First-year phenom Ahmed Abdel Khalek can probably be forgiven for suffering his first collegiate loss, during the Bates men's squash team's 9-0 loss at Harvard last week. It came against the national champion, after all.
Still, Abdel Khalek (Cairo, Egypt) was one of two Bobcats to win a set against the Crimson, as he fell to Harvard No. 1 and fellow Egyptian Ali Farag 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7), who remained undefeated in his career.
Abdel Khalek, meanwhile, went on to post individual wins later in the week as the Bobcats continued to take on some of the top teams in the country in a very challenging week.
On Saturday, in Bates' 8-1 loss at No. 2 Trinity, he prevailed over Juan Vargas in five sets, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6. The following day in Williamstown, and for the second day in a row, Abdel Khalek kept the No. 14 nationally ranked Bates men's squash team from being swept, although the Bobcats played many close individual matches in an 8-1 loss to No. 12 Williams. Abdel Khalek won in straight sets over Williams No. 1, Nick Marks, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10, moving to 6-1 on the season individually.
