Weekend Roundup: Ibrahim and Alsarraj Claim Title Triumphs

#PSAWorldTour

Two PSA World Tour events came to a close this weekend, with Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim and World No.151 Mohammad Alsarraj taking the plaudits at the Open D’Italia and the Cronimet Open, respectively.

World No.233 Ibrahim started out in qualification for the Open D’Italia, but stunned the field as he beat the top three seeds en route to his maiden PSA World Tour title, with Bernat Jaume and Patrick Rooney falling in five games as he pitted himself up against pre-tournament title favourite Baptiste Masotti in the final.

But despite the 129-place World Rankings gap between the two,17-year-old Ibrahim was in inspired form to dispatch the Frenchman in four games to seal his first Tour title win, which is sure to see him surge up the rankings next month.

2017 Open D’Italia – Results

Final
[Q] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt [1] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 3-1: 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8

Semi-Finals
[Q] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt [3] Patrick Rooney (ENG) 3-2: 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8
[1] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt [WC] Yuri Farneti (ITA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 12-10

Quarter-Finals
[Q] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt [2] Bernat Jaume (ESP) 3-2: 10-12, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12, 15-13
[3] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt [6] George Parker (ENG) 3-2: 8-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7
[WC] Yuri Farneti (ITA) bt Nick Mulvey (ENG) 3-2: 5-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7
[1] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt [7] Daniel Mekbib (CZE) 3-1: 8-11, 11-2, 13-11, 11-5

First Round
[2] Bernat Jaume (ESP) bt Jan Ryba (CZE) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-1
[Q] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt [8] Victor Crouin (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 12-10, 12-10
[6] George Parker (ENG) bt [Q] Matthew Broadberry (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5
[3] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Claudio Pinto (POR) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-9
Nick Mulvey (ENG) bt [4] Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-6
[WC] Yuri Farneti (ITA) bt [5] Lyell Fuller (ENG) 3-1: 11-4, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11
[7] Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bt [Q] Ludovico Cipolletta (ITA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-6
[1] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt [Q] Mohamed Saied (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 12-10

Alsarraj also beat the top three seeds on the way to victory as he lifted the Cronimet Open trophy in Skelleftea, Sweden to claim his second consecutive PSA World Tour title after winning the IMET Open back in December.

The 18-year-old beat England’s Joe Green and Frenchman Auguste Dussourd en route to a final win over Scotland’s Douglas Kempsell, defeating the number two seed in a gruelling five-game final that lasted 74 minutes.

Alsarraj’s victory in Sweden was the third PSA World Tour title of the 18-year-old’s burgeoning career, a figure he will be hoping to boost when he takes part in the Annecy PSA Open next month.

2017 Cronimet Open – Results

Final
[6] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR) bt [2] Douglas Kempsell (SCO) 3-2: 6-11, 11-3, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5 (74m)

Semi-Finals
[6] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR) bt [3] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 3-2: 4-11, 11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11 (60m)
[2] Douglas Kempsell (SCO) bt [4] Matias Tuomi (FIN) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (42m)

Quarter-Finals
[6] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR) bt [1] Joe Green (ENG) 3-1: 11-4, 13-11, 11-13, 11-7 (50m)
[3] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt [7] Jami Äijänen (FIN) 3-2: 5-11, 11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4 (68m)
[4] Matias Tuomi (FIN) bt [8] Adrian Ostbye (NOR) 3-1: 5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6 (46m)
[2] Douglas Kempsell (SCO) bt [5] Mark Fuller (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (42m)

First Round
[1] Joe Green (ENG) bt [Q] Roshan Bharos (NED) 3-1: 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-1 (51m)
[6] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR) bt James Peach (ENG) 3-2: 10-12, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (43m)
[7] Jami Äijänen (FIN) bt [Q] Hendrik Vossing (GER) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (31m)
[3] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Bradley Masters (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (39m)
[4] Matias Tuomi (FIN) bt David Clegg (AUS) 3-0: 11-1, 11-3, 11-6 (35m)
[8] Adrian Ostbye (NOR) bt [Q] Tess Jutte (NED) 3-2: 11-13, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 (70m)
[5] Mark Fuller (ENG) bt [Q] Scott Young (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 (35m)
[2] Douglas Kempsell (SCO) bt [WC] Aryan Ahmed (SWE) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-7

By Sam Allsop