Jones Scores PSA Double In Nairobi

Jones Scores PSA Double In Nairobi

Welshman Gavin Jones stormed to his second successive PSA Tour title victory in seven days – on different sides of the world – when he despatched top-seeded Egyptian Mohamed Essam A Hafiz in a dramatic five-game final of the Nairobi Squash Open at the Nairobi Sports Club in the Kenya capital.

The 25-year-old from Maesteg battled through to his fifth PSA final this year after beating Egyptian qualifier Mohamed Ali Anw Reda when the 16-year-old from Cairo retired during the third game.

In the final, Hafiz opened up a two-game lead against the second seed.  But Jones persevered to draw level – then overturned his opponent's advantage by taking the fifth game to record a 7-11 6-11 11-9 11-3 11-8 upset in 60 minutes.

It was exactly a week earlier that the Welshman celebrated his maiden PSA title triumph in the USA, where he won the Baltimore City Open.

RESULTS:        Nairobi Squash Open, Nairobi Sports Club, Nairobi, Kenya

1st round:
[1] Mohamed Essam A Hafiz (EGY) bt Jago Nardelli (ENG)                11-7, 11-5, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7 (54m)
[5] Bradley Hindle (AUS) bt Tom Richards (ENG)                             11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-10 (2-0) (44m)
Julien Balbo (FRA) bt [3] Lee Drew (ENG)                                        10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (66m)
[Q] Rob Sutherland (WAL) bt [8] Marton Szaboky (HUN)                 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (28m)
[Q] Mohamed Ali Anw Reda (EGY) bt [6] Mark Krajcsak (HUN)         11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 (58m)
[Q] Lazarus Chiluba Chilufya (RSA) bt [4] Christopher Gordon (USA)   11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9 (55m)
[Q] Darren Lewis (ENG) bt [7] Ahmed Mohsen Hassaan (EGY)           11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-4 (46m)
[2] Gavin Jones (WAL) bt Robin Clarke (CAN)                                   11-2, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5 (42m)

Quarter-finals:
[1] Mohamed Essam A Hafiz (EGY) bt [5] Bradley Hindle (AUS)        11-10 (3-1), 11-7, 11-3 (45m)
Julien Balbo (FRA) bt [Q] Rob Sutherland (WAL)                              11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 11-8 (59m)
[Q] Mohamed Ali Anw Reda (EGY) bt [Q] Lazarus Chiluba Chilufya (RSA)         11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (40m)
[2] Gavin Jones (WAL) bt [Q] Darren Lewis (ENG)                            11-10 (2-0), 11-3, 11-6 (30m)

Semi-finals:
[1] Mohamed Essam A Hafiz (EGY) bt Julien Balbo (FRA)                  11-4, 11-9, 11-8 (38m)
[2] Gavin Jones (WAL) bt [Q] Mohamed Ali Anw Reda (EGY)             11-7, 11-4, 3-1 ret.

Final:
[2] Gavin Jones (WAL) bt [1] Mohamed Essam A Hafiz (EGY)            7-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-8 (60m)