Flying Farag Fells Matthew To Take Motor City Title

Just three weeks after failing to progress beyond the first qualifying round of the Tournament of Champions in New York, young Egyptian Ali Farag produced the performance of his life to upset ToC runner-up Nick Matthew in the final of the PSA World Tour M70 Motor City Open to win the biggest title of his career.

The win was the 23-year-old from Cairo's third consecutive defeat of a top ten player in as many days. After overcoming compatriot Mohamed Elshorbagy, the world No.1 and defending champion, in the quarter-finals, Farag again impressed against world No.9 Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet in the semis before registering his first ever victory over Matthew, the three-time world champion currently ranked three in the world.

"This is definitely the best week of my career by far," said the Harvard graduate after his 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7 title triumph in 50 minutes. "I've showed myself that I can compete with these guys and have the mental toughness to do it three days in a row. Hopefully this is going to be the beginning of a good future."

After falling behind 2-6 out of the blocks to former world number one Matthew, Farag was able to find his rhythm, hitting two winners and outplaying his 35-year-old opponent on multiple occasions to take the first game.

Matthew stormed back with a vengeance in the second game, winning five straight points from three-all before drawing level.

"The first game I should've done better," Matthew said. "I turned it around in the second, but I got off to a bad start in the third and he started to read me."

Farag was unstoppable in the final two games, coasting in the third, then getting off to a flying start in the fourth that put everyone on notice that it would be the youngster's night.

On the opening point of the final stanza Farag made a diving attempt to save the point. Two shots later, he hit a masterful backhand for a winner that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. Farag reached game ball at 10-4 - and, while Matthew was able to fight off three championship points, the Harvard graduate that turned pro barely a year ago finally put the Englishman away with another beautiful backhand, 11-7.

"In the third and fourth, you have to go up an extra gear if you want to compete," Farag explained.

Matthew added: "He was on a roll. The crowd was feeding on him. The last few points was the first time I felt tired all week. Credit to him for getting me to that point."

Receiving the MCO trophy, Farag credited all who came to watch him play over the last four days. The rising star said he would be back in 2017, and that he appreciated the opportunity to play in front of people who truly appreciate the players' efforts on the court.

"If you ask any player, they would tell you that this is one of the best tournaments on tour," Farag said. "We feel at home, and everyone takes care of us. It's an unbelievable feeling."