Squash Emcee Andy Taylor | The Voice of the Qatar Classic | Photo: Steve Cubbins
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Mazen Hesham -35- (EGY) def Chris Simpson -39- (ENG)
Match recap from Squash Emcee Andy Taylor, the Voice of the Qatar Classic.
[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-check-circle”] Round-1 Final: 5-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (51m)
Make it 200 PSA match victories for Mazen Hesham.
Hesham remains one of Egypt’s most dynamic talents. But let’s be honest, with the country’s squash dominance over the past decade, that leaves very little room at the top. Performance consistency is the key, which requires a mental stamina most modern athletes struggle to attain. Surrounding himself with the right people, Hesham is capable of getting there.
Today’s win over Chris Simpson was Mazen’s first in Doha since his Semifinal run in 2015 – his best PSA Platinum run to date. He is now 2-1 against Simpson on Tour. Their previous matches were Platinum qualifiers:
[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-caret-right”] 2018 Tournament of Champions [Q] – Mazen Hesham | Score: 11-3, 11-8, 11-8 (43m)
[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-caret-right”] 2013 British Open [Q] – Chris Simpson | Score: 11-6, 11-8, 11-3
Here’s a look at each player’s introduction for today’s Round-1 match…
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Mazen Hesham -35- (EGY)
At 24-years-old, he returns to Doha for the first time since 2015, when he made an inspired run to the Semifinals. That year, he upset World #7 Omar Mossad, then current World #2 Ali Farag, and reached his first career Platinum-level Semifinal…without losing a single game. By the end of the year, he jumped to a career-high ranking of #13 in the World. Remarkably, he won 6 PSA titles by his 20th birthday – and now owns 7 titles in 9 championship match appearances. Competing in his 3rd Qatar Classic Squash Championship – From Egypt, please welcome 2015 Semifinalist – Mazen Hesham
▲ This is Mazen Hesham’s 200th career match on the PSA World Tour
Chris Simpson -39- (ENG)
This 31-year-old owns 10 PSA titles, has been ranked as high as World #20, and has enjoyed two career-firsts here in Doha. 3-years-ago on this court, he scored one of the biggest upsets of his career, earning a top-10 win over Marwan ElShorbagy to reach the 2nd-Round of the Qatar Classic for the first time. He also enjoyed a career-best run on this court at the PSA World Championship…When Doha hosted the sport’s biggest tournament in 2012, he reached the 3rd-Round with a 5-game victory over World #11, L.J. Anjema. A 14-time Finalist on Tour, earlier this season, he helped lift Paderborn to a record 9th European Club Championship. Competing in his 7th Qatar Classic Squash Championship – From England, please welcome the #39 Player in the World, Chris Simpson.
