Day 9 - Egypt on top

Ahmed played better than in his semi-final and Reg did not reach his previous heights. The first game was close until Ahmed took the lead 6-4 (with a very angled hoop shot, see picture). Reg came back to 6-6 but was not able to prevent Ahmed from having a relatively simple jump shot to win 7-6.

Reg took a 3-0 lead in the second game. However, somehow he lost his momentum and Ahmed worked his way back into the game. Ahmed won 7-4. The atmosphere had turned very still and warm; the Egyptian was becoming comfortable and Reg looked in trouble.

During the brief break between games, Reg found some inspiration and started the third game strongly. He took a commanding lead, not least because of a series of well-executed jump shots (see picture). Furthermore, he began to ensure that Ahmed was aware of his presence on the court.

Thus, the start of the fourth game was the point to see whether a critical change in momentum had taken place. However, Ahmed showed his true status as a champion and did not buckle. He took a commanding lead and although Reg stayed valiantly in contention, Ahmed had his first clear chance to win on hoop 9 (see picture). He made no mistake. He had triumphed 7-6, 7-4, 2-7, 7-2.

The Egyptian squad reaction was instantaneous. They were delighted that they had weathered the most severe challenge to their dominance to date. Ahmed was overcome with emotion but the rest of the squad showered him with their delight and soon they were all dancing with the South African band that turned up to lead the celebration. Ahmed held his nerve and gradually his judgment of distance reached supreme heights during the final; Reg surprisingly lost this ability, which had been one of the strengths of his semi-final victory.