Left-handed James Matewere came from behind twice to humble top seed, Aubrey Taulo, and retain the men’s championship for the General Alliance Squash Tournament at Blantyre Sports Club on Sunday.
It was an epic final full of energy as both players demonstrated great skill to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
At the end of the 40-minute thriller, it was only proper and befitting to call Matewere, Mr General Alliance.
Taulo took the lead twice but the defending champion fought hard to stay in contention when the title appeared to be slipping away from his hands.
Both players also committed unforced errors, probably due to the tension that engulfed the court.
Taulo won the first set 11-7 but Matewere bounced back to win the next one 10-12.
Realising that victory was possible, Taulo yet again showed his composure to win the third set 11-8.
Before the fourth set, with his morale seemingly down, Matewere received a rare motivation talk from Matthews Tumbuka and Harold Mwala.
Matewere bounced back with confidence to win the fourth set 6-11 forcing the game to be decided in the last set.
It was a balanced affair in the final set and just as Matewere was about to nail the crucial point, Taulo bounced back to force the pair to tie nine up.
But Matewere won the next point before claiming his third consecutive title after Taulo was penalised for flouting the rules.
Matewere was an epitome of modesty and he paid tribute to Taulo for giving him tough time.
“It was a difficult competition. Unlike the previous two competitions, in this one I was stretched to all angles. I worked hard and I did not underestimate my opponent,” he said.
Taulo said he was unfortunate to lose in the final.
“My only consolation is that we have given spectators a good match. It was a tough one and it could have gone either way,” he said.
In the semifinal, Taulo defeated Chiku Mkutumula by three straight sets whereas Matewere defeated last year’s losing finalist, Julius Taulo, also by three straight sets.
In a third-place match, Julius Taulo defeated Mkutumula 3-1.
In B-section, Thiba James beat Enock Juma 3-2 to win the championship whereas in the ladies section, Yiwonda Banda emerged the winner after beating Christina Yiannakis 3-1.
Squash Malawi President, Jimmy Kawaye, said the performance of the players, especially in the final, was breathtaking.
“Most of the matches were exciting but the final was awesome. It kept us on the edge of our seats,” he said.
General Alliance Marketing Manager, Chiletso Matambo, said they were impressed with the standards of the game.
Malawi National Council of Sports Executive Secretary, George Jana, and Administration Manager, Henry Mereka, also witnessed the final.
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