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Al Tamimi Holds Off Hanson in Five-Game Atlanta Open Final

l-r: Atlanta Open finalist Chris Hanson, Tournament Director Andre Maur, champion Abdulla Al Tamimi.
l-r: Atlanta Open finalist Chris Hanson, Tournament Director Andre Maur, champion Abdulla Al Tamimi. (image: Matthew Pace)

Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi held off Team USA’s Chris Hanson in a marathon five-game Life Time Fitness Atlanta Open final Sunday at Life Time Athletic in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Hanson was making just his second and largest PSA final appearance after progressing through the main draw as the two seed. Hanson didn’t drop a game on his way to the final, which included a semifinal victory over three seed and former world No. 33 Eric Galvez.

Top-seeded Al Tamimi lost just one game before the final against surprise semifinalist and eight seed, Clinton Leeuw, who upset four seed Kush Kumar in the quarterfinals.

The final was the first PSA match up between the top two seeds. Al Tamimi earned the early advantage in the first game 11-9, before Hanson responded by winning the second and third games 11-4, 11-9. Al Tamimi forced a fifth game by claiming the fourth 11-9, where he claimed his maiden PSA title 11-5.

After making his SquashTV debut as the Wild Card in the world series Windy City Open last week, and his second PSA final appearance this weekend, Hanson now readies for the U.S. S.L. Green Men’s Championship in Charlottesville, March 17-19.

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