Hafiz Upsets Anjema in Chartres:
(Also, Second Round through Semis Reports)
May 30 2004, By Howard Harding; SquashTalk Independent News Service © 2004

RESULTS: Chartres Open Squash Championship, Chartres, France

Final:
[7] Mohamed Essam Hafiz (EGY) bt [2] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 15-11, 11-15, 13-15, 15-5, 15-12 (85m)

Hafiz Is Top In Chartres

Egypt's Mohamed Essam Hafiz celebrated his first PSA Tour title in some style in Chartres when he upset second-seeded Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema in a five-game final thriller in the first Chartres Open Squash Championship in France.

Anjema, the 21-year-old from The Hague who lifted the Dutch Open title last week, looked on course to win his second successive title after reaching the final without dropping a game.

However Hafiz, the seventh seed, made his breakthrough when he ousted France's No3 seed Jean-Michel Arcucci in the quarter-finals - and followed this unpopular local upset in the semi-finals where he removed a second Frenchman Stephane Galifi, the qualifier who had earlier beaten the top seed Jan Koukal.

In a dramatic final which saw the underdog fight back from 1/2 down, 27-year-old Hafiz ultimately prevailed 15-11 11-15 13-15 15-5 15-12 over Anjema in 85 minutes to register his maiden success on the PSA Tour in only his second appearance in a final.Semi-finals:
[7] Mohamed Hafiz (EGY) bt [Q] Stephane Galifi (FRA) 15-9, 15-7, 15-6
[2] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Julien Balbo (FRA) 15-7, 15-9, 15-10

Domestic Hopes Shattered In Chartres

Local hopes of an all-French final in the Chartres Open Squash Championship were dashed when the giant-killing runs of qualifier Stephane Galifi and wildcard entrant Julien Balbo came to an end in the semi-finals in the French city of Chartres.

Second-seeded Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema kept alive his hopes of a second PSA Tour title in eight days when he dismissed Julien Balbo 15-7 15-9 15-10 to reach the seventh PSA final of his career.

The 21-year-old from The Hague, where he claimed the Dutch Open trophy last week, will now face seventh seed Mohamed Hafiz. The 27-year-old Egyptian triumphed 15-9 15-7 15-6 over Stephane Galifi to reach his second career final.

Quarter-finals:
[Q] Stephane Galifi (FRA) bt Eric Galvez (MEX) 13-15, 15-13, 17-16, 16-17, 15-2
[7] Mohamed Hafiz (EGY) bt [3] Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) 15-13, 15-9, 15-14
Julien Balbo (FRA) bt [Q] Andrew Whipp (ENG) 15-10, 15-13, 14-17, 15-10
[2] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [5] Alex Stait (ENG) 15-13, 15-9, 15-14

French Final In Prospect In Chartres

The remarkable prospect of an all-French Chartres Open Squash Championship final was set up when qualifier Stephane Galifi and wildcard entrant Julien Balbo claimed dramatic and unexpected places in the semi-finals of the new PSA Tour event in the French city of Chartres.

In a finely-balanced quarter-final clash at the top of the draw, Galifi overcame Mexican Eric Galvez 13-15 15-13 17-16 16-17 15-2 - just twenty four hours after removing the Czech Republic's top seed Jan Koukal.

Galifi, at 269, the lowest-ranked of the 13 Frenchman in the PSA World Rankings, now meets Egypt's No7 seed Mohamed Hafiz, who upset France's third seed Jean-Michel Arcucci 15-13 15-9 15-14.

Following his first round defeat of Pakistan's sixth seed Arshad Iqbal Burki, Balbo beat English qualifier Andrew Whipp 15-10 15-13 14-17 15-10 to earn a semi-final meeting with Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema.

The in-form second seed, who won the Dutch Open title last week in The Hague, swept to his second successive straight games win with a 15-13 15-9 15-14 victory over fifth-seeded Englishman Alex Stait.

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