2015
03-08 May, Cape Town, South Africa, $5k |
08-May, Final:
Gamal picks up second SA title
Paul Atkinson reports
 After
a number of years break from the tour Mazen Gamal has had an
incredible three weeks in South Africa winning two out of the three
PSA title on offer!
Two weeks ago it was with an incredibly tight win of 12 - 10 in the
5th over the same opponent he faced tonight, Angus Gillams. That was
at altitude in Johannesburg, a very different experience for those
internationals not used to the thin air and high altitude ball.
Moving down to Cape Town last week for the Keith Grainger Memorial
UCT Open and again Gillams played well to reach the final but only
to come up against an in form and eventual winner Nathan Lake. Gamal
also played last week but also fell short at the hands of Lake.
Moving on to the WP Open this week and held at the iconic setting of
WPCC, Gillams made it three finals in a row and a 4th career final
at the very young age of only 19, whilst Gamal was hungry to add a
5th career title and 2nd in three weeks to his name.
Given the form both players had shown all week it was meant to be a
match too tight to call and so the packed gallery settled in for
another five setter between the two. Gillams started the match the
stronger of the two and raced to a 6 -2 lead but Gamal simply raised
his intensity and accuracy to reel off 9 points in a row to win the
first 11-6.
The start of the second was very even with each player trading
points all the way up to 7 all until Gamal once again changed gears
and closed out the game 11-7.
 Unfortunately
for Gillams not even his incredible retrieving skills were enough to
stop a now very confident Gamal and the Egyptian managed to close
out the match with a clinical third and final game 11-6.
“After taking two years off to complete my military
service and mechanical engineering degree, I wanted to make a come
back to get back into the top 100 again," said Gamal.
"Johannesburg was the start an I felt I increased in strength as the
weeks went by. The past three weeks in South Africa have been the
best of my life.” |
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  Western
Province Open 2015
03-08 May, Cape Town, South Africa, $5k |
Round Two
05 May from |
Quarters
06 May |
Semis
07 May |
Final
08 May |
[1] Angus Gillams
(Eng)
11/3, 11/5, 11/7 (35m)
[Q] Rudi Willemse (Rsa) |
[1] Angus Gillams
11/6, 11/2, 11/3 (25m)
Diego Gobbi |
[1] Angus Gillams
11/8 11/5 11/3 (38m)
[8] Jean-Pierre Brits |
[1] Angus Gillams
11/6, 11/7, 11/6
Mazen Gamal |
[5] Manoel Pereira (Bra)
11/4, 11/7, 11/6 (37m)
Diego Gobbi (Bra) |
[8] Jean-Pierre Brits
(Rsa)
11/2, 11/8, 11/5 (31m)
Juan Pablo Roude (Arg) |
[8] Jean-Pierre Brits
11/5, 11/1, 11/5 (27m)
[3] Christo Potgieter |
[3] Christo Potgieter
(Rsa)
14/12, 5/11, 9/11, 11/4, 10/12 (63m)
Joe Green (Eng) |
Jon Geekie (Sco)
11/8, 7/11, 11/3, 11/8 (41m)
[4] Thoboki Mohohlo (Rsa) |
[4] Thoboki Mohohlo
11/4, 11/7, 6/11, 12/10 (41m)
[Q] Rodney Durbach |
[4] Thoboki Mohohlo
13/11 11/2 4/11 9/11 10/12 (75m)
Mazen Gamal |
Gareth Naidoo (Rsa)
12/10, 3/11, 6/11, 12/14 (48m)
[Q] Rodney Durbach (Rsa) |
[Q] Gary Wheadon
(Rsa)
11/6, 10/12, 4/11, 13/11, 8/11 (65m)
[7] Babatunde Ajagbe (Ngr) |
[Q] Gary Wheadon
11/6, 11/6, 11/3 (31m)
Mazen Gamal |
Mazen Gamal (Egy)
11/9, 8/11, 11/4, 11/6 (61m)
[2] Nathan Lake (Eng) |
04-May, Round
One:
[1] Angus Gillams (Eng)
3-1 [Q] Rowan Smith (Rsa)
10-12, 11-1, 11-8, 11-6 (44m)
[Q] Rudi Willemse (Rsa) 3-0 Mohamed Abdelkalek (Egy)
11-4, 11-9, 11-5 (24m)
Diego Gobbi (Bra) 3-0 Kyle Maree (Rsa)
11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (26m)
[5] Manoel Pereira (Bra) 3-0 Omar Bahgat (Egy)
11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (35m)
[8] Jean-Pierre Brits (Rsa) 3-2 [LL] Murray Commins (Rsa)
11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4 (25m)
Juan Pablo Roude (Arg) 3-0 [Q] Jean-Pierre van der Merwe
(Rsa) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (29m)
Joe Green (Eng) 3-1 [Q] Paul Atkinson (Rsa)
7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (43m)
[3] Christo Potgieter (Rsa) 3-2 [wc] Ruan Olivier (Rsa)
8-11,11-5,3-11,11-7,11-3 (60m)
[4] Thoboki Mohohlo (Rsa) 3-0 Ben Coates (Eng)
11-4, 11-9, 11-7 (29m)
Jon Geekie (Sco) 3-1 Ahmed Mohamed (Egy)
8-11, 11-3, 5-11, 11-2, 11-5 (38m)
Gareth Naidoo (Rsa) 3-2 Josh Taylor (Eng)
1-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6 (55m)
[Q] Rodney Durbach (Rsa) 3-0 [6] Arthur Moineau (Fra)
12-10, 11-8, 11-9 (35m)
[7] Babatunde Ajagbe (Ngr) 3-0 [Q] Justin van der Poel (Rsa)
14-12, 11-4, 11-4 (25m)
[Q] Gary Wheadon (Rsa) 3-0 Julian Tomlinson (Eng)
11-9, 11-5, 11-5 (43m)
Mazen Gamal (Egy) 3-0 Anthony Graham (Eng)
11-7, 11-9, 11-3 (29m)
[2] Nathan Lake (Eng) 3-0 [Q] Kelvin Ndhlovu (Zam)
11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (40m)
Qualifying finals:
Kelvin Ndhlovu (Zam) 3-0 Marco Talotti (Rsa)
11-4, 11-2, 11-2
Rowan Smith (Rsa) 3-0 John-Ross Malloch (Rsa)
11-7, 11-9, 11-3
Jean-Pierre van der Merwe (Rsa) 3-2 Aubrey Lawrence (Rsa)
11-7,11-7,3-11,9-11,11-1
Gary Wheadon (Rsa) 3-0 Thean Toerien (Rsa)
11-4, 11-4, 11-7
Rudi Willemse (Rsa) 3-0 Daniel Smith (Rsa)
11-7, 11-7, 11-0
Paul Atkinson (Rsa) 3-0 Kyle Brown (Rsa)
11-9, 11-8, 11-6
Justin van der Poel (Rsa) bt John Ashley Abrahamse (Irl)
w/o
Rodney Durbach (Rsa) 3-0 Murray Commins (Rsa)
11-6, 11-9, 11-6
Qualifying Round One:
Marco Talotti (Rsa) 3-0 Brendan Lennox (Rsa)
11-4, 11-5, 11-6
Thean Toerien (Rsa) 3-1 Owen de Jager (Rsa)
12-10, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8
Daniel Smith (Rsa) 3-0 Jarred Theunis-Cupido (Rsa)
11-9, 12-10, 11-6
Murray Commins (Rsa) 3-1 HP Olivier (Rsa)
11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 12-10
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07-May, Semis:
2 out of 3 finals for Gillams & Gamal!
Paul Atkinson reports
Gillams and Gamal both make it 2 out of 3 finals for
themselves in the last PSA event of the South African swing 2015!
It couldn’t have been done in more contrasting ways - Gillams
was first on court against a fired up local JP Brits but
unfortunately Brits never seemed to be able to get going and
probably focused a little too much on trying to make sure he took
the match to Gillams that he forgot to play the way that got him to
the semi’s in the first place.
It was clearly a case of Gillams using his experience of having
played in numerous semi-finals before that allowed him to settle the
quickest and dominate an out of sorts Brits. Gillams has now spent
just a total of 142 minutes on court for his 4 matches and is
looking fresh and strong for the finals tomorrow night.
Gamal on the other hand scraped through the second semi in
the longest match of the tournament so far (75 minutes) and came
back from 0-2 down in games and 1-6 down in the 5th only then to
save a match point at 9-10 and then close out a humdinger of a match
12-10 in well past the hour mark!
His opponent, the local favourite Thoboki Mohohlo, started the match
exceptionally well and after winning a tough opening game that could
have gone either way 13-11, he made very light work on the 2nd
winning it easily 11-2. The hard pace Gamal was hitting the ball at
suited Mohohlo and his retrieving style of play and so at 0-2 credit
must be given to Gamal for completely changing his strategy and
slowing the pace right down for the 3rd and 4th games which although
quite close, he always looked as though he was going to win.
Start the 5th and again Gamal tried to pick up the pace and again
Mohohlo took an easy 6-1 lead! Some brilliant and long long rallies
were fought for and slowly Gamal reeled in his opponent to make it
6-6. Two quick points to Mohohlo and the packed gallery sensed he
had it but again Gamal refused to give up and won 3 quick points
himself. 8-9 down and Mohohlo digs deep to push Gamal to every
corner and secure himself a match ball. He plays the next point
brilliantly and sets up a drop shot opportunity from just behind the
T and Gamal behind him, only to hit the tin and allow Gamal back in.
Two good rallies from the Egyptian and it was all over for the local
boy trying to make his first PSA final!
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06-May, Quarters:
And then there were 4!
Paul Atkinson reports
It seemed as though four of our eight quarter finalists were in a
real hurry to get through their matches tonight and save as much
energy as possible for the upcoming semis!
Both the first two quarter finals of the night did not get past the
30 minute mark with number onr seed Angus Gillams
comprehensively outplaying Diego Gobbi in just 25 minutes
before the number 8 seed JP Brits also ran fellow countryman
Christo Potgieter off the court in just 27 minutes himself.
Gillams and Brits never looked in any trouble and used their matches
to groove their shots and movement ahead up their showdown against
each other.
Not to be outdone Mazen Gamal, a previous top 100 player
himself, was ruthless in exposing the tired legs of local Gary
Wheadon in 31 minutes and again showing superb crisp ball
striking and flowing movement around the court. Wheadon put up a
good fight in the first to get to 6 all but from there on out he was
always struggling with the pace of Gamal.
Last match of the evening was between another two locals in the form
of number 4 seed Thoboki Mohohlo and previous top 30 player
in the world Rodney Durbach.
Strangely enough the two haven’t played each other very often but
when they have Durbach has managed to use all his experience to win
through. This time though Mohohlo used his speed and recovery to far
greater effect and managed to win the first two games comfortably
before Durbach changed his game and managed to win the third quite
easily.
The fourth was good tough squash with neither player giving an inch
and at 9-7 up Durbach looked as if he would take it to 5 but Mohohlo
played some great squash to close out the game and the match 12-10.
Two great matches await with all four players well deserving of
their places in the semi-finals in Cape Town.
And then there were 4, well 3!
Gamal and Mohohlo with Gillams’ arm
around
his invisible opponent Brits!
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05-May, Round Two:
And then there were 5!
Paul Atkinson reports
Five
local South Africans have moved into the quarter finals of the last
PSA event in SA for 2015.
 The local made to work hardest for his win
was number 3 seed Christo Potgieter who at 2-1 up looked as
he if was in for a comfortable win over Joe Green only to lose
the 4th badly and then find himself 5-10 down in the 5th.
Seven
straight points later of top squash and Potgieter had managed to
sneak through by the finest of margins!
The only other five setter of the evening featured another local,
Gary Wheadon who went on to beat the number 7 seed Baba Ajagbe
in 65 minutes of gruelling and attacking squash with both players
putting their bodies on the line.
 The featured match of the night however was always going to be
between number 2 seed Nathan Lake and Mazen Gamal
- each a winner over the past 2 weeks in SA.
Lake’s body seemed to
still be a little tired from Friday’s final and Gamal on the other
hand looked sharp and very hungry for the win.
Some great squash,
great rallies and wave of attack after attack by Gamal proved to be
a little too much for Lake tonight and Gamal deservedly got his
revenge over the same player who beat him 3-0 last week. It was 61
minutes in the end and 3-1 to Gamal this time round.
With two matches tomorrow night featuring locals versus each other and
on separate sides of the draw, places for South Africans in both
semi-finals is guaranteed but they will certainly have there work
cut out for them as an Englishman and Egyptian are looming very
large and looking strong.
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Locals progress in Cape Town
Paul Atkinson reports
With nine locals qualifying for the main draw courtesy of the lucky
loser also being a local, the WP Open 2015 was always going to be a
very favourable event for the South Africans.
A total of 15 appeared in the first round with seven of these
progressing through to the second round after good wins over players
from all over the world.
Seven of the eight top seeds all progressed with only the number 6
seed Arthur Moineau of France losing in straight games to local
qualifier Rodney Durbach.
The number three seed Christo Potgieter was made to work
exceptionally hard for his win in five over fellow South African and
wild card Ruan Olivier.
The pick of the second round matches will see the two winners of the
two other South African PSA tournaments played over the previous two
weeks take on each other - Mazen Gamal won the Assore Central
Gauteng Open and Nathan Lake won last week’s Keith Grainger
Memorial UCT Open.
Three very happy winners! Bobbi, Pereira and Roude
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