El Halaby Upsets Illingworth For Oklahoma Title

It was their second meeting in the final of a PSA Tour event in the USA - and it was the second time that Yasser El Halaby upset US squash star Julian Illingworth, to claim the Osso/Bone & Joint Oklahoma City Open title at the Santa Fe Club in the US city of Oklahoma.

The pair were renewing their US collegiate rivalry in the climax of the $10,000 Tour event - top seed Illingworth a former Yale graduate, and Princeton's El Halaby, from Egypt, the only four-time winner of the men's national intercollegiate squash championship.

Illingworth was seeking his maiden Tour title - and keen to avenge the defeat by El Halaby in his last PSA final, at the Baltimore Cup in Baltimore in November.

The 24-year-old four-time US national champion from Portland took the opening game. But it was to be El Halaby's day again as the 23-year-old from Cairo battled to a 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 victory - and the fourth PSA Tour title of his career.

Final:
[2] Yasser El Halaby (EGY) bt [1] Julian Illingworth (USA) 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6