Leung Chi Hin Henry staged an impressive fightback to beat Ramit Tandon in five games, as action got underway at the PSA World Tour Gold event HSC 2024 Houston Men’s Squash Open.
Tandon had won the pair’s only two previous matchups on the PSA Tour without dropping a game, but it was a different story on the glass court at the Houston Squash Club, as Leung battle back from 2-1 down to reach round two.
It was Tandon who took game one, but Leung – playing his first match since getting married a fortnight ago – increased his tempo in game two, playing at a higher pace and showing off some impressive retrieval skills to level the score.
The Indian regained control in game three, winning it with a forehand drive that sent Leung the wrong way, but just as he done in game two, Leung upped the pace in game four, sending the match into a decider with a deep squeeze on the backhand side.
Perhaps feeling the physical strain, Tandon let Leung out to an early lead in game five, and while he threatened to stage a comeback of his own, it was too little, too late, as the 28-year-old wrapped up victory on a forehand smash down the line.
“I’m very happy to get a win today,” Leung said after his victory.
“My opponent, Ramit, is a very talented player but today I was also playing well, and I just tried to make it physical.
“I tried to go forward more, to attack more, push up the court a little bit, so it’s amazing.
“It’s my first time here in Houston, and the court is very good. I’m happy to get the win today and it’s a good New Year for me.”
Leung was joined in round two by Egypt’s Karim El Hammamy, who came through a five-game test of his own, beating England’s Simon Herbert.
Like Leung, El Hammamy had to fight back from 2-1 down, showcasing his speed and movement around the court along the way.
Never was that more noticeable than at 2-2 in game four, when he followed a sprawling dive at the back of the court with a delicate dropshot winner at the front, setting the tone for his comeback.
“In the beginning, I was struggling to find a little bit of length,” El Hammamy said, speaking on court after his win.
“When it’s not going your way and you’re not feeling your shots, you just have to run, so that was my thought, and credit to Simon. He was playing really well, and he was taking the middle of the court from me, so I’m glad I managed to get through this.
“I will have to improve for the next round.”
Unseeded trio Farkas Balazs, Juan Camilo Vargas and Cesar Salazar also progressed, beating Yahya Elnawasany, David Baillargeon and Rory Stewart respectively.
The second round of the HSC 2024 Houston Men’s Squash Open commences at 17:00 (GMT-6) on Wednesday, 14th February, with action live on SQUASHTV.
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Results: HSC 2024 Houston Men’s Squash Open RD1
Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 8-11, 14-12, 11-6 (59m)
Leung Chi Hin Henry (HKG) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 3-2: 5-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6 (56m)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Rory Stewart (SCO) 3-1: 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-1 (48m)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt Andrew Douglas (USA) 3-1: 11-6, 12-14, 11-6, 11-3 (51m)
Timothy Brownell (USA) bt [WC] Muhammad Huzaifa Ibrahim (PAK) 3-0: 12-10, 11-2, 11-6 (31m)
Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt Faraz Khan (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-7 (35m)
Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt David Baillargeon (CAN) 3-1: 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (52m)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt Simon Herbert (ENG) 3-2: 6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7 (64m)
Draw: HSC 2024 Houston Men’s Squash Open RD2 (top half – to be played February 14th)
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v Farkas Balazs (HUN)
Leung Chi Hin Henry (HKG) v [6] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Timothy Brownell (USA) v [4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
[8] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY)
Draw: HSC 2024 Houston Men’s Squash Open RD2 (bottom half – to be played Februry 15th)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [2] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG)
[7] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) v Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA)
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Juan Camilo Vargas (COL)
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) v [5] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
