Windy City Open 2024 Presented By The Walter Family QF: Asal Fights Back to Down Elias in Five

Mostafa Asal fought back from 2-1 down to beat Diego Elias in a five-game thriller, reaching the Windy City Open semi-finals for the first time. 

The pair have struck up quite a rivalry over the last few years, with each of their last five meetings taking more than an hour, and controversy often playing its part. 

The most recent of those was a five-game marathon at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, which went Elias’ way after 90 minutes of action, and it was the Peruvian who made the better start here, taking game one 11-7. 

The rally that clinched that game for Elias ended with an Asal backhand into the tin, his sixth error on that side of the court, but the Raging Bull was a different beast in game two. 

From 5-3 down, Asal won eight of the next nine points to level the score at one game all, highlighted by a James Willstrop-esque windmill fake followed by a slammed forehand into the nick. 

With Willstrop in his corner, Asal was then forced to call for the physio upon getting a nosebleed between games – as he had done in Houston last week – and the delay appeared to halt his momentum. 

An audacious ‘tweener’ got the crowd excited but did little to help Asal’s cause, as Elias closed out the game to move within one of victory, an Asal lob looping out to end the game.

But back came the Raging Bull once more, opening up an 8-2 lead with Elias appearing to have thrown in the towel to focus on the fifth. 

A collision on court sent both players tumbling to the floor, and while Elias did threaten a comeback, closing the gap back to 9-6, the young Egyptian had enough to get over the line, ripping a backhand winner out of Elias’ reach on game ball. 

Tensions were running high with a place in the final four at stake, as both players drilled the ball down the channels in the opening rallies of game five, hitting tight against the walls. 

It was Asal, though, who played the cleaner game, cutting out the errors that had plagued his play in the opening game. 

He raced into a 7-1 lead, before the game descended into a battle of interference. Yes let followed yes let, with referee Roy Gingell called upon at almost every turn, but it was the video referee who made a crucial call at 9-6. 

A controversial no let was given to hand match ball to Asal, and he clinched it a few shots later when Elias hit the tin, following his victory with a unique celebration in which he faked a pulled hamstring before breaking out into a dance.

“It’s unreal,” Asal said after the match. 

“Just to be playing Diego in the ‘new Mostafa’ form is difficult. It brings back all the bad days, but it’s more flowing, it’s good squash. 

“There was just a little bit of time where he was not clearing or I was not clearing, but it’s just two big guys, so it was really well dealt with by Roy Gingell and credit to him. He makes the matches quiet and calm and I’m happy with my performance for sure. 

“It’s tough to find the balance between really calm and ‘raging’ so I’m really happy to perform again and to dig in.  

“There were lots of difficulties on the road, but I was telling him [Willstrop], every champion will not be 100% every day. I fixed the right nose and then it [a nosebleed] happens in the left nose. Houston it was the right nose, here it was the left nose.

Speaking on the tense fifth game, Asal added: “He played his best squash in those few points and it was incredibly tight. In the fifth game, even if you are leading, he’s just coming back and there was lots of pressure coming into it, but I’m really happy with it.” 

Asal also gave a quick insight into the story behind his interesting celebration. 

“I saw it on Facebook and I felt like it was an amazing celebration, and thought, why not, I can do it.  

“So when I was warming up, I was motivating myself that if I win, I would do it. It’s something from my past. I love it and the kids love it, and why not after everything was good and clean.” 

Result: 
[5] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt [2] Diego Elias (PER) 3-2: 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6 (83m)