QF: Ziko grinds Karim down in 4 and 81m

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Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) 3-1 [3] Karim Gawad (EGY)  9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 (81m)

If Zak was relaxed and in control against Joel in the second round, Karim was a completely different kettle of fish! From the first rally, Karim put the 18 years old Alexandrian boy through the mill, the grill and more!

It was a high quality first game, two errors from Karim right at the start, and 0 for Zakaria. The tone was set.

Not much between them, Karim calling the shots, and Zak picking them up, counterattacking them, repeat at will. 10/8, 11/9, 15m.

The second started after a few minutes delay to allow the court to dry – and I’m sure the players didn’t mind too much have a few seconds more to rest before the storm hit Gouna again!

4/4, 5/5, but this time, it’s Zak that takes the lead, 8/5. Karim won’t have it. 8/8, 9/9. A winner from Zakaria, and a tin from Karim (only his second of the game), that’s 1 game all, 11/9.

The crucial third lasted 25m of mad squash, four corners being savagely attacked by both, lobs, lovely feathery volley drops.. the whole of squash shots played in a single game…

5/5 6/6 7/7. Two clips of the corner for Karim and it’s two quick stroke, 9/7. At game ball Zak, we had about 346 lets (slight exageration, but you see the point) and it’s again the Alexandrian that clinches it, 11/8.

Karim gave away 6 points (3 tins, 3 strokes), Zak 0.

With a new ball, Zak was flying around the court, and it was a 12m 9/2, 11/5 game for the young contender…. Only one error from Zakaria.

PSA report

Eighteen-year-old World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria advanced to his first Platinum semi-final on the PSA Squash Tour after overcoming No.3 seed Karim Gawad.

Following his statement three-game win over No.5 seed Joel Makin in the previous round, Zakaria made it back-to-back upsets on the stunning all-glass court as he took down the World No.4 by a 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 scoreline.

In a scrappy match, with regular stoppages due to traffic in the middle of the court and constant dialogue with the match referee, it was Zakaria who managed to overturn a one-game deficit to clinch his second successive win over Gawad after 81 minutes of play.

Ziko : “It feels amazing

“To do it in front of my family is amazing as well. It’s my first Platinum semi-final of my career and with all these top contenders at the event it’s amazing.

“The stop and go, I know how to play these situations, but it was really weird, because as soon as one of us got momentum, there was a stop and a conversation with the referee. Then you have to start again and try to tire him all over again.

“Maybe I didn’t play my best today, but all credit to him, he put me in terrible positions and I wasn’t as free on court. I’m really pleased to have gotten out of a situation like this and it’s nice to fight another day on this court.”