Mostafa Asal (Egy) 3-2 [7] Diego Elias (Per) 7-11, 14-16, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (77m)
I didn’t get to see much of the match, I was actually watching Greg/Iker but my attention was drawn in when I heard the crowd cheering getting louder and louder, I knew we were going for an upset…
Asal is still a baby. I know, he is pretty big, and looks strong and all, but he is so young. And the pressure is on him. Ranked 22 in the world at only 18, people want him to win every match, and he is really trying to best. He is a big guy as well, and if he doesn’t move perfectly, the block is there, as the Mighty Wall of China!
I’m told it was not too bad movement wise, the end, I was one big block that John Masserally, one of the most experienced ref, penalised immediately with a conduct stroke, that took us from 9/4 to 9/6 in the fifth
Nervous times for all, and I feel that if the crowd helped the young Egyptian to win, it got under the skin of Diego, who started to complain about the attitude a bit too exuberant for his taste (“sit down Wagih” like).
But it’s the Egyptian factor that hits again a top seed, and Asal is in the third round…
Mostafa
I told you yesterday, a new day, a new squash….I can only thank God that I won yesterday, I didn’t play good squash at all, and was dragged into his, I’m so lucky I won.
Today I was not playing too badly, up to 7/7 in the first game, but then far too many errors, and the second, although longer 16/14, again, too many unforced errors. I think I had put too much pressure on me, and thanks to my coaches, I realise that the pressure shouldn’t be on me. That if I lost, so what? He was the highest ranked player and that nobody was expecting me to win.
Today, I felt I was moving better, much better than yesterday, I was really flying all over the place.
So for the rest of the match, it was more of a mental battle, and I need to thank the crowd, they are the one that made me win. I’m very grateful….
