[wc] Adam Hawal (Egy) 3-1 Curtis Malik (Eng) 13-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2 (48m)
This match was a tough one for me to watch. I grew very close to the Malik Team, and really appreciate them all. So I try and watch their matches as much as I can. And today, Curtis, the Elder of the 5, was playing one of the Egyptian juniors I have been following from his first shots….
Adam is not your normal chicaboom Egyptian junior, flashy, and killing the ball every three seconds! No. Adam is working hard, he is patient, he is relentless, and of course, he’s got that little “je ne sais quoi” that the Egyptians have, that ability to kill the ball from anywhere…
Adam is a clean junior. Very clean, very fair. He doesn’t block, he doesn’t push, he doesn’t endanger his opponents. “Fram, it’s only a sport”…. How refreshing. How incredibly refreshing to know that the future of Egyptian Squash has that lovely, adorable face.
Talking about adorable faces, his little brother, Adam, is his biggest fan and burst into tears at the end of the match. He is very gifted too I’m told.. The Egyptian Talent Factory is going well, thank you…
As for the match today, I am not exactly sure what happened on there in the 4th.
Rewind.
I guess the first game is the turning point? Maybe mentally, that is, not physically.
Curtis and Adam were racquet to racquet, 3/3, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6, with the English edging ahead, 9/6, 10/7. Looked like the opener was ironed and folded. But the young man, 17 years old, and WR252, just saved point after point, 4 game balls for Curtis came and went, and the Egyptian managed to close the crucial game 13/11 in 16m.
Note that Curtis made 5 unforced errors – pressure, I would say, none from the Egyptian, ah, being 17 again, no fear, no care in the world…
Excellent response from the Wing Man in the second, but very close at the business end of the game, 10/8, 11/9 in 12m. Adam was penalised mid game for not giving access to the ball.
From that point on, Curtis seemed very subdued. Was he injured? Or just overwhelmed? I honestly don’t know. I didn’t see any obvious signs of injury but that doesn’t mean zip, now, does it.
From 3/3 to 11/4 in the third, and 9/0 in the 4th, 11/2. Again, not sure what happened.
Adam
It’s amazing, I remember being a kid watching this tournament at the pyramids. I can’t believe I’m playing here and I won my first round match!
I’ve been training for that moment a lot.
“I wouldn’t be here without my family and my coaches, thanks to them, and I’m so grateful the Egyptian Federation has granted me the wildcard. It’s a privilege to be here.
Today is a family win. My mum and my dad were the ones who were playing first, they introduced me to squash. When I was 7, I fell in love with squash. And they have been supporting me ever since. This one is for them.
They are with me, whether I’m happy or sad, so thanks to them, and to my team, of course.
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