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Qatar Classic 2021
17 - 23 OCT
Doha, Qatar, $187,750k

ROUND Three
19-20 OCT
QUARTERS
21
OCT
SEMIS
22 Nov
FINAL
23 Nov

[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
9-11, 11-4, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8 (61m)
[9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY)

Mazen Hesham
11-9, 11-4, 11-3 (29m)
Joel Makin
Joel Makin
11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 (70m)
Diego Elias
Diego Elias
13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-9 (83m)
 
Paul Coll
[8] Joel Makin (WAL)
11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (38m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG)
[6] Diego Elias (PER)
5-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 (73m)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
Diego Elias
11-9, 8-11, 14-12, 11-1 (63m)
Raphael Kandra
[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY)
12-14, 11-3, 10-12, 11-5, 11-7 (58m)
Raphael Kandra (GER)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
13-11, 13-11, 11-5 (29m)
Tom Richards (ENG)
Tarek Momen
4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 12-14, 11-4 (114m)
Mostafa Asal
Mostafa Asal
11-9, 11-8, 11-4 (46m)
 
Paul Coll
[7] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
13-11, 11-8, 2-1 rtd (52m)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (27m)
Adrian Waller (ENG)
Mohamed Abouelghar
11-5, 4-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-8 (93m)
Paul Coll
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
11-9, 11-4, 11-9 (48m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL)
ROUND TWO
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt [1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) 11-3, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (47m)
[9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt George Parker (ENG) 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (25m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6 (37m)
[8] Joel Makin (WAL) bt Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 (55m)
[6] Diego Elias (PER) bt Declan James (ENG) 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-0, 11-8 (67m)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-4 (47m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 11-7, 7-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-4 (59m)
[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 11-9, 10-12, 11-13, 11-7, 11-6 (65m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt James Willstrop (ENG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 (38m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 12-10, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9 (54m)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt [9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 11-2, 6-11, 10-12, 11-3, 11-8 (66m)
[7] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt [9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) 7-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-6 (69m)
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 4-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-3 (45m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) w/o
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt Nicolas Müller (SUI) 11-2, 14-12, 11-1 (26m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Rui Soares (POR) 11-4, 11-3, 11-5 (26m)
ROUND ONE
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bye
[9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bye
George Parker (ENG) bt Bernat Jaume (ESP) 3-11, 9-11, 14-12, 13-11, 11-6 (76m)
Ramit Tandon (IND) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 12-14, 11-8 (60m)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Yip Tsz Fung (HKG) 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (46m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 10-12, 11-7 (86m)
[8] Joel Makin (WAL) bye
[6] Diego Elias (PER) bye
Declan James (ENG) bt [WC] Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) 11-4, 11-5, 11-7 (35m)
Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 12-10, 6-11, 11-3, 2-0 ret. (48m)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bye
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt [WC] Abdulrahman Al-Malki (QAT) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 (22m)
Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-2 (48m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 13-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-2 (50m)
[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bye
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
James Willstrop (ENG) bt Faraz Khan (USA) 11-1, 11-4, 11-3 (18m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Mazen Gamal (EGY) 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (40m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Shahjahan Khan (USA) 14-12, 11-5, 11-5 (41m)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bye
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bye
[7] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bye
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bye
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bye
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 (66m)
Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 11-9, 12-10, 10-12, 9-11, 11-3 (75m)
Nicolas Müller (SUI) bt Ryosei Kobayashi (JPN) 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7 (63m)
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bye
Rui Soares (POR) bt Arturo Salazar (MEX) 7-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 11-6 (39m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bye
REPORTS
Elias claims his first Platinum Title In Qatar



Peru’s World No.8 Diego Elias claimed his first Platinum level title with a victory over New Zealand’s Paul Coll in the final of the Qatar QTerminals Classic, held at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.

The pair, who are great friends off court and have trained together a lot in recent years, were meeting on Tour for only the fourth time. One of those meetings came in a final, at the Troilus Canada Cup in 2019, where the ‘Peruvian Puma’ won out in a five-game battle lasting almost 100 minutes.

Coll started the stronger of the two, with some lengthy rallies playing into the Kiwi’s favour. However, a comeback from the ‘Peruvian Puma’ saw him send the game into a tie-break, as he saved several game balls before eventually taking it 13-11, winning the game with his first opportunity.

The second game followed the same pattern to start with but Coll’s line hitting improved, along with an increased tempo, and he was able to take it 11-5 to level up the match at one game all, with Elias providing no resistance in the latter stage of the game.

The level of squash got even better in the third game, with some of the best action the tournament had seen. A 27-minute salvo went the way of Elias on a tie-break again, as he took it 13-11, despite a despairing dive from the Kiwi on the final point.

The World No.8 was able to continue his high quality squash into the fourth game, despite his obvious fatigue. He held off the Kiwi to win 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-9 and become the first Peruvian to ever claim a major title on the PSA World Tour.

“I can’t believe it still. I am very happy with this, very happy with my game! I want to thank everyone for coming today, and thanks to all the Peruvian people who came, that is a massive help for me!” Elias said.



Diego Elias in action in the final


“Just very happy to be a Platinum champion for the first time. I have been trying for a long time now, so I am very happy and I want to thank all the organiser. This tournament is always the best, they treat us so well, it is incredible to be the champion here.

“Paul is my closest friend on Tour and it is the first time in forever that there are no Egyptians in a final, so we were very happy for that! He is such a great champion, he is an inspiration for anyone that plays squash, or any sport really. I am a massive fan too and I train with him too!

“I am very happy and I want to thank everyone who supported me since I started. My dad has been with me since the start. He has been my coach, and after that I started training with Jonathon [Power] for a long time. He has been a massive help as well so I have a great team with me! My physio that I have seen, they helped me be back here. In July I didn’t even know if I could play matches in a row, and now in October, to be a champion is just incredible. I am just very happy with this!

Coll said: “It is hard to see those [positives] now, but I am happy to be back here in Doha, competing in another final on such a great stage. It’s a really well run tournament, a massive thank you to the sponsors, to QTerminals for being the main sponsor here, and to the Qatar Squash Federation for putting on such a great event and making the players feel special. They look after us the best on Tour, so it is a pleasure to be here.”

The next tournament on SquashTV will be the Canary Wharf Classic, which takes place at East Wintergarden, London from November 14-19.
Coll and Elias Set Up Qatar Classic Final Contest


Diego Elias

New Zealand’s World No.3 Paul Coll and Peru’s World No.8 Diego Elias will meet in the final of the PSA World Tour Platinum level Qatar QTerminals Classic on Saturday evening at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.

Elias was on court first and he came up against Welshman Joel Makin in the opening semi-final. Both men were aiming to reach a Platinum level final for the first time, and were meeting for the first time since their Manchester Open final contest in August.

The World No.8 has not been at his usual best during the week in Qatar but made up for it with an accurate showing against a resilient Makin to become the first Peruvian to ever reach the final of a major PSA event.

He played the best squash he has all week to take an important first game, but Makin got himself back on track in the second, trying to put work into the legs of Elias as he drew level before a number of decisions and discussions with the referee started to affect the flow of the match. The Peruvian did not let that get into his head, however, as he made the most of a string of errors from Makin to regain the lead before closing out in the fourth as he targets the biggest title of his career.

“I’m very happy to reach my first [major] final. It’s been six years that I’m in the top 15 and I’ve never made it here, so I’m very happy. I played one of the worst tournaments of my career in the first few rounds and today, I played one of the best matches, I’m very happy and looking forward to tomorrow,” Elias said.

“I’m fit now, I don’t care if the rallies are long, I’m ready to play if I have to. In the morning, I came for like an hour to just do drops because it didn’t work in the whole week. The first three points my drops were already different and were going in quicker and better. When my hands are like this, I don’t mind, I can play for a while now.

“When I played [Mohamed] ElShorbagy here it was a good one, that’s one of my favourites. Today, I played an amazing match, Joel was getting some incredible balls back. I had to work really hard and I’m happy I stayed positive the whole match and got the win.

“I’m relaxed, I don’t mind [who wins the other semi-final], I’ll be ready tomorrow. Both have beaten me in the last few weeks, so I want to get my revenge. I lost in a tough match against Mostafa at the U.S. Open and in the British with Paul, so I’m ready for my revenge and I’m excited for tomorrow.”

Elias will face good friend Paul Coll in the final of the Qatar QTerminals Classic, after the Kiwi broke his duck against Mostafa Asal, with a comfortable victory over the 20-year-old.


Paul Coll in action in the semi-finals

The pair had met three times previously on the PSA World Tour, with Asal winning all three contests. They had an average match time of over 95 minutes, but this match was nothing like the others, as Coll showed his class throughout.

The New Zealander put an end to his winless streak as he switched up his tactics to keep composed and find his length and range against Asal, who looked to be struggling to find any consistent rhythm in the match. The win sees 2021 British Open champion Coll reach his third final in Qatar, following the PSA World Championships in 2019 and the Qatar Classic last season.

“He’s one of the in-form players at the moment,” Coll said after his first win over the Egyptian.

“When you get him in the draw you know it’s going to be brutal and tough. He had an incredible U.S. Open, I’ve got big respect for how he backed up four five-setters in a row, but for me it was a huge mental battle and a hurdle I had to get over to beat him. I’m very happy with my performance today, I changed my tactics a little bit and it worked well for me.

“I had to get it past the volley, avoid the service area. His forehand is a big weapon, he’s so tight down this backhand that it’s a really good combination for him. I had to be really disciplined with my target hitting and get it past him.

“I love it. I’ve been saying all week third time lucky, so I hope tomorrow I can do it. I love coming to Qatar every year, I love this court and I’ve got a good feeling on it. Third time lucky would be great, I’m playing my good mate Diego, so I’m sure it will be a good battle. We said whoever wins is buying the drinks tomorrow night.”

The final of the Qatar QTerminals Classic takes place tomorrow with play starting at 18:00 (GMT+3) at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. All the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV, while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on the channels of contracted broadcast partners.

For updates on the Q-Terminals Qatar Classic, visit the official website of the PSA World Tour, and follow the PSA World Tour on TwitterFacebook and Instagram
 
Asal Outlasts Momen To Set Up Semi Final Clash With Coll

World No.9 Mostafa Asal is through to the semi-finals of the Qatar QTerminals Classic after outlasting compatriot Tarek Momen in a 114-minute battle at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.

The pair were meeting again just 15 days after their titanic duel in the final of the U.S. Open presented by Truist, one which saw the ‘Raging Bull’ come from two games down to defeat Momen and claim his maiden Platinum level title on the PSA World Tour.

Once again it was the World No.4, the man who claimed the PSA World Championships crown on this court two years previous, who got off to the fast start, winning the first game 11-4. He then had his chances in the second game, but Asal took it 12-10 to level the contest up at one game apiece.

The match started to hot up in the third game, with more stoppages and refereeing decisions breaking play up, but the World No.9 kept his head and he took the third before holding a 10-6 lead in the fourth game.

Momen was able to save four match balls to take the fourth game into a tie-break but on the next point, a collision between the two saw both men down on the court floor. ‘The Viper’ required treatment, but after a 25-minute delay, he returned to court, aiming to send the match into a fifth.

Asal, though, was able to eventually get over the line, with the clock showing 114 minutes as the match time. He won out 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 14-12, 11-4 to secure his semi-final spot, where he will face New Zealand’s World No.3 Paul Coll.


Mostafa Asal

“I always believe if you have anything [wrong with you] you should retire,” Asal said after the match.

“That’s what I did with Ali and it was the end of the game. It’s very tricky to play like that and I’m glad to move through. I wish him a speedy recovery, but I believe if you have anything you should retire.

“I’m facing my shoulder every single tournament and every single match. I’m responsible for my decision, my physio in Egypt said not to play the tournaments. He told me to rest and not play, but I said that if there was a percentage for me to play then I will play.

“If I lose I will not say to people that I’m injured. The first time in my career, professional or junior, was with Ali [at the Oracle NetSuite Open] and it was the end of the game. There was only one point to win the match. I always love to play but if you have issues and you can’t continue then you should shake hands.

“I’m glad to move through and I’m very pleased with my performance today. At the beginning I wasn’t playing my best squash, but then I started to play the squash I played at the U.S. Open. In the matches I’m getting better and better.”

Coll also came through his quarter-final contest in five games, in an absorbing clash with Egypt’s World No.15 Mohamed Abouelghar, with the Kiwi having to win the last two games to advance to the last four in Doha.


Paul Coll

The World No.3 started strongly, winning the first game without breaking sweat, but Abouelghar fought back in the second, and showed the fluid squash that took him inside the world’s top ten a couple of years ago.

The Egyptian then held on to take the third game as well, before then leading 10-8 in the fourth. However, he was unable to get across the finishing line, with the Kiwi saving two match balls, before then taking the tie-break 12-10. Coll was able to outlast the Egyptian in the decider to take the victory after 93 minutes of encapsulating squash, and make it into the semis in Qatar once again.

“It was an enjoyable match to be a part of and it was high quality,” the Kiwi said.

“I was a little bit disappointed with some of the leads I had throughout the match, especially the third, when I didn’t close it out. Things kept going the wrong way for me, so it was a real mental battle for me. At the start of the fourth, I went down 6-1, I thought I was playing good squash but not winning rallies.

“I had to really stick to it mentally, dig deep and push through. I felt like it was close to me playing well and running away with it, there were a few leads here and there and a few shots that didn’t go my way. But I’m very happy to close it out and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

“It’s a lot more enjoyable when it comes down to good, quality squash. I know he’s a fair player and it was a really enjoyable match, it’s what I play squash for. I’ve got a little one-second rule where I take time, slow everything down, slow my heart rate and my thoughts down because it could easily have run away from me there. It was all about calming down and not panicking.”

The other semi-final will see Peru’s World No.8 Diego Elias and Welshman Joel Makin go head-to-head for a spot in the final, after they got the better of Germany’s Raphael Kandra and Egypt’s Mazen Hesham, respectively.

The semi-finals of the Qatar QTerminals Classic take place tomorrow with play starting at 16:00 (GMT+3) at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. Glass court action will be shown live on SQUASHTV, while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on the channels of contracted broadcast partners.

For updates on the Q-Terminals Qatar Classic, visit the official website of the PSA World Tour, and follow the PSA World Tour on TwitterFacebook and Instagram
 
Momen and Asal Set Up Moth-Watering Quarter Finals

Just two weeks after their pulsating five-game battle in the final of the U.S. Open presented by Truist, Egypt’s Mostafa Asal and Tarek Momen will face off in the quarter-finals of the Qatar QTerminals Classic.

In that contest at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, Momen held a two-game advantage but the ‘Raging Bull’ came fighting back to claim his a major title, winning the match 3-2. They will meet again in the last eight of the PSA Platinum level tournament in Doha this week.


Tarek Momen

World No.4 Momen made his way through to the final after a rapid-fire 29-minute clash with England’s Tom Richards, one which saw quick rally after quick rally with plenty of winners and unforced errors across the three games.

The pair had previously met six times with ‘the Viper’ having won five of those, but in each of those wins, the Englishman had taken a game. However, that was not to continue in this contest.

The majority of the action took place in the front of the court and Richards was close to taking both of the opening two games, only for Momen to find that extra bit of quality to build up a 2-0 lead. ‘The Viper’ made no mistake in the third game, taking it 11-5 to continue his run in Doha, the scene of his PSA World Championships victory two years ago.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I knew Tom is capable of giving me a hard time on court,” said Momen.

“He did today, he played really well. I can’t say I’m really happy with my performance today, I’m not so pleased with it, but I’m happy I got through in three games.

“I remember in the last 16 [of the World Championships he won] I almost got knocked out by Abdulla Al Tamimi. It wasn’t a smooth ride to the final but I felt like we were a bit unlucky with the ball today, we played with the worst ball that was ever made. We both had to deal with it and he managed to adapt a bit better, but towards the end of each game I managed to close it out.

“I’m expecting a tough one [against Asal]. Two weeks ago I had the right tactics and I was just a bit unlucky not being able to close it out in the end. I’m hoping to repeat my performance again and I’ll try to get through this time and get the win.”

Momen will face compatriot Mostafa Asal in the last eight after the World No.9 came through against another Egyptian, in Youssef Ibrahim, with the latter having to retire from their third round match through injury.


Mostafa Asal

The match was shaping up to be a captivating affair, with Asal prevailing in a 33-minute first game on the tie-break. Soliman received some treatment from the physio in between game-breaks, but did not look himself as the match went on.

The World No.19 continued into the second game, and had his chances to push Asal all the way, but the ‘Raging Bull’ was able to take it, while Soliman constantly tried to keep the pressure off his injured hamstring.

The match ended prematurely in the third game as Soliman shook hands with Asal, unable to continue through the injury. The World No.9 continues his unbeaten run, stretching it to seven matches, going back to the start of his campaign in Philadelphia.

Fellow Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar also made his way through to the quarter-finals in Doha, reaching the last eight of a Platinum event for the first time since the British Open in 2019. He defeated Adrian Waller, and will now face New Zealand’s World No.3 Paul Coll in the quarters, after the Kiwi got the better of France’s Baptiste Masotti.

The quarter-finals of the Qatar QTerminals Classic take place tomorrow with play starting at 15:00 (GMT+3) at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. Glass court action will be shown live on SQUASHTV, while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on the channels of contracted broadcast partners.

For updates on the Q-Terminals Qatar Classic, visit the official website of the PSA World Tour, and follow the PSA World Tour on TwitterFacebook and Instagram

 
Kandra Downs ElShorbagy to Reach First Qatar QTerminals Classic Quarter Final



Germany’s Raphael Kandra came from behind to defeat World No.5 Marwan ElShorbagy to make it into the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Platinum level Qatar QTerminals Classic on Tuesday evening.

The last time the German made it to the last eight of a major tournament came at the Allam British Open in 2018, where he went all the way to the semi-finals. ElShorbagy had won five of their previous six matches, with Kandra’s sole victory coming in that run in Hull three years previous.

With ElShorbagy winning four on the trot against the World No.22, the Egyptian was the heavy favourite coming into the match and he took the opening game on the tie-break after both players had squandered two game balls.

There were too many errors from the World No.5’s racket in the second though as Kandra drew level for the loss of just three points. ElShorbagy again triumphed on a tie break in the third game to move to within one game win of a place in the last eight.

But he struggled to put away a tenacious Kandra, with the left-hander playing some immaculate drops on the forehand side. ElShorbagy grew increasingly frustrated with the referee as the match wore on, and he was unable to claw back control of the match as Kandra completed victories in games four and five to seal the win.

“I feel a little shaky because we’ve had so many matches like this when I’ve been leading, he’s been leading, and it’s always quick-fire squash against him,” the German said.

“You don’t get any time to relax. I think I need to settle a little bit to realise I am in the quarter finals of the Qatar Classic, it means a lot to me. I’ve been working for such a long time on the steps to make not only the last 16, to make the last eight, which is a big difference.

“We [Kandra and Elias] recently played at the U.S. Open and he demolished me. I was 2-0 down within 15 minutes and I didn’t really get used to his game. I fought back and it was really close in the fourth. I have a good plan to play him and I want to show that on the court. I’m feeling comfortable here in Qatar so I hope I can continue feeling like that.”



Kandra will now face Peru’s World No.8 Diego Elias in the quarter-finals, after the South American got the better of Frenchman Gregoire Marche in a pulsating five-game battle in which he came back from the brink.

It was the second time in as many days that Elias had been on the right end of a 3-2 victory, with his round two fixture against England’s Declan James seeing him overturn a 2-1 deficit. This time, he had to come from even further behind.

Marche rattled off a number of winners and Elias’s usual fluid movement was not present as the Frenchman opened up a commanding two-game lead. The ‘Peruvian Puma’ started firing in the third game though as he finally found his range. A comfortable third game went the way of Elias, and he doubled up in the fourth to draw level, sneaking it 11-9. And as the fifth game came around, there was only going to be one winner as Marche cut a disconsolate figure.

“I won the last few times, so I knew he wanted revenge and he started really strongly,” said Elias.

“He hit a lot of winners, the court is a bit cold, so the ball stays in the front. I wasn’t moving my best and he took every opportunity, so it was good from him, but I’m happy to come back and find a way to win.

“In the past I would be very worried because I wasn’t the best physically, but I think I’m getting stronger and I’m ready to play a few more five gamers.”

Elsewhere, Mazen Hesham also came through a five-game battle on Tuesday evening in Doha, as the World No.13 got the better of compatriot Youssef Ibrahim, coming from behind to win 3-2.

Hesham will face Welshman Joel Makin in the quarter-finals at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Thursday, after the World No.10 defeated Englishman Patrick Rooney in straight games.

The third round of the Qatar QTerminals Classic continue tomorrow with play starting at 15:00 (GMT+3) at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. Glass court action will be shown live on SQUASHTV, while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on the channels of contracted broadcast partners.


For updates on the Q-Terminals Qatar Classic, visit the official website of the PSA World Tour, and follow the PSA World Tour on TwitterFacebook and Instagram

 
Ibrahim Downs Top Seed Elshorbagy for Second Year Running



Egypt’s World No.17 Youssef Ibrahim got the better of World No.2, and the tournament’s top seed, Mohamed ElShorbagy for the second year in succession to reach the third round of the 2021 Qatar QTerminals Classic.

The pair faced off in last year’s third round at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, with Ibrahim saving match balls en route to a come-from-behind victory over the ‘Beast of Alexandria’.

This time round, it was in the last 32, and it was a much more comfortable victory for the left-hander. He took the first two games with ease, allowing ElShorbagy to rack up just eight points across them, putting a small injury break for a cut on his hand right to the back of his mind.

The World No.2, and three-time Qatar QTerminals Classic champion, fought back to take the third 11-7, but it was Ibrahim who took the victory after 47 minutes of action, condemning ElShorbagy to his first round two loss since October 2018.

More amazingly, it is the first time since this very event twelve years ago that Mohamed ElShorbagy has lost his opening match of a major tournament on the PSA World Tour. Meanwhile, Ibrahim will now face compatriot Mazen Hesham in the third round on Tuesday.

“I expected myself to play really well,” the World No.17 said after his victory.

“Mohamed is known as ‘The Beast’ and his mentality is so strong, he probably has the strongest mentality of any squash player. I knew my win against him last year would rile him up and he would come at me today and I didn’t want to be a victim. I’m also the kind of player who plays better when I’m angry, so I tried to give myself a reason to be angry today.

“I knew he would come at me strongly, so I was very prepared from the start. He tried to push the pace so hard at the beginning and I equalled him. I didn’t want anyone to say it was a lucky win and I’m happy to be competing with the top 10 guys and beating them consistently. I think my tactics worked out well and I held my nerves well throughout the match.”

Mohamed Abouelghar also took out a seeded opponent on the second day of the Qatar QTerminals Classic, with the Egyptian defeating compatriot, and World No.6 Karim Abdel Gawad in four games.

The pair were both fresh after first round byes and Gawad held an 8-5 advantage over ‘the Bullet’, however they were meeting on Tour for the first time in over two years.


Mohamed Abouelghar

Gawad started the stronger of the two and took the first 11-4 but from then on, it was Abouelghar who reigned supreme and the World No.16 was in control for the rest of the contest, taking the win in 45 minutes to move through to the third round.

“I cannot put into words how much I needed this win. I’ve been losing a lot of 3-2s recently and it just got into my head too much. I managed to stay focused, put my head down and just keep working. I’m very happy with the performance tonight, I just kept it together until the end and without going for too much flashy stuff. I’m very, very happy,” the Egyptian said.

“The draw has been brutal to me everywhere, not just in Qatar. I’ve been playing these [top] guys in first rounds a lot in the last two seasons. It’s good to do it the hard way. I always say to myself ‘If you want to reach the finals and semi-finals, you have to beat one of these guys,’ so playing them early doesn’t change how I approach the tournament. Hopefully I can carry on from the performance I had tonight and keep going forward.”

He will now face Adrian Waller in the last 16 after the Englishman received a walkover, as his second round opponent, Mohamed ElSherbini, had to withdraw from the tournament with a fractured rib.

The third round of the Qatar QTerminals Classic begins tomorrow with play starting at 15:00 (GMT+3) at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. Glass court action will be shown live on SQUASHTV, while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on the channels of contracted broadcast partners.

For updates on the Q-Terminals Qatar Classic, visit the official website of the PSA World Tour, and follow the PSA World Tour on TwitterFacebook and Instagram

 
PREVIEW
ElShorbagy and Ibrahim Set for Qatar Classic Showdown as Draw is Released

World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy will look to avenge his shock defeat to fellow Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim at last year’s Qatar Classic when they lock horns in the second round of this year’s Q-Terminals Qatar Classic, PSA World Tour Platinum event.

Held between October 17-23 in Doha, the Qatar Classic will see 48 of the world’s leading male squash players battle it out for the $187,500 prize fund and three-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy will headline the draw ahead of Allam British Open winner Paul Coll, former World Champion Tarek Momen and younger brother Marwan.

ElShorbagy’s surprise loss to Ibrahim at last year’s event provided the springboard for Ibrahim to battle his way into the top 20 later in the season, but ‘The Beast of Alexandria’ will be out for revenge this time around.

Should the World No.2 get the better of his compatriot, a possible meeting with another Egyptian, in Mazen Hesham, could follow in the third round, before possibly facing Fares Dessouky in the quarter-finals. Younger brother Marwan could await in the semi-finals, before a meeting with British Open champion Paul Coll in the final.

New Zealand’s Coll is the No.2 seed for the tournament, and he will begin his campaign in Doha against either France’s Mathieu Castagnet or Englishman Richie Fallows. Welsh No.1 Joel Makin could be Coll’s third round opponent, before possible meetings with Karim Abdel Gawad and Tarek Momen en route to the final.

Momen has good memories at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, having lifted the PSA Men’s World Championship crown in November 2019, and he will be hoping for more glory at the venue this year. He starts his campaign against either USA’s Faraz Khan or England’s former World No.1 James Willstrop in the second round.

There will be three Qatari players in action on home soil for the Platinum level event, with the nation’s No.1, Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, facing Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip in the opening round. Syed Azlan Amjad and Ibrahim Ahmed Al Darwish will both be wildcards for the tournament, and will do battle with England’s Declan James and Germany’s Raphael Kandra in the first round, respectively.

Action from the glass court situated at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex will be shown live on SQUASHTV, while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on the channels of contracted broadcast partners.

For updates on the Q-Terminals Qatar Classic, visit the official website of the PSA World Tour, and follow the PSA World Tour on TwitterFacebook and Instagram.

Q-Terminals Qatar Classic: Draw
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) - [Bye]
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) - [Bye]
[9/16] Mazen Hesham (EGY) - [Bye]
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [17/32] George Parker (ENG)
[17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Ramit Tandon (IND)
Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) v [17/32] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
[17/32] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)
[6] Fares Dessouky (EGY) - [Bye]
[7] Diego Elias (PER) - [Bye]
[WC] Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) v [17/32] Declan James (ENG)
[17/32] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) - [Bye]
[17/32] Raphael Kandra (GER) v [WC] Ibrahim Ahmed Al Darwish (QAT)
Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) v [17/32] Baptiste Masotti (FRA
[17/32] Borja Golan (ESP) v Todd Harrity (USA)
[4] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) - [Bye]
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) - [Bye]
Faraz Khan (USA) v [17/32] James Willstrop (ENG)
[17/32] Lucas Serme (FRA) v Vikram Malhotra (IND)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v [17/32] Tom Richards (ENG)
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) - [Bye]
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) - [Bye]
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) - [Bye]
[8] Mostafa Asal (EGY) - [Bye]
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) - [Bye]
[9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) - [Bye]
[17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG) v Nathan Lake (ENG)
Arturo Salazar (MEX) v [17/32] Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY)
[17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Patrick Rooney (ENG)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) - [Bye]
[17/32] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v Richie Fallows (ENG)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) - [Bye]
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