Gamal Takes Out Makin to Reach Chennai Semis

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Number six seed Mazen Gamal recovered from a 2-1 deficit to record a superb victory over 20-year-old Joel Makin in the quarter-final of the JSW Indian Squash Circuit Chennai, PSA M10 tournament.

The opening game was a brutal affair with both players partaking in a war of attrition with Makin eventually prevailing to take the lead. Gamal was more consistent in the second thouh and a late surge from the Egyptian towards the end of the game was enough to level proceedings.

The effort to win the second appeared to have taken its toll on Gamal in the third as Welshman Makin raced back into the lead but the World No.94 took heart from a couple of well-placed nicks to turn the match on its head, recording a 10-12, 14-12, 4-11, 11-7, 11-5 triumph to reach the last four.

“Last time we played in Ukraine in December 2014 he won and that was my first tournament after I came back from military service and after finishing my bachelor degree [in Mechanical Engineering],” said Gamal.

“I am happy to play better this time and I have improved a lot since last year. The match was too long today but I got more used to the court and the conditions so I was able to feel the ball more.”

Compatriot Mohamed Reda lies in wait in the semi-final after he dispatched Kush Kumar in a 3-1 victory. The two traded a number of high-octane blows early on but Reda raced away in games three and four to see off his teenage opponent.

Top seed and leading home hope Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu will also appear in the semi-final after he beat Malaysian qualifier Mohd Syafiq Kamal. The last qualifier left in the tournament, Egyptian 18-year-old Youssef Soliman, will be his opponent there after he defeated Abdullah Al Muzayen.

Results – Quarter-Final: JSW Indian Squash Circuit Chennai 2015
[1] Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (IND) bt [Q] Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (42 mins)
[Q] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) 3-1: 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (41 mins)
[6] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt [3] Joel Makin (WAL) 3-2: 10-12, 14-12, 4-11, 11-7, 11-5 (83 mins)
[2] Mohamed Reda (EGY) bt [5] Kush Kumar (IND) 3-1: 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-2 (44 mins)

Draw – Semi-Final
[1] Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (IND) v [Q] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
[6] Mazen Gamal (EGY) v [2] Mohamed Reda (EGY)