RESULTS:    Palestra In Forma Squash Open, Bergamo, Italy

1st round:
[1] Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt Marco Vercesi (ITA) 11-2, 11-4, 11-5 (26m)
[7] Fabien Verseille (FRA) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 11-9, 4-11, 11-5, 11-8 (41m)
Peter Creed (WAL) bt [3] Piedro Schweertman (NED) 12-10, 11-4, 8-11, 12-14, 13-11 (72m)
[Q] Adam Fuller (ENG) bt [6] Domagoj Spoljar (CRO) 11-1, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6 (35m)
[Q] Rudi Willemse (RSA) bt [8] Gianvito Allegretti (ITA) 11-8, 4-11, 11-1, 14-12 (40m)
[4] Joan Lezaud (FRA) bt Andrea Bianchetti (ITA) 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 (28m)
[5] Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt [Q] Filippo Tartaglini (ITA) 11-2, 11-4, 11-2 (21m)
[Q] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) bt [2] Luca Mastrostefano (ITA) 11-1, 11-5, 12-10 (29m)
    Quarter-finals:
[1] Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt [7] Fabien Verseille (FRA) 11-7, 17-15, 11-8 (45m)
Peter Creed (WAL) bt [Q] Adam Fuller (ENG) 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-1 (39m)
[Q] Rudi Willemse (RSA) bt [4] Joan Lezaud (FRA) 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 (48m)
[Q] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) bt [5] Gary Wheadon (RSA) 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (32m)
    Semi-finals:
[1] Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt Peter Creed (WAL) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (31m)
[Q] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) bt [Q] Rudi Willemse (RSA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (36m)
    Final:
[Q] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) bt [1] Steve Finitsis (AUS) 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4 (58m)


Egyptian Amr Khaled Khalifa has joined a select group of players who have won a Tour title in their maiden appearance in a Professional Squash Association (PSA) event – a feat achieved by his compatriot Ramy Ashour, the reigning World Open champion – when he picked up the Palestra In Forma Open crown in Italy.

But unlike Ashour, winner of the Athens Open in November 2004 aged 17, Khalifa was only 16 – and a qualifier – when he battled for 58 minutes to beat top-seeded Australian Steve Finitsis 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4 in the final of the inaugural $3,000 Satellite event at Palestra In Forma in Bergamo.

Amr Khaled Khalifa made his breakthrough in the first round when be beat experienced Italian Luca Mastrostefano, the No2 seed, 11-1, 11-5, 12-10 in just 29 minutes.

The Cairo teenager went on to despatch fifth seed Gary Wheadon and fellow qualifier Rudi Willemse, both from South Africa, to reach the climax without dropping a game.