Mahesh Mangaonkar, ranked World No. 56, won a rare first home professional circuit event when he defeated the top seed and World No. 45 from Egypt, Zahed Mohamed, in the final of the JSW PSA Challenger Tour 10 squash event at the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old local champion won the 52-minute final 14-12, 15-13, 11-4; it was his second PSA title this year and fourth since he turned professional four years ago.
Competing against the Egyptian for the first time in a PSA event, Mangaonkar picked up three vital points at 11-all to win the pulsating opening game in 20 minutes. He then showed his resilience to level scores at 10, rallying from a 0-6 deficit and clinch the second in 24 minutes. He broke away from 3-all in the third game and finished it in eight minutes.
Mangaonkar, who lost to Harinderpal Sandhu in the Jaipur-leg of the Challenger Tour 10, has not entered the third leg scheduled to start at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) here on October 16.
Sandhu is the top seed for the NSCI event, which will also see Dipika Pallikal in action for the first time in the JSW-WSA Tour 5 event. Perhaps it’s the first time in a PSA and WSA event where two Indians will have the top billing.
Egypt’s Nouran El Torky, 21, won her third title in a month’s time. She reached the final of two Malaysian PSA events in September, won one and also triumphed in the Tour 5 event at Jaipur last week.
On Sunday, she outclassed her French rival, Chloe Mesic, in straight games.
The results (finals): Men: Mahesh Mangaonkar (Ind) bt Zahed Mohamed (Egypt) 14-12, 15-13, 11-4.
Women: Nouran El Torky (Egypt) bt Chloe Mesic (France) 11-3, 11-5, 11-6.
