Coll drops Hong Kong semifinal to Ibrahim

Paul Coll plays a backhand in his semifinal loss to Youssef Ibrahim in Hamg Kong PHOTO: PSA SQUASH

Kiwi squash player Paul Coll has been beaten for the second consecutive tournament by Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim, this time in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open in four games.

Ibrahim won the match over world No 2 Coll 3-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-8 in 64 minutes.

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Coll started the match in supreme form, dominating the opening game with some clinical play and racing into a 1-0 lead after just seven minutes.

The 26-minute second game that followed would ultimately prove crucial in the outcome of the match, with Coll edging ahead to a 10-9 scoreline, before slipping on game ball to offer Ibrahim a route back in.

The subsequent tie-break was full of drama before the Egyptian snuck ahead to a 13-11 scoreline.

Ibrahim only moved from strength to strength in the third game, producing squash of the highest level to move away from 8-8 to move to within a game of the final.

Coll won the Hong Kong title in 2023

The Egyptian also defeated the New Zealander at the China Open in the quarterfinals last month.