KARACHI, Sept 22: Gregory Gaultier of France became the new CNS international squash champion with an electrifying 3-2 victory after being stretched to limits by Pakistan’s Mansoor Zaman on Monday.
It was not only the show of physical strength but was also a battle of nerves in which the Frenchman emerged a 15-9, 14-15, 5- 15, 15-10, 15-13 victor after an energy-sapping 68-minute skirmish.
“I am very happy to win the title and I thank Mansoor for playing such a good game and giving me a tough fight,” Gaultier, who started playing the sport at the tender age of five, said after winning the title at Pakistan Navy Roshan Khan-Jahangir Khan Squash Complex.
Mansoor, who has recently improved his world ranking from No 18 to 15, could not get rid of the jinx and once again faltered when he was required to show determination, especially at the crucial stages of the fourth and fifth games.
On the other hand, Gaultier, a world No 13, played scintillating and professional squash to clinch the glittering winner’s trophy along with a purse of $4180 after a deserved triumph — the seventh international win of his career.
Although Mansoor, who received the runner-up trophy and $2860, was leading 3-0 in the opening game, the 20-year-old Frenchman forced the Pakistani to dig deep by first equalising 3-3, 4-4 and then taking the lead 5-4 when awarded a stroke.
Gaultier’s angular and amazing drop shots made it 9-4 giving Mansoor a wake-up call. The left-handed Pakistani woke up to collect three useful points bringing the score to 7-9.
The Frenchman, who had also won CAS international trophy last month in Peshawar, surprized the crowd and his opponent when he earned a stroke although he slipped and fell before recovering and resuming play making the score 14-9 and then earning a stroke to win the game 15-9.
Mansoor, son of former Pakistan squash hero Qamar Zaman, was merciless in the second game as he executed outright winners to take a 9-1 ascendancy.
Gaultier, a two-time British Open junior and European junior champion, was equally impressive and gave a matching response by playing some blistering cross court and backhand volleys to reduced the margin 5-9.
The situation became more intense when Mansoor, who secured another point to settle the score at 10-5, was again challenged by the Frenchman who scooped-up five straight points to level the score at 10-10.
The Frenchman, who was bothered by boisterous partisan jam-packed crowd, perhaps lost his concentration and hit the board thrice enabling Mansoor to take a 13-10 lead. Yet there were more anxious moments for both as the score was tied at 13-all and then at 14-all. Mansoor finally finished off with a 15-14 victory.
The third game belonged to Mansoor and it was evident that he would emerge as winner from the way the 22-year-old played from the outset.
Mansoor at his best led 10-4, 13-5 and went on to clinch the game 15-5 as Gaultier appeared to be saving his energy for next two games.
And Gaultier justified his surrender of the third game when he came out firing on all cylinders for the crucial fourth game. After being tied at 3-3, 4-4, Mansoor came from 5-9 down to level the score at 9-9 and then 10-10.
However the Frenchman showed his class as his nicks and cross court shots helped him to take the game 15-10, while Mansoor threw his racquet in frustration before leaving the court, perhaps not happy with some of the calls.
Gaultier displayed his superiority in the final game and took the score to 9-4 only to see a battling Mansoor coming near by making it 8-9. A neck-and-neck fight ensued between the two as the score read 10-10, 11-11, 12-12 and 13-13.
Mansoor found the going tough and eventually lost the game and the match as Gaultier ended the marathon final with a 15-13 win.