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James Willstrop tops Ashour

Zabeel pip Expo 2020; Fursan beat Bin Subaith in volleyball semis

James Willstrop proved why he was a one-time world number one with a 3-0 win over Egypt’s Ramy Ashour 3-0 in the finals of the exhibition squash competition as part of the Nad Al Sheba 2014 Sports Tournament being held at the NAS Sports Complex, late on Wednesday.

Willstrop and Ashour had booked their rightful place in the final of this four-man exhibition with convincing wins against locally based players Aamir Khan and Mubarak Mohsin, the two finals of the NAS squash competition that concluded earlier this week.

Watched by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), James Willstrop got the better of Mohsin 11-8, 11-9, after Ramy Ashour had defeated NAS squash champion Aamir Khan 11-5, 11-5 for their final showdown before an appreciative crowd.

The 30-year-old Englishman, who is currently world number six, took his time to settle in allowing his younger opponent from Egypt an early 3-0 lead. But struggling with a hamstring injury, Ashour could not sustain the tempo as Willstrop took the first game 11-7.

Willstrop was thrilled with his debut in Dubai. “We need top-level competition in Dubai.”

Meanwhile, in the volleyball competition Zabeel defeated Expo 2020 3-1 (25-14, 25-16, 23-25, 25-15 while Fursan got the better of Bin Subaith 10, 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-18) to set a meeting with Zabeel in Sunday’s final.