Ong Beng Hee Reclaims Malaysian Open Title
Five years after becoming the first local player to win the country’s premier squash title, Ong Beng Hee survived his second successive marathon to reclaim the CIMB Malaysian Open trophy - much to the delight of the packed crowd at the National Squash Centre at Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur.
The Penang-born 25-year-old made his breakthrough in the semi-finals of the $30,000 PSA Tour event when he toppled top-seeded compatriot Mohd Azlan Iskandar, the defending champion, in a dramatic five-game 102-minute upset.
In the final – the 15th of his career - third seed Beng Hee faced Egypt’s Wael El Hindi, the fourth seed.
The UK-based Malaysian came through the first game after a tiebreak – and went on to establish a two-game lead. But El Hindi came back to take the third game before Beng Hee re-established his authority and marched through to an 11-10 11-6 8-11 11-7 victory in 71 minutes.
The success marked the tenth PSA title of Ong Beng Hee’s career – and the biggest since winning the Macau Open in November 2001.
RESULTS: CIMB Malaysian Open Squash Championship, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Final:
[3] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [4] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 11-10 (3-1), 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 (71m)