Chifunda In Riveting Win over Yehia at HI-Tec Open:
Karim Yehia fades in Fifth
June 6, 2004, By Ron Beck; SquashTalk Independent News Service © 2004

Irvine Fans Treated to High Quality

Patrick Chifunda parlayed fine touch and explosive power to beat Karim Yehia in Irvine photo: © 2004 Debra Tessier

In front of 75 enthralled fans at the upscale Sportsclub LA/Irvine in Irvine California, two of the top players residing in America, Karim Yehia and Patrick Chifunda, stanged a riveting and high-quality squash contest in the finals of the HI-Tec Orange County PSA Open today (Sunday).

After the sweat settled, Chifunda emerged the victor, but not before surviving a devastating offensive salvo from Yehia that kept the outcome in total doubt — in fact Yehia appeared to hold the upper hand through much of the contest — until a few points into the final game.

KARIM'S ATTACKING BOAST
Karim Yehia has two crucial weapons, the high cross-court lob and the attacking boast, that Patrick Chifunda either doesn't possess or doesn't choose to use.

Those two weapons were the difference throughout the first two games. Both players were in the mood to attack from the opening bell. Both players tested each other extensively with a breathtaking repertoire of front court shots — both touch and hard kills — but each was up to the challenge. This led to point after point where the rallies moved from one front corner to the other and spent very little time in the back of the court.

But the attacking flurry, which Yehia initiated but which played well to Chifunda's preference and style, led to leads for Chifunda throughout game one. In fact, Chifunda reached a lead of 11-7. But then Yehia saw the pattern, and switched to a length game, punctuated with pinpoint attacking boasts. Yehia retook the lead, running to 14-11, but a strange let call on a Yehia winner at 14-11 broke his momentum and made him work a lot harder that game - it would be a crucial problem for him later. Yehia did take the first, working Chifunda into three errors in overtime to give him the first 17-14.

The second game didn't have the same lead changes. Again both players were attacking and probing for possible weak points. It was pretty much even, but the difference was a wonderful Yehia volley drop at 4-6, a phenomenal run of touch to bring him to 7-6, then at 11-11 very tight play from Yehia, finished with a perfect attacking boast at 14-11.

Much of the audience, especially an enthusiastic contingent of Palestinian and Egyptian spectators, at that point felt the match was going to Yehia. But Yehia had been working a bit harder than Chifunda. Yehia was covered in sweat, and Chifunda somehow seemed very fresh.

THE SHIRT BREAK

Karim Yehia treated the partisan crowd in Irvine to wonderful touch, but ran out of gas in the fifth photo: © 2004 Debra Tessier

At 7-8 in the third, Yehia took an extended break between points, to carefully tuck in his shirt, which signalled his tiredness. By 13-13 in the third, Yehia appearted to be barely hanging on. A very crucial and questionable call happened at that juncture, with Yehia being penalized with a "no-let" call on a very routine let on the backhand wall. That gave Chifunda a critical 14-13 lead, and he converted it with a hard dying drive to the forehand that was just out of the grasp of the desperate Yehia.

Chifunda took a very rapidly developing lead to 8-3 in the fourth. It seemed that Yehia was going to concede the game. But he gathered his strength. At this point, the level of squash went up an order of magnitude. It was clear that Yehia was making his crucial stand, and Chifunda was responding. It was highest level squash in every respect. No more attacks with abandon. It was very tight, very intelligent tactical squash at its best. Each player looking for the opening and the weak point. Yehia made a run of wonderful points on long rallies that moved from section to section of the court. The battles down the backhand rail were especially intriguing. Yehia got to a lead of 10-8. At this point, Chifunda called on some special deep reserve of desire, and won two quick points with some wonderfully instinctive power and precision.

EXPLOSIVE POWER
Chifunda now was unveiling his own weapon to counter Yehia's lobs — it was his explosive power, which was now effective as a change of pace. Chifunda scored a dramatic volley-drive on the forehand to even the game at 11-11 and then another to take a 12-11 lead. Chifunda was on the verge at 14-12 but Yehia played a wonderful low cross court winner to get to 14-14. Chifunda was now the victim of a terrible no-let call at 15-15, but he got back to 16-16 on a great drop shot that hugged the backhand wall.

Yehia's tin on a forehand drop at 16-16 lost him the game and essentially the match. The score was 2-2 but Yehia was through. He could hardly move in the fifth game and lost quickly 15-7.

Karim told SquashTalk, "Patrick played great today. But I was really suffering out there. Maybe it was something I ate last night, my stomach was bothering me from the first game." Regardless, it was a fine match and opened some eyes in Orange County, which was seeing high level PSA tournament squash for the first time.

Results: HiTec Orange County Open [draw/results]
Finals:
Patrick Chifunda (RSA) [2] def Karim Yehia (EGY) [1] 14-17 12-15 15-13 17-16 15-7

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