LIVERPOOL: Ramy Ashour, widely regarded as the brightest new star in world squash in more than a decade, cast doubt about his future after suffering a shock defeat in the British Open.
The 20-year-old Super Series champion from Egypt reckoned he might only have another two years in the tour after sliding to an injury-afflicted second round loss to Mohammed Azlan Iskandar.
Ashour was in tears trying to explain his stunning 11-1, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8 exit to the eleventh seeded Malaysian, and cut short his post-match interview to grieve and hide.
I feel I am abusing myself, abusing my body, Ashour s words struggled out. I have to revise myself and stop myself and see what I am doing, he went on, apparently meaning that he needed to stop competing and take stock of his deteriorating fitness.
If I keep going like this I won t last two more years, Ashour concluded before suddenly disappearing.
He had however agreed with his questioners that had hamstring problems in both legs as well as ankle injuries and difficulties with his lower back, though he was reluctant to take credit away from Iskandar s victory.
Ashour considered having an operation on an ankle earlier in the year but his success in winning the Tournament of Champions title in New York in January decided him to soldier on.
But now his movement was clearly restricted and when Iskandar was able to attack, he often scored heavily. But it was not easy for the underdog, especially when the second seed appeared for the match wearing white tights.
When he appeared like that I didn t know what to expect, Iskandar said. No – I m not being cheeky, the Sarawak-born man added quickly as his audience started laughing.
You have to make the best of the situation. It s a bit intimidating. It was really psychological. You force it a little bit because you think he is injured and then he suddenly hits the ball well.
But a win is a win – I know that six or seven months ago I would have bottled it.
There was pressure on Iskandar when Ashour came back from 1-6 to 5-6 in the third game, but a mixture of desperate over-ambition from the Egyptian and tenacity from the Malaysian decided the next three pivotal points in Iskandar s favor.
Ashour then led 3-1, 6-5, and 8-7 in the fourth game and might well have summoned the adrenalin to survive a fifth had it gone that far, but three times he hit the tin from very good positions and after that appeared to lose heart.
Iskandar next plays Thierry Lincou, the 32-year-old former world number one who outplayed Alex Gough of Wales in three straight games and now believes he can do even better than last year when was runner-up in the first all-French final. – AFP
