Ibrahim Battles World No. 1 to Finish in PSA World Tour Platinum Event Final

Reigning Ivy League Player of the Year and Princeton senior Youssef Ibrahim took the world's No. 1-ranked player the distance on Wednesday night in the final of the PSA World Tour's Platinum-level Windy City Open, going five games world No. 1-ranked Paul Coll of New Zealand in a bid for the title.

Ibrahim, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Wednesday, had wins over two top-10 opponents on the way to the final at the Chicago event, rallying from two games down to defeat No. 3-ranked Mohamed El Shorbagy in the round of 16 two rounds before winning the final three games to defeat No. 7-ranked Marwan El Shorbagy, brother of Mohamed El Shorbagy, in the semis on Tuesday. Ibrahim holds the No. 17 world ranking.

Coll won the first two games 11-7 and 12-10, but Ibrahim rallied to even it up after winning the third and fourth games 11-4 and 11-7. Coll held off Ibrahim 11-9 in the decisive fifth game.

Ibrahim was the first unseeded player to make the event's final in 10 years and is aiming for his first win at a Platinum-level tournament.

The final came just two days before the start of the CSA individual championships in Philadelphia. Ibrahim, who has won 13 matches in a row for Princeton, is aiming to become Princeton's 21st national individual champion and the first since Todd Harrity '13 in 2011. Harrity, who holds a No. 35 world ranking and is the second-highest ranked U.S. player, made the round of 16 at the Windy City Open before running into Marwan El Shorbagy.

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