Kiwi squash star Paul Coll has lost for a second straight time to Egyptian showman Mostafa Asal.
The World No.4 has been bundled out in the second round of the Black Ball Open in Cairo, losing 6-11, 11-8, 11-3, 4-11, 11-18 in a dramatic 84 minutes.
The result comes just over a month since Asal claimed victory over Coll at the same venue, where the charismatic 19-year-old used questionable stalling tactics, and celebrated his win by ripping off his shirt and throwing it into the crowd.
While a little more reserved on Wednesday (NZ time), there was still friction between the two players, with Asal once again over-doing his post-match antics.
A solid first game from Coll saw him go one up as he applied his game plan well, with patient squash handing him the advantage.
But Asal refocused himself in the second game by playing to the crowd, as he made his way back into the match, showing his dynamic movement coupled with strong quality at the front of the court to draw level.
A wayward performance from Coll in the third saw Asal take the lead with his ruthless hitting and superb shot selection taking centre stage.
Coll refused to go away though, and after a request of a ball change at the end of the third he produced his best squash of the match as Asal faded.
Coll was able to execute his tactics and make it physically demanding on the young Egyptian, pushing the match to a tense finale.
The fifth arguably provided the most drama of the match with a five-minute rally taking place on just the second point of the game, as the two players traded blows.
But it was an important review decision for Asal at 8-8 that proved to be the turning point, as he held his nerve to close out strong and produce another trademark celebration.
With that, Coll's 2020 campaign comes to an end.
