[9/16] Fares Dessouky (Egy) 3-0 [1] Mostafa Asal (Egy) 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 (47m)
PSA report
In a surprisingly attritional start to the match, Dessouky established a two-point lead at 7-5 by finding outright winners and being helped by Asal errors. Dessouky went about his business solidly and went through to 10-6, converting the game the first time of asking.
Scrappiness started to creep in the second game at 7-5, with both players trying their best to hold their position in the middle and make the most of hitting into space. Asal was penalised with a stroke at 9-9 to give Dessouky the first game ball of the game and a chance to take a crucial 2-0 lead.
Despite an outrageous cross court nick from the World No.1 to level the score, Dessouky responded again and after being given another stroke he close it out 13-11. [Asal was penalised for his movement, which on both occasions saw Desouuky on the floor]
Asal was now becoming increasingly frustrated with the referee and himself it seemed. The World No.1 was not hitting the crisp lines that we’re so used to and Dessouky was capitalising on heavy drops to move in and punish the top seed. So often, it’s Dessouky’s concentration that lets him down in matches, but that was not the case in tonight’s contest as he stormed through the gears to earn four match balls at 10-6 and despite Asal saving one of them, Dessouky closed the game out 11-7 to win in straight games and book his place in the last eight.
🗣 "Every time after the match he talks badly about me but today I’m not going to do the same."@FaresDessouky has his say after a HUGE win 👀#BlackBallSquashOpen pic.twitter.com/t9x9FS7XDJ
— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) March 3, 2023
Fares
“I’m very happy to win the match, every time I play Mostafa, it’s very tough but today I played my best squash.
“He’s the World No.1, he’s so talented, but the last couple of times we played each other, he was very dodgy in terms of his movements. Today was the first time we played a clean match since Canary Wharf. Every time after the match he talks badly about me but today I’m not going to do the same.
“He deserves everyone to respect him on court because he’s the World No.1, but it’s unacceptable that every time he talks about players in a bad way. Hopefully, that will stop very soon.
“He has to take advantage of his body but it can harm the players on tour. At the end of the day it’s squash, it’s a very classy sport, so everyone needs to watch the players play a clean match in a clean environment. With the talking and everything going on, it’s not good for the sport, but I hope it goes well in then next couple of years.”
