King of the Motor City: Elias three-peat with 3-1 win over Hesham

King of the Motor City: Elias three-peat with 3-1 win over Hesham

By Andrew Graham
The Motor City Open

Birmingham, Michigan —The Motor City Open Presented by Sturbridge Capital crowned Peru’s Diego Elias its champion on Sunday. Again.

The second-seed and World #4 completed a hat trick of titles — the first player ever to achieve that distinction in the tourney’s 22-year history — with a 3-1 win over Egypt’s Mazen Hesham. It was a fourth consecutive appearance in the Motor City Open final for Elias and the third in a row. As the records fell, Elias also eclipsed his coach – and squash legend – Jonathon Power in winning the title more than twice.

 

With a title on the line, Elias came out strong. Arguably in the best form of any player in the world at the moment following his romp through the field at New York’s Tournament of Champions last week, the 6’2” Peruvian played crisp, clean squash for the first two games, giving Hesham no quarter.

In game one, Elias dispatched Hesham, 11-3. He was similarly dominant in the second, 11-4.

Four-seed Hesham sent shots into the tin, frustrating himself in the process. After another miscue in game one, Hesham let out a yell. When he launched a ball into the tin to lose the second, he flung down his racket and trudged from the court.

But despite momentum and a crowd ready to celebrate his win, Elias couldn’t close in game three.

“(Hesham) played very well the third game and I didn’t know what to do,” said Elias afterwards. “I lost my game a little bit.”

With no margin for error, Hesham dug deep and gave everything he had to catch Elias. After mistakes plagued his first two games, Hesham seized the initiative and willed an 11-6 third game decision.

But everything Hesham poured into winning the third seemed to cost him in the fourth. The Egyptian just didn’t have the juice left to complete a comeback.

“I knew the start of the fourth was going to be very important,” said Elias. “And I’m just happy I got the lead at the start.”

Elias jumped ahead 6-1, and Hesham again yelled at himself before pulling up the bottom of his shirt to cover his head. Doubled over, he thumped his racket into the court for good measure.

After his semifinal win over Faris Dessouky, Hesham complained of tight, sore shins. As the final wore on, his movement became labored. It was a hard-fought performance, but the reigning champion wasn’t to be denied.

“Just very happy with my performance this week. After New York, I knew it was going to be tough playing like this, this week,” Elias said. “I’m just very proud of myself for doing it.”

Though the path to the final certainly wasn’t an easy one for Elias, the ease with which he chewed through his opponents in the round of 16, quarterfinal and semifinal showed his talents.

After a first round bye, Elias dispatched Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar, 3-1, in the round of 16. He then cruised to a straight-set win over France’s Gregoire Marche in the quarters setting up a showdown with the hot-handed Tarek Momen of Egypt in the semifinals.

Momen pushed Elias in the first game, but the Peruvian won out with his blend of size, length and power, 3-0. Whether it was championship mettle from prior MCO finals or his world-class form, Elias looked comfortable again on Sunday.

When Hesham sent one final shot into the tin, sealing Elias’ third championship, all he could do was toss his racket aside and congratulate the Perivian.

“It’s almost like a home tournament for me,” Elias said to the appreciative crowd in the post-match ceremony, his arms full of the MCO trophy and a Longines watch from Greenstone’s Jewelers.

Final:

Elias (2) def. Hesham (4), 3-1 (11-3, 11-4, 6-11, 11-3)