Squash star Ashour saves match point, into British Open last-8

Ramy Ashour, the most charismatic player of the modern era, produced one of his most extraordinary performances in surviving a 3-9 final game deficit, and saving a match point to reach the quarter-finals of the British Open.

The three-time World Open champion from Egypt eventually needed an hour and three-quarters to win 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 9-11, 13-11 against Ryan Cuskelly, a very unlucky 15th-ranked Australian.

Ashour was within sight of a routine victory at two games up and 3-2 in the third game, after which his dominance was eroded so continuously during prodigiously long rallies that he was plunging towards the exit at 3-9 down in the fifth game.

In between these giddying extremes of fortunes Cuskelly suffered a cut hand which brought a 12-minute delay, and altered the entire mood and momentum of the contest.

Ashour has never lost from two games up, but he was within an inch or two of that at match point down at 10-11 in the decider, when he produced a flicked backhand volley winner of outrageous quality.

Perhaps even more important to Ashour, whose career has been under prolonged threat from so many injuries, is that he lasted an hour and three-quarters of ferocious action, apparently without harm.

From his perspective that may have been the most encouraging thing of all.

His first match, against Cesar Salazar on Monday, had been "scary", he said.

At any moment he felt he was at risk of another, perhaps career-terminating injury.

"But today I was always moving, back and forth, back and forth -? and it didn?t hurt my body too much," he added.

"I am just grateful for that, and grateful still to be playing."

On the three match points, two of his own and one against him, he strove to keep his tactics simple. It was a good policy.

Eventually Cuskelly, having played so many fine long rallies and returned so many difficult balls, put a forehand drive down.

The Aussie had been tenacious and mobile and moved the ball around well, and despite his immense disappointment there was very little more that he could have done.

Ashour kissed the floor before leaving.

"I am just pushing a mountain, and it's hard. If the injury has told me anything about myself, it is that I a very strong mentally," he said.

He next plays compatriot Ali Farag, won also won a five-gamer, by 4-11, 13-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4 against Nick Matthew, the third-seeded three-time former champion.

This was less of a surprise than it seems.

Farag has risen to seven in the world after beating three top ten players, including Matthew, en route to winning the Motor City Open title in Detroit in February, and he moved too sharply and fluently in cool conditions against his less than fully fit 35-year-old opponent.

He may even have ended Matthew's career. Afterwards the Englishman said: "I don't think I have been fully fit for a year now, and I have to go away and consider my future.

"I can't go on like this ? one wrong movement and my ankle goes again. I have had a great career and I have to work out whether I can come back from this.

"But Ali (Farag) is the finished article. He's the one I see who?s going to be up there now challenging the best."
Source: AFP