Article courtesy of the Professional Squash Association. Image courtesy of Matthew Pace. 

Egyptian Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry celebrated his twentieth birthday in the best possible style when he upset an opponent ranked twelve places higher to claim the sixth PSA World Tour title of his career at the Hampco Houston Open in Texas.

The No. 2 seed from Cairo reached the final of the PSA Challenger 15 event at the Life Time Athletic City Center in Houston without dropping a game. 

But Stephen Coppinger, the top seed from South Africa, was tested in his semifinal where he was taken to four games by fourth seed Campbell Grayson before seeing off the New Zealander 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9.

After dropping the opening game in the final, twenty-nine-year-old Coppinger – ranked twenty-three in the world – drew level when he took the second game.

But birthday boy Ga Sabry regained control of the contest, pulling ahead after the third game then clinching the fourth to earn his shock 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7 title triumph.

“Mazen produced his best squash of the event in the final by beating Coppinger in fifty-nine minutes,” said tournament promoter Andre Maur (pictured above flanked by Sabry, right, and Coppinger)

Semifinals:
[1] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [4] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9
[2] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) bt [3] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-4, 11-6, 12-10

Final:
[2] Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) bt [1] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7 (59m)