By IANS,
Kolkata : In the longest three-game match either player had ever played, World No.3 Karim Darwish overcame fellow Egyptian Omar Mosaad 12-10, 12-10, 11-4, in the final of the Kolkata International squash tournament here at the Calcutta Racket Club.
The battle of 91 gruelling minutes for a straight games win was a reflection of how the two Egyptians fought for each and every point. The match ended Sunday night.
Mosaad, currently ranked 17 in the world, had lost in the Kolkata International semi-finals two years ago, but was not overawed playing someone ranked 14 places above him.
Both the first two games went to tie-breaks, with Darwish, who had defeated India No.1 Saurav Ghosal in the semi-finals, coming out on top at crucial points of the games.
Frustrated by not being able to get his nose ahead of higher-ranked opponent, Mosaad buckled in the third as Darwish closed out the historic match 12-10, 12-10, 11-4.
“I am recovering from a hamstring injury and so I wanted to come here and win so that I can take a few points. It would help my ranking,” explained Darwish, after the longest recorded 3/0 match on the PSA World Tour since October 2008.
The 29-year-old from Cairo is celebrating his second PSA Tour title in a row after winning the CIMB KL Open in Malaysia last month and the 21st of his career.