Ramy & Palmer In Canadian Classic Final
Semi-finals:
[6] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8 (65m)
[2] David Palmer (AUS) bt [13] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 5-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 (85m)
Egyptian teenage squash star Ramy Ashour will face Australia's world No2 David Palmer in the final of the PACE Canadian Classic after both players prevailed in semi-final clashes lasting more than an hour at the John Bassett Theatre in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Whilst it will mark World Open champion Palmer's 16th appearance in the final of a PSA Super Series event, it will only be Ashour's second. It was in his first, at the Cathay Pacific Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Open in October, that the 19-year-old from Cairo first beat Palmer to reach the event climax!
The capacity audience in the 1000-seat John Bassett Theatre roared and gasped in turns as sixth seed Ashour beat Australia’s Anthony Ricketts, the No5 seed, in four action-packed games.
Ashour, ranked sixth in the world, started in over-drive and was 7-1 up before Ricketts had settled into the game. Although Ricketts fought back, he was unable to close the gap as Ashour ran away to a first game lead. In the second, Ricketts was fully warmed up and kept the rallies going, waiting for Ashour’s youthful exuberance to go for bad shots. It worked beautifully and it was the Australian's turn to win and draw level.
The young Egyptian fought back from 2-6 down to take the third, then won the fourth to secure the match 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8 in 65 minutes - much to the delight of the visiting Egyptian Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency Dr Mahmoud El-Saeed!
"He went faster than me and I tried to hit too many winners," Ashour said, explaining his loss in the second game. "Anthony is an explosive player, but I like to play fast. That was always my game, but now I have to slow it down – I’m playing the big guys now," said squash's charming young sport ambassador.
Reaching his sixth PSA Tour final in only 26 months is the latest chapter in the remarkable career of the Egyptian teenager who was ranked well outside the world's top 30 just a year ago.
The second semi-final was another Egyptian/Australian confrontation, but played with a very different style. Wael El Hindi, ranked 15 in the world, did not let the difference in ranking worry him as he attacked Palmer from the outset, catching the Australian a foot off the pace and taking the first game with ease - belying the fact that the 26-year-old Egyptian was playing in his 31st Super Series event, but his first semi-final!
Palmer took control of the second game to draw level - but failed to continue his dominance in the ten-minute third game as the fearless, always smiling, El Hindi once again used his shots to take a 2/1 lead. The Australian came back in the fourth game, and leading from the start, tied the match.
The fifth game was a comedy of errors with arguments, counter-arguments - and El Hindi taking a three-minute injury break after completing a full rally after he had twisted his leg. Palmer objected, and the subsequent debates with the referee began to turn the match into a minor United Nations!
El Hindi, all smiles, came back to the court late and still had a sock and shoe to put on. Palmer, far from amused by the extended delay, maintained his cool - taking the game to 10-6. El Hindi hit two more wonderful winners to get to 10-8, but Palmer secured the match 5-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 after 85 minutes when the Egyptian flew flat on his back during a futile dive to get to the ball.