The final pitches a former double World Champion, Salah Hassan, against Hazem Mahmoud, one of Egypt's hardest hitters from the generation after the Nasr brothers. Both have impressed during the block play and the earlier stages of the knock-out. Salah won his block undefeated while Hazem dropped only two matches by 10/9 to the top two seeds in his block. He eliminated Hisham Abu Osbaa, the defending Over 50 champion, in the opening round and has looked very confident ever since.

However, it is Salah who starts as favourite tonight after a stunning display in the semi-final where he despatched the effective Ahmed Khattab by 7-4, 7-3. After a balanced start to game 1, Ahmed took the lead 4-3 with a brave hoop shot from the boundary. However, he was to score only one more point in the next ten contested! In game 2, Salah ran 3 from 4 yards, 4 from 6 yards, 5 from the boundary and 6 from 18 yards. At 7, Ahmed poked Y back through the jaws by 2 inches and Salah cleared him from the W boundary, going in-off as well to lead 6-1. The general view is that this is the best Salah has played in three years and, if he can keep it up in the final, Hazem will be hard pushed to keep up.

BK: Salah Hassan, RY: Hazem Mahmoud

Game 1
B 3y directly S 1 - good start.
R 2y ESE 1 and 2y NE B so easily cleared to C3 if needed.
K 1y SSW 1.
Y blocks B at 1 by resting 6in.
B clears Y gently to 10y NNW 1.
R stops K to 2y NNE C1
K 4y SSW 1
Y gently cuts B to Sb
B 1y S 1 - all very piano so far
R stops B to 7y SSE 1 leaving K a shot at 1
K scores - by 1ft. BK 1-0

Y 3.5y S 2
B 3.5y SSE 2 - 4ft E of Y
R overhit to 2ft NNW 2
K hampered, to 3y WSW 2
Y attempts 2 hard from 3.5y and misses on the right, coming off the wire to just beyond the half-way line.
B runs hard and smoothly - BK 2-0

R 3y NNE 3 - not far off the straight
K 2y NNW 3
Y from West penalty point to 2y W 3
B at R from 14y - hits, sending R to 3y S C3, B to 9y S C3
R at K - only nicks K to 1y W 3, R 6y S C2
K 4ft NNE 3
Y cut-stops K to 4y ENE 3, Y 5y NNE 3
B 2y NNW 3
R 4y NNE 3
K 4ft N 3, blocking R at 3
Y drifts at 3 but misses on the right, ending 3y SW 3
B also goes for the jaws but catches the W wire and bounces across
R clears K gently - but into the jaws??
K runs 3 to 9y NW 4 - BK 3-0

Y 4y NNW 4
B 6y N 4
R 3y N 4, not blocking B at 4
K stops Y to 3y W C4, holding 2ft position
Y goes hard at B, only nicks it but that is enough to send it 4y SE peg
B at R from 9y - centre ball to 1y W C4
R at K from 9y at pace - hits K to 3y N 3! and R hits 5 before ending 4y W 5
K 4y N 4
Y 1y W K? - leaves dolly split clearance
B 1y NNE 4
R 2y NNW 4?
K in fact just stops Y to 11y S C2, K ending 5y E 5
Y at B from 28y - misses
B at 4 - runs gently to lead 4-0. Dream start for Salah.

R 5ft SW 5
K 2ft SSW 5
Y 2y S 5 part blocking B at R
B aims carefully - hits the left-hand side hard, R to WPP, B to 10y N C1
R at K - misses on left and bouces of 5 to Eb
K runs 5 to 5y SSW 6. BK 5-0

Y 2y SSE 6
B 4y SW 6? Well short of what was wanted.
R 2ft SSE 6
K at Y from 4y - misses??? First real error from Salah.
Y is rammed through 6 to get Hazem on the scoreboard

BK leads 5-1.
B 5ft N 7
R 18in WNW 7
K 4y NNE 7, not blocking Y at B
Y hits B on LHS, bouncing over 7 by 2 feet, B to Wb
B 3y N 7
R tries to jaws but catches near wire and ends 1in NNW E wire, blocking K but perhaps not B at 7
K 2ft NNW 7
Y misses B from 14y
B runs 7 by 10y - BK leads 6-1

R 5y NNE 8
K 2y WNW 8 - taken to the W by the pronounced swale
Y hits 7 and ends 12y N 8
B hits R to middle Sb
R 2ft S 8 hoping for the jaws, but
K runs the angled hoop to take game 1 by 7-1.
Hazem needs to reboot and start afresh.

Game 2
Y 2y S 1 - just what Hazem needed
B 2y SW 1
R 3y SSW 1
K at Y from 20y - you have to aim this one ball right - and centre balls Y to Wb!, K ends 2y WSW 1
Y at B hard - sending B to 12y E C1 and Y in 2y S position - great outcome
B ponders - cuts R to 9y NNNW 1, B to 4y N C1
R 2y S 1
K jaws - and scores! BK 1-0

Y 4ft S 2
B at Y/2 from 24y - hits! Cuts Y to 7y E C2m B to 8y ENE 2
R 2y S 2
K 2ft NNW 2
Y 5ft S 2, not blocking R
B at R from 9y - centre ball again, Salah's eye seems to be in as it was yesterday
R 1y WSW 2
K stops Y to 2y W peg but K is 6y SSW 2
Y 3y S 2
B at 2 gently! Reads the hill well but just under-burrows and ends 2y N 2
R 1ft SSW 2
K cuts Y to send K 4y NNE 3!
Y 3y S 2
B stops R to 13y S 2, B 5ft SSE 2
R 4ft SSW 2
K 2ft S 2, blocking Y at 2
Y stops B to 5y NW 3, Y 2ft ESE 2
B at R from 12y - cuts it to WPP, B 8y S C2
R at K/2, scores! 1-1

K 3y N 3
Y 2y NNNE 3, not blocking B at 3
B 2y B 3 - blocking B at 3 but not B at Y
R from 13y - misses K on left, down the slope
K stop-cuts Y to 14y SSSE 3, open on B, K 3y E 3
Y at B from 16y - hits, cutting B to 13y W C3, Y 4y W C3
B misses 3 gently to 4ft SSE 3
R 4y N 3
K at R from 3.5y - drives R to 12y E C2, K 7y N 3
Y at 3 from boundary, runs by 12y! RY lead 2-1

B 10y N 4?
R 3y NNW 4
K 2y NW 4
Y at K/4 from 10y -misses on right, off W wire to 8y W C4
B clears R, runs onto K and peels it! 2-2

R from 10y E C1 to 4ft SSW 5
K 1y SSE 5
Y 2y SSE 5
B clears Y to Wb from 10y, leaves R a shot at 5
R runs hard up to 8y E C2. RY lead 3-2

K 4ft S 6
Y 2ft S 6, blocking K at 6
B from 4y N C1 to 3y SSW 6
R from 8y E C2 to 3y SSW 6
K stops Y to 11y W C3, K 2ft WSW 6
Y 2.5y S 6, leaving B a choice
B stops R to 12y N C4, B 4y S 6
R 3y SSE 6
K goes for jaws - 7/10, resting on E wire
Y stops B to 10y W C4, Y 6y S 6
B at K from 26y - peels!! 3-3

R 1y N 7
K at R from 5y - cuts R to 8y S C2, K to C2
Y 1ft NNE 7
B drifts at Y gently - pushes it 1ft N 7
R runs past the block of K on Y
K just nicks Y to where it is hampered by R at either B or 7
Y plays a careful shot to move B to 1y WSW 7, Y 2y NW 7
B 5y N 7
R tries jaws but catches near wire and ends 4ft W 7
K from C4 to 3.5y N 7, perhaps blocking B at 7
Y 6in N 7!
B sneaks past Y just into jaws!
R explodes B out of jaws but also clears Y to 10y E C2 and R 3y NNE 7 - leaving K clear
K runs cleanly to 6y E C1. BK lead 4-3