Gaultier Goes As Momen Marks Best Ever Win In Cairo

Egyptian qualifier Tarek Momen produced "my best win ever" when he defeated France's world No2 Gregory Gaultier in the first round of the Petrosport International Championship to record a major upset in the new $140,000 PSA Super Series Platinum squash event at the Sky Club in Cairo.

"I don't know what to say - I really can't believe it," the Cairo-based 20-year-old told www.squashsite.co.uk after his 4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 14-12 victory in 64 minutes.

"I didn't expect that I could win today. The first game he was controlling, so I thought that he would win like he did in the World Open in 2006. Then I said to myself to stop the mistakes, and that was the key. I started to play more and more length and it worked very well.

"I am very happy - this is my best win ever and today is my mum's birthday. I want to give it to her as a gift."

Second seed Gaultier had match balls at 11-10 and 12-11 in the decider, but Momen kept coming back before clinching his dramatic victory. The defeat marked two-time World Open runner-up's first opening round loss in a PSA Super Series event since December 2003!

Momen, who also reached the last sixteen in the Kuwait Open in April, now goes on to face Borja Golan after the 14th seed from Spain battled to an 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5 victory over unseeded Egyptian Omar Abdel Aziz in 75 minutes.

There was a further upset earlier in the day when unseeded Pakistani Farhan Mehboob twice came from behind to topple Cameron Pilley, the 13th seed from Australia, 7-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7 in 80 minutes.

The 19-year-old from Peshawar will now meet Malaysian Ong Beng Hee. The seventh seed, fresh from his impressive title success in last week's Malaysian Open, despatched German qualifier Simon Rosner in an 11-8, 11-9, 11-7 scoreline.

1st round (bottom half of draw):
Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt [13] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 7-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7 (80m)
[7] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [Q] Simon Rosner (GER) 11-8, 11-9, 11-7 (39m)
[11] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (81m)
[4] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (33m)
[16] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 6-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 (66m)
[8] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [Q] Stephane Galifi (FRA) 11-2, 8-11, 11-2, 11-8 (42m)
[14] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5 (75m)
[Q] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 14-12 (64m)