R1: The Upset of the Day – Zakaria 3/0 Tarek
Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) 3-0 [5] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-6, 12-10, 12-10 (59m)
17-year-old wonder kid Mohamed Zakaria scored the only seeding upset of the opening round so far as he defeated former World Champion and current World No.6 Tarek Momen in straight games to reach the third round of a Platinum event for the third time in his career.
Zakaria was not holding back from the outset of the match, holding his own around the middle of the court and working the ball into good areas to disrupt Momen. The World No.25 showed no signs of any nerves and looked determined to score an upset on day one and after winning the opening game 11-6, looked like he would take some stopping.
Momen started to find his range in the second game and tried to use his trademark short game to trouble Zakaria but the teenager was up to the task. He managed to edge ahead on the scoreboard at 11-10 and converted the game ball to lead by two games to love.
In a scrappy third game, both players were determined to leave it all out on the court. Momen earned the first game ball at 10-9 to breathe more life in the contest but back came the youngster, winning three points in a row to close out the game, remarkably in three games, to score his biggest win and move into the next round.
Jonathan Power – coach to Zakaria
My collaboration with Mohamad is a new project, we’ve only been working together for the past, 6 weeks, 2 months?
He’s got an incredible potential and desire, more than anything. He wants it so bad, so I’m happy to help out. He’s got a great work ethic, he really wants it, and he has something really special.
The opportunity came up that we could collaborate and work together under the Aspire Academy in Doha, training all together with Abdullah Al-Tamimi. Aspire has been really supportive, and that’s where the credit is due really.
The training group we have now is great, great services, and he is playing great squash! He just beat the former World Champion, world number 6, it’s pretty impressive. It’s his first time top 10 win, so I know what it means to him. He makes me think of Greg when he was young, they have one thing in mind, where they want to go, and they don’t stop to smell the flowers…
Zakaria : This is my best win this season. I worked so hard for this win.
First of all, I need to say a word about my father. He is the reason why I achieved so much in squash.
Right after that, I want to give a special word to Jonathan, he really switched me on, and made me the player I am right now.
I used his expertise really well. He put work with me day in day out, we only started working together 2 months ago. And I’m really, really thankful for his input.
We were so prepared for this match, as soon as the draw was out, I wanted to win the match!
I could have been more attacking but against Tarek, it’s tough. He gets into your mind, if you let anything open, and you don’t get your target at the front, you are going to lose it. So I was just a bit usure, whether should I go in or just stay like that and wait.
But I’m happy with the way it turned out, really.
I think the way I played the big points made the difference today. As soon as we would go to 7/7, 8/8, I was so, so clever, so smart in my squash. I knew how important the rally was, how important it was to win it, that it could change the whole match, so I was playing them differently, and I was getting his best shots back, and I showing him I would be able to get them 20 times if I had to.
I’m so thankful, the court today should favour him, but I was so happy with the way I played, closing it out in three and against a player like Tarek. It’s a statement. A wake up call for the rest, to know that I’m coming!
