U.S. Open: Farag Overturns Match Ball to Beat Momen

World No.1 Ali Farag advanced to his seventh successive PSA World Tour Platinum final after he came back from match ball down against fellow Egyptian Tarek Momen in a nail-biting five-game battle at Philadelphia’s Arlen Specter US Squash Center.

Farag has been the man to beat on the PSA Tour in 2023 and had lost just once in his last 36 matches ahead of today’s encounter, while he was in the midst of a 10-match winning run against Momen.

The form book was almost thrown out of the window by an age-defying performance from 35-year-old Momen, who caused significant issues for the two-time U.S. Open champion and was full of confidence after ending a 12-match losing streak against World No.4 Mohamed ElShorbagy in the previous round. 

Momen was doing the majority of the attacking against a passive Farag, who struggled to find his way into the match in the first two games, with Momen targeting the backhand front corner in particular.

It looked like the veteran may finally get the better of his foe as he progressed to match ball up in the third, but he was agonisingly unable to convert. Farag kept his head to send the match into a fourth game, which he took control of to earn a decider.

The fifth game was scrappy as both players felt the pressure, with 11 refereeing decisions made throughout the game. Farag just had enough quality to push ahead to two game balls and, while Momen saved one of them, there was no preventing Farag from moving through to his fourth U.S. Open final.

“It’s not hard to put 110 per cent in, in front of this amazing crowd,” said Farag.

“There is a lot of hard work that goes on when you’re at home alone, and I’ve got a great team around me. They keep pushing me and getting the best out of me. Three of them are here with me, Mike [Way], Nour [El Tayeb] and my very good friend Hossam as well and they gave me a big push.

“We’re staying together in one house and they keep me going. But then you come up against an unbelievable player in Tarek. I saw him play so well the other day and I thought that I was ready for it, but I wasn’t.

“In the first two I was outplayed, probably in the third as well, and I got a little lucky today.”

Result

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [8] Tarek Momen (EGY) 3-2: 8-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-2, 11-9 (80m)