2nd Kuwait International: Almezayen Secures Epic Victory

Home favourite and former World No.33 came through the field, knocking out four of the five top seeds to win the 2nd Kuwait International Squash Championship in Hawally on Wednesday evening.

Almezayen, who is now outside the world’s top 250, came into the tournament unseeded, and started his campaign on home soil with a solid win against Egypt’s Salman Khalil to move through to the second round.

The Kuwaiti then came from a game down to defeated No.5 seed Wong Chi Him in the last 16. He lost the first game 12-10, before fighting back to win in four, including taking a fourth game tie-break 14-12. That was followed by a convincing straight games win over No.2 seed Martin Svec, where he dropped just ten points in the entire contest.

In the semi-finals, Almezayen downed No.4 seed Seif Shenawy, again winning in straight games. This time, a fist game tie-break, which the Kuwaiti won 12-10, was the key, as he then dropped only eight more points across the next two games to take the win.

Almezayen then took on top seed Yassin Elshafei in the final in Hawally, and with the home crowd behind him, he downed the Egyptian in straight games. The second game was crucial, with the Kuwaiti taking it 14-12 en route to a 3-0 victory, as he lifted his first title in four years.

Results: 2nd Kuwait International Squash Championship
Final
Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) bt [1] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 14-12, 11-6 (40m)

Semi-Finals
[1] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) bt [WC] Falah Mohammad (KUW) 3-1: 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (44m)
Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) bt [4] Seif Shenawy (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 11-4, 11-4 (33m)

Quarter Finals
[1] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) bt Ziad Ibrahim (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 13-11, 11-9 (42m)
[WC] Falah Mohammad (KUW) bt [8] Perry Malik (ENG) 3-2: 4-11, 15-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4 (115m)
[4] Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt [7] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 3-1: 12-10, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9 (36m)
Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) bt [2] Martin Svec (CZE) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-0 (25m)

Second Round
[1] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) bt Laszlo Godde (FRA) 3-2: 11-5, 4-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (50m)
Ziad Ibrahim (EGY) bt [6] Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 3-1: 14-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5 (51m)
[8] Perry Malik (ENG) bt Sepehr Etemadpoor (IRI) 3-1: 9-11, 11-1, 11-4, 11-2 (35m)
[WC] Falah Mohammad (KUW) bt [3] Khaled Labib (EGY) 3-2: 11-6, 10-12, 11-2, 7-11, 11-7 (54m)
[4] Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt Matthew Lai (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 (32m)
[7] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) bt Lewis Doughty (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 (35m)
Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) bt [5] Wong Chi Him (HKG) 3-1: 10-12, 11-9, 11-4, 14-12 (48m)
[2] Martin Svec (CZE) bt [WC] Mohammad Almasoud (KUW) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 (35m)

First Round
Laszlo Godde (FRA) bt Athbi Hamad (KUW) 3-0: 11-9, 17-15, 11-8 (42m)
Ziad Ibrahim (EGY) bt Sahand Kabirjabbari (IRI) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-1 (15m)
Sepehr Etemadpoor (IRI) bt Sohail El Shenawy (EGY) 3-2: 4-11, 7-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-8 (62m)
[WC] Falah Mohammad (KUW) bt Yousif Thani (BRN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 13-11 (20m)
Matthew Lai (HKG) bt Hasnaat Farooqi (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 (30m)
Lewis Doughty (ENG) bt [WC] Ali Alamezi (KUW) 3-0: 4-2 rtd (4m)
Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) bt Salman Khalil (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 (28m)
[WC] Mohammad Almasoud (KUW) bt Abdelaziz Hegazy (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 (47m)