Atlanta Open: Salem Wins For First Time in Five Years

Egypt’s Zahed Salem is a winner again on Tour for the first time since 2018, as he claimed the Atlanta Open title this weekend.

The Egyptian reached as high as World No.14 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has since dropped out of the world’s top 50. However, this will be a big step in getting back into the major’s once again.

Salem came into the Atlanta Open as the No.5 seed for the Challenger 10 level competition. He would go on to play four matches at the Concourse Athletic Club, with all four going the distance. 

He received an opening round by, before then defeating Pakistan’s Nasir Iqbal in a five-game battle, one that lasted just over an hour, to make the quarter finals. In the last eight, he came up against compatriot Seif Shenawy, who had caused an upset the previous day. It looked like the same might happen again, with Shenawy taking a two-game lead, but Salem fought back brilliantly to win the next three games, dropping just 12 points on the way.

The semi-finals saw the Egyptian take on No.2 seed and home favourite Timothy Brownell. The American came form a game down to lead 2-1 after winning both the second and third games 11-9, but Salem would fight back one more. He won the fourth 11-7, before then taking the fifth 11-8 to book his spot in the final after a 95-minute classic.

Salem would then complete the set, and go the distance in the final as well. He took on the tournament’s surprise package, Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue. The Japanese No.1 led after three games, but again, the former World No.14 battled. He won the fourth comfortably, before then taking the decider 11-7 to secure his first win in five years.

Results: Atlanta Open
Final
[5] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-2: 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7 (63m)

Semi-Finals
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [1] David Baillargeon (CAN) 3-1: 14-12, 11-2, 8-11, 11-4 (51m)
[5] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt [2] Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-2: 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8 (95m)

Quarter Finals
[1] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt [7] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 13-11, 11-9 (48m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [8] Christopher Gordon (USA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (26m)
[5] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Seif Shenawy (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-3, 11-7 (61m)
[2] Timothy Brownell (USA) bt [6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 14-12 (43m)

Second Round
[1] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (45m)
[7] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR) 3-2: 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3 (59m)
[8] Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL) 3-2: 11-6, 11-13, 11-7, 2-11, 11-6 (71m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [3] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 3-2: 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 7-11, 11-7 (70m)
Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt [4] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (48m)
[5] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Nasir Iqbal (PAK) 3-2: 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7 (62m)
[6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Spencer Lovejoy (USA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (41m)
[2] Timothy Brownell (USA) bt Mark Broekman (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-1, 11-5 (28m)

First Round
Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) bt Abdelaziz Hegazy (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (23m)
Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR) bt Finnlay Withington (ENG) 3-2: 5-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-8 (51m)
Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL) bt Noor Zaman (PAK) 3-0: 11-7, 12-10, 11-1 (33m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt Jamie Ruggiero (USA) 3-0: 11-1, 11-3, 11-2 (19m)
Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt Chris Fuller (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (32m)
Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt [WC] Fletcher Cline (USA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-1, 11-4 (20m)
Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt [WC] Muhammad Ibrahim Noorani (PAK) 3-2: 8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (41m)
Mark Broekman (ENG) bt [WC] Aaron Luque (USA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (22m)