RESULTS: KIG Squash Open, Los Angeles, USA
Semi-finals:
[3] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt [1] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-3, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8 (52m)
[2] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [4] Tom Richards (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (42m)
Canada's Shahier Razik upset fellow Cairo-born Tarek Momen, the favourite, in four games in the semi-finals of the inaugural KIG Open to reach the final of the $28,000 PSA World Tour squash event at Los Angeles Athletic Club in Los Angeles, USA.
The third-seeded Canadian came out of the blocks the quicker, racing ahead to take a fairly quick opening game. The second followed a similar pattern, but it was 21-year-old Momen who had the upper hand through the third before Razik, aged 32, fought back in the fourth to win 11-3, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8.
"I've played him enough times to know he goes on the attack right away," said Razik, now in the 31st PSA Tour final of his career. "So I wanted to be on my toes and get attacking from the start so that he couldn't get into that comfort zone. When he's ahead he can attack from anywhere and he's difficult to stop.
"I did a little work for a few rallies in the third and he got away and outplayed me in that period, so I decided to save my energy for the fourth and I guess it worked out in the end."
Toronto-based Razik will now face another Egyptian in the final after second seed Omar Mosaad overpowered Tom Richards, the fourth seed from England in straight games.
For two and a half games, Mosaad was brutalising the Englishman, dominating the court and putting away crashing drives and winners into the nick almost at will.
Richards changed his tactics midway through the third game and almost forced the game into a tie-break before Mosaad clinched his 11-6, 11-5, 11-9.
"I was playing well for the first two and a half games, then he started coming back in the third," said Mosaad, the world No23. "He made a joke, I lost concentration and got a bit nervous, but I really wanted to win this to get to the final, and to win it in three."