Black Ball Open QF: Asal Downs Dessouky In Feisty All-Egyptian Affair 

World No.4 Mostafa Asal saw off the threat of Egyptian compatriot Fares Dessouky in a feisty four-game encounter to progress to the semi-finals at the Black Ball Sporting Club.

Both players flew out of the blocks, taking extremely aggressive ’T’ positions and firing in a number of nicks within the first handful of points. Despite Dessouky stringing together some well-constructed rallies, costly errors at the backend of the first ultimately helped Asal to a one-game advantage. 

No.2 seed Asal, who moved effortlessly across the court throughout the contest, continued to grow in confidence in the second game, hitting a heavy length on the all-glass court in Cairo to double his lead by an 11-6 scoreline. 

As the ball began to soften in the third, ‘The Raging Bull’ started to lose his length, with Dessuoky matching Asal stroke for stroke in a third game that was dominated by refereeing decisions and interference in the middle of the court. 

Despite letting three game balls slip through his grasp, and a number more in the subsequent tie-break, Dessouky eventually managed to get a game on the board after squeezing Asal out down the forehand wing at 14-13 up. 

Strokes continued to be handed out to both players as the fourth progressed, but it was Asal who managed to take a significant buffer in the mid-phase of the game. The 22-year-old moved to match ball at 10-6 up and took victory when Dessouky clipped a return of serve into the tin. 

After the match, Asal said: “It was a tough match as always. Fares, I’m feeling sorry for him having been nn and off with injuries. He’s an unbelievable player. He’s the kind of player who could be World No.1 easily.

“He has been winner here once as well so he always has success here as well. He can beat anyone with his physicality.

“As I said yesterday, I can’t play very tournament as intense because the tournaments are every 10 days, so I’m enjoying my week, my matches, preparing for the biggest tournaments that are coming up, like the World Championships.”

Result: 

[2] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 11-6, 13-15, 11-6 (62m)