Masotti marches to Maiden title on Kish Island

#PSAWorldTour

Rising French star Baptiste Masotti soared to his first PSA World Tour crown after overcoming Pakistan’s Asim Khan in the final of the Iran Squash Federation Kish Persian Gulf, PSA M5 tournament to become the first Frenchman to claim the title since Yann Perrin in 2010.

Seeded fourth for the event, Masotti outwitted several tough opponents en route to the final, locking horns with qualifier Mohammed Ferman Hasan in the semi-final which he took in four to progress to the showpiece finale. Number three seed Khan also performed strongly in the opening rounds to set up an intriguing semi-final meeting with top seed Khawaja Adil Maqbool. After being overwhelmed by his compatriot in the first two games, 19-year-old Khan responded in emphatic fashion, taking three games without reply to complete a monumental five game triumph and secure a spot in his second PSA World Tour final.

In the final, both Masotti and Khan treated a captivated crowd to some thrilling and heart-pounding rallies with Masotti ultimately taking the opener courtesy of a dramatic tie-break victory.

However, World No.146 Khan dealt a serious blow to the Frenchman’s title challenge in the second, taking the game 11-9 to level the scores before Masotti bounced back in a highly competitive third game to reestablish his lead.

The 21-year-old continued his imperious form into the fourth to secure a gutsy 15-13, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9 victory and claim his first ever PSA World Tour title in his fourth final.

Result – Final: Iran Squash Federation Kish Persian Gulf 2016
[4] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt [3] Asim Khan (PAK) 3-1 : 15-13, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9 (72m)

By Jonny Coverdale