Mozart Open

Host pushed to victory over fearful opponent by fans

Aqeel Rehman is in the semi-finals of his home tournament at Europark.(Bild: Jasmin Walter)

The quarter-final at the Mozart Open was like "deja vu" for showpiece squash player Aqeel Rehman. The host and organizer was not deterred by this and celebrated his long-awaited victory over an arch-rival in the quarter-finals.

Although the man from Salzburg is ahead of his rival in the world rankings, he had "actually lost every match" against him in the past, as Rehman told the "Krone". That's why he had already lost in the quarter-finals to Switzerland's Robin Gadola last year. This time? The Swiss was on course to win again! At 2:1 in sets and 8:3 on points, Rehman, cheered on by numerous fans, managed to turn things around - 3:2! "I'm mega happy! The fans were extremely cool, which also gave my opponent something to think about," said the 38-year-old jubilantly after the win.

Planning takes six months
But the man from Salzburg doesn't get bored as it is. "I give classes in between, I'm here from half past midnight until late at night," says the number 119 in the squash world. "Fortunately, there are also lots of helpers. So I can take a short break before the matches and prepare. After all, every percent counts! And you can't go shopping there," he says, alluding to the atmosphere in the shopping mall. In general, his "baby" Mozart Open demands a lot from the tournament sponsor. "The brainstorming for next year starts right after the end of the tournament. We start planning the logistics six months beforehand. You can't really put it into hours."

Of course, Rehman is still a long way from the end of the tournament. The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday from 17:30 in the Europark. He himself will face Robert Downer from Great Britain. He eliminated the German Valentin Rapp somewhat surprisingly. "On paper, I'm the slight favorite," estimates the 18-time national champion.