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11/11/2020
Qatar Classic 2020
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Qatar Classic 2020
01 - 07 Nov
Doha, Qatar, $175k |
ROUND Three
04 Nov |
QUARTERS
05 Nov |
SEMIS
06 Nov |
FINAL
07 Nov |
|
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
11-9, 6-11, 3-11, 15-13, 11-6 (65m)
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) |
Youssef
Ibrahim
11-4, 12-14, 11-2, 10-12, 11-5 (66m)
Fares Dessouky
|
Fares Dessouky
11-9, 11-0, 11-0 (37m)
Paul Coll |
Paul Coll
11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 (61m)
Ali Farag
|
Fares Dessouky (EGY)
11-2, 12-10, 11-2 (34m)
Borja Golan (ESP) |
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
11-4, 11-5, 11-7 (34m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) |
Marwan ElShorbagy
8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5 (75m)
Paul Coll
|
[4] Paul Coll (NZL)
7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5 (83m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) |
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
11-8, 11-3, 3-11, 11-4 (37m)
James Willstrop (ENG) |
Tarek Momen
9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 (79m)
Joel Makin |
Tarek Momen
11-9, 11-2, 11-4 (37m)
Ali Farag
|
[8] Joel Makin (WAL)
11-7, 11-9, 11-7 (52m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) |
[5] Diego Elias (PER)
11-5, 13-11, 11-9 (53m)
Miguel Rodriguez (COL) |
Diego Elias
11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (69m)
Ali Farag
|
Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (35m)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) |
|
ROUND TWO |
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt George Parker (ENG) 11-8,
11-6, 9-11, 11-8 (61m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 4-11, 11-3, 12-10 ret.
(35m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt [9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 13-11
(68m)
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt [7] Simon Rösner (GER) 11-3, 11-9, 11-8
(39m)
[6] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [WC] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-7, 11-4,
11-6 (40m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt [9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) 10-12, 11-9, 11-4,
11-7 (46m)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) 11-8, 11-7,
11-5 (42m)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (38m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Youssef Soliman (EGY) 13-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-5
(56m)
[9/16] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [9/16] Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-7, 13-15,
11-7, 11-7 (59m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (57m)
[8] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [9/16] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6
(33m)
[5] Diego Elias (PER) bt Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 (43m)
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt Shahjahan Khan (USA) 11-3, 11-3, 11-6
(45m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Declan James (ENG) 13-11, 11-7, 11-8 (42m)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Richie Fallows (ENG) 11-9, 11-8, 11-3 (28m) |
|
ROUND ONE |
George Parker (ENG) bt Victor Crouin (FRA) 3-2: 9-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6,
11-9 (66m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-1: 11-7, 4-11, 11-8,
11-7 (41m)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-6
(28m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Benjamin Aubert (FRA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 11-8 (23m)
[WC] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) 3-1: 10-12,
11-3, 11-9, 11-8 (57m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-1: 5-11, 11-5, 11-5,
11-2 (43m)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) bt [WC] Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8,
11-9 (31m)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 (24m)
Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Mazen Gamal (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (41m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 (33m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 3-1: 11-5, 12-14, 11-4, 14-12
(64m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Patrick Rooney (ENG) 3-2: 10-12, 11-3,
11-8, 8-11, 11-3 (54m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt Vikram Malhotra (IND) 3-1: 11-9, 3-11, 11-4,
11-3 (35m)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
(46m)
Declan James (ENG) bt Abdulrahman Al-Malki (QAT) 3-0: 11-1, 11-8, 11-1
(24m)
Richie Fallows (ENG) bt Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 (41m)
Draw - Second Round (Top Half): To Be Played November 2nd
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v George Parker (ENG)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Borja Golan (ESP)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [7] Simon Rösner (GER)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v [WC] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v Raphael Kandra (GER)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v [4] Paul Coll (NZL)
Draw - Second Round (Bottom Half): To Be Played November 3rd
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Youssef Soliman (EGY)
James Willstrop (ENG) v Greg Lobban (SCO)
Tom Richards (ENG) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v [8] Joel Makin (WAL)
[5] Diego Elias (PER) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Declan James (ENG)
Richie Fallows (ENG) v [2] Ali Farag (EGY) |
Final
Farag Beats Coll to Retain Qatar Classic Title
 Egyptian
World No.1 Ali Farag has retained his Qatar Classic title after
beating World No.5 Paul Coll earlier today in the final of the PSA
World Tour Platinum tournament held in Doha, Qatar.
Farag, 28, has now lifted his 21st PSA title following an 11-8,
6-11, 11-9, 11-9 victory over the Kiwi in 61 minutes, extending his
winning run over Coll to 13 matches.
Farag’s retrieval skills and graceful movement around court was
breathtaking as he picked up the majority of what Coll threw at him
and counterattacked superbly. Coll did manage to equalise after
dropping the first game, but Farag recovered from a 4-0 deficit to
take the third. Coll then battled back from 9-5 down to draw level
in the final game, however Farag moved up a gear to seal the victory
in four.
He has now become only the fourth man in Qatar Classic history to
win the title twice, following in the footsteps of current World
No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy and the now retired Karim Darwish and Peter
Nicol. It’s his second PSA World Tour title after the tour’s restart
following the six-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Coll, it marks a second year of frustration in Qatar following
his defeat to World No.3 Tarek Momen in the PSA Men’s World
Championship final here 12 months ago. It was his second Platinum
final appearance, with his first at the Windy City Open back in
March, 2020 also ending in a defeat to Farag.
 "The
first time I couldn’t believe it and this time around I can’t
believe it even more," said Farag following the match.
"When I was younger, I used to watch the Qatar Classic and see all
the great names of our sport lifting that trophy and I could only
imagine standing there one day. To do it twice is an amazing
feeling. We’ve been playing with each other for a good few years
now, he wasn’t necessarily a very good junior or the most talented,
but he’s a living example of inspiration.
"If you put your head down, go on with your business and work hard,
you can achieve everything you want in life. I have no doubt he will
reach even higher levels than he’s already reached and I have a lot
of admiration for him. We couldn’t be happier to be here, everyone
takes good care of us and I’d like to thank His Excellency Mr [Tamim
bin] Hamad Al Thani and His Excellency Mr Nasser Al-Khelaifi for
bringing this here year after year."
Coll said: "It’s a tough feeling at the moment. I’m obviously very
happy to reach another final here in Qatar, it’s a great tournament
and a fantastic location.
"I always love coming here and I’ve played well here year in, year
out. I wanted it pretty bad today but fell short. It’s a tough one
to swallow, but Ali is World No.1 for a reason and he played the end
of every game very well, so well done to Ali."
Farag takes home over $26,000 for his title win and also strengthens
his lead on the men’s CIB Road to Egypt Standings. Platinum
tournament winners will qualify for the season-ending CIB PSA World
Tour Finals as well as the top eight players on the standings. Farag
is currently the only man to qualify following wins at both the CIB
Egyptian Open last month and today in Qatar. |
Semi Finals
New Zealand’s Coll and Egypt’s Farag to Contest
Qatar Classic Final
New Zealand’s World No.5 Paul Coll and Egypt’s World No.1 Ali Farag
will contest the final of the 2020 Qatar Classic after respective
wins over World No.12 Fares Dessouky and World Champion Tarek Momen
at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.
Coll and Farag will lock horns tomorrow in a repeat of March’s 2020
Windy City Open final, where the Egyptian came from two games down
to win the title in a thrilling battle in Chicago.
Both of today’s semi-final matches at the PSA Platinum event were
3-0 victories with Coll claiming an 11-9, 11-0, 11-0 victory over
Egypt’s Dessouky to reach his first Qatar Classic
 final
and second in the country after reaching the final of the PSA World
Championships on the same court 12 months ago.
There was no sign of fatigue from Coll following his two mammoth
five-game battles in the previous days as he took a crucial first
game, 11-9, finding his length and accuracy well to nullify the
attacking intent from the talented Egyptian to go one game up.
A lack of concentration from Dessouky for the remainder of the match
following a disagreement over a decision in the second saw Coll
comfortably close out the win, remaining professional to take an
11-0 victory in each game to book his place in the final.
“I thought I was hitting my targets brilliantly today,” said the
28-year-old. “I really closed the court down. I just tried to be
super accurate and really get him stuck in the back corners. If you
hit your length on this court, then you really get rewarded.
“I’ve had two great years in Qatar in a row now, so hopefully I can
go one further tomorrow. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but I felt
really good out there today and I’m really looking forward to
tomorrow.”
Coll’s competitor in the final will be World No.1 Farag after he was
at his accurate best to defeat World No.3 Momen, 11-9, 11-2, 11-4 in
37 minutes.
 Farag,
who is the defending champion at this tournament after beating
Germany’s Simon Rösner in 2018 to lift the Platinum title, was in
full flow to take an evenly contested first game and lay the
foundations for an impressive victory over one of his closest
rivals.
“The first game was crucial,” said Farag. “It started off a little
too erratic which I think favours him more than me. I just tried to
execute my game plan better by the end of the first game, even if
you don’t win it at least you go into the second you have the
momentum. I did win it and I think that made a big psychological
difference.
“Paul [Coll] is very fit, so when’s he fresher, it’s even more
scary. I will try to execute my game plan of squash better and if I
can, I will give myself a chance. It will be a tough one, he has
made two back-to-back finals in Qatar now, so he seems to like it.
It’s always a pleasure to play against him, he is such a warrior and
competitor but in the right spirit of the game, so I’m really
looking forward to it.”
The final take place tomorrow (November 7). Play starts at 18:00
(GMT+3) and will be shown live on SQUASHTV, t
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Quarter Finals Coll &
Dessouky Reach Qatar Classic
Semis for First Time
 New
Zealand’s Paul Coll and Egypt’s Fares Dessouky will face off for a
place in a maiden Qatar Classic final following respective victories
over World No.6 Marwan ElShorbagy and World No.41 Youssef Ibrahim
earlier today at the Khalifa International & Squash Complex in Doha,
Qatar.
Quarter-finals day of the PSA World Tour Platinum tournament saw all
four matches go all the way to five games, with Coll kicking things
off with an 8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5 victory to book his spot in
the last four of this tournament for the first time.
Coll had won only one of his four previous matches against
ElShorbagy - which included a loss to the eventual CIB PSA World
Tour Finals winner in September - but kept on fighting to reach his
first Platinum semi-final since the restart of the PSA World Tour.
“He’s an all-round quality player,” said Coll, who reached the PSA
Men’s World Championship final in Qatar 12 months ago.
“He’s probably got some of the best lengths out of anyone on tour,
and if you let him dominate you then you can lose seven or eight
points within a matter of minutes. You’ve got to be on your mettle
with everything, he gives you nothing. I always love a battle with
him, he gives you nothing and it’s never easy.
“My first three tournaments have been a bit up and down, I thought I
was playing well but I wasn’t really getting some of the results
that I was after. I love this court here, I’ve got fantastic
memories from last year, it’s a nice court to play on and I’m really
looking forward to another semi-final tomorrow.”
World No.12 Dessouky stands between Coll and a place in the title
decider after the 26-year-old ousted giant-killer Youssef Ibrahim
11-4, 12-14, 11-2, 10-12, 11-5 to reach his first Platinum semi
since April 2019.
21-year-old Ibrahim caused one of the biggest shocks in the 19-year
history of the Qatar Classic with victory over top seed Mohamed
ElShorbagy in the previous round and took Dessouky to five games,
but the older man had enough in his locker to edge the win.
 "Everyone
is saying he is the next Amr Shabana and I hope so, we need a
Shabana back on tour," Dessouky said.
“I have been through a lot. Many people, they say that mentally I am
not very strong. Today I showed how strong I am, I have been through
two surgeries and that is not easy for anyone. The other guys are
playing without injuries and it is not easy to play at this level
with injuries but I believe in myself and I will keep going."
On the opposite side of the draw, reigning World Champion Tarek
Momen will take on defending Qatar Classic champion Ali Farag after
both players came through five-game battles in today’s
quarter-finals.
With a final appearance in 2017 allied to his World Championship
triumph, Momen has often performed well on Qatari soil but had to
hold his nerve to oust the dangerous Welshman Joel Makin, ending a
two-match losing run to the World No.10.
 “I’m
always excited to play here," Momen said.
"I love the court conditions and I think I play my best squash here
because of the setup. I’m definitely looking forward to my match
tomorrow. I’ll try to recover to the best of my ability so I can be
prepared for a good match again.”
The other match of the day saw World No.1 Farag topple Peru’s Diego
Elias, winning 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 to book a spot in the
last four of this tournament for the second time.
Farag was pressed hard by the skills of the languid World No.7 but
won the physical battle to claim victory after 69 minutes. He will
go up against Momen for the second tournament in a row after
defeating his fellow Egyptian in the CIB Egyptian Open final last
month in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
 “Tarek,
his recent consistency speaks for itself," Farag said.
"I don’t have to praise him much because the way he has been playing
has been amazing. I don’t know how you can play so many balls to the
front and still be so consistent. He is a very unique player and is
very talented, I am looking forward to a clean match, but not
looking forward to how much running I will have to do tomorrow."
The semi-finals take place tomorrow (November 6). Play starts at
16:00 (GMT+3) and will be shown live on SQUASHTV,
the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding
Europe & Japan).
For more information
on the 2020 Qatar Classic, visit the official
website and
follow the
tournament on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
|
Round 3
Ibrahim Stuns Top Seed ElShorbagy to Reach Qatar
Classic Quarters
 World
No.41 Youssef Ibrahim came back from match ball down to cause one of the
biggest upsets in Qatar Classic history earlier today, sending top seed
Mohamed ElShorbagy out of the 2020 edition of the PSA World Tour
Platinum event held in Doha following a five-game thriller.
Ibrahim, 21, is appearing in only his fifth Platinum tournament, while
29-year-old ElShorbagy is a seasoned professional and has notched up
three Qatar Classic titles in the past, while the Bristol-based Egyptian
held the World No.1 spot as recently as October.
But Ibrahim put in the finest performance of his PSA career to date as
he overturned a match ball opportunity for his opponent in the fourth
game to draw level, and he seldom put a foot wrong in the decider to
reach the quarter-finals of a Platinum event for the first time.
It also marks the first time since October 2018 that ElShorbagy has
failed to make the quarter-finals of a PSA World Tour event, while it’s
the first time since the 2010 edition of the Qatar Classic that he
failed to make it beyond the last 16 here in Doha.
“I don’t know how to describe how I’m feeling right now," Ibrahim said
following the match.
"I’ve been waiting for a break for a really long time and training
really hard for so many years and I haven’t had a good win, this just
makes it so much better. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, to beat
someone like Mohamed in his form and where he is now, top seed of the
tournament, it’s just massive. I knew I was in for a fight, I had
nothing to lose today.
"I put 100% into every shot in every game and I know he has a lot of
experience, I had to be aware every game and when I took the lead, I
usually squander the lead in so many matches, but against Mohamed I had
to be on my toes the whole match. I will not doubt myself after beating
Mohamed."
Ibrahim will line up against fellow Egyptian Fares Dessouky in the next
round. Both players are appearing in their maiden Qatar Classic
quarter-finals, and Dessouky booked his last eight spot courtesy of a
win over Spanish veteran Borja Golan.
 There
was almost another upset earlier on in the day when World No.17 Gregoire
Marche took World No.5 Paul Coll to five games.
Coll, who reached the PSA Men’s World Championship final here in Doha 12
months ago, came close to a premature exit but recovered from 2-1 down
to see off the Frenchman, setting up a meeting with World No.6 Marwan
ElShorbagy, who beat Raphael Kandra.
“He came out very aggressive and I was a bit passive in my hitting,”
said Coll.
“He actually didn’t miss much the first set, rolled a few. The second
and third, I think I made a few mistakes at the start of each which gave
him a lead. In the fourth and fifth I just wanted to cut those out
because I was winning the back end of the games, and I thought that if I
got a lead at the start then I could hold that through each set."
The man Coll lost to in last year’s World Championship final, Tarek
Momen, is also through to the quarter-finals following a 3-1 victory
over 2005 Qatar Classic champion James Willstrop.
Willstrop, 37, caused problems for Momen at times and won the third
game, but the World No.3 found his game again in the fourth to complete
an 11-8, 11-3, 3-11, 11-4 victory that will see him take on Welshman
Joel Makin next.
 “As
always it’s a pleasure to play James,” said Momen.
“He’s one of the incredible talents and it’s always very tricky. I tried
as hard as possible to expose his movement a bit, I succeeded in some
patches but in some other patches my concentration levels were up and
down. Overall, I’m happy with the performance and all credit to James,
he played a great match today."
The final match of the day saw an all-South American battle take place
as 23-year-old Peruvian Diego Elias took on Miguel Rodriguez of
Colombia, with the former claiming an 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 victory to claim
his first win over his opponent at the fifth attempt.
Despite the 11-year age gap between the two, Rodriguez’s athleticism was
impressive as he kept on getting the ball back during some
exhibition-style rallies. But Elias had more guile and completed a win
which will see him take on defending champion Ali Farag for a place in
the semi-finals.
 “I
knew it was going to be really tough, I’ve never beaten him on PSA,”
Elias said.
“He’s beaten me in total probably more than 30 times, so every time I
play him I know it’s going to be super hard. A lot of it is mental too,
he’s a great player and I have a lot of respect for him and I’m really
happy I could go through this match in three games. I’ve only beaten Ali
[Farag] twice and he’s beaten me more than 10, so it’s a really tough
match."
World No.1 Farag overcame Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng in a comfortable 3-0
win, while the other match of the day saw Makin dispatch Frenchman Lucas
Serme.
The quarter-finals take place tomorrow (November 5). Play starts at
15:00 (GMT+3) and will be shown live on SQUASHTV and
the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding
Europe & Japan).
For more information
on the 2020 Qatar Classic, visit the official
website and
follow the
tournament on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
|
|
Round 2 Top Half ElShorbagy Beats
Gaultier to March Into Qatar Classic Third Round
 World
No.6 Marwan ElShorbagy has booked his spot in the third round of the
2020 Qatar Classic, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament after getting the
better of former World No.1 Gregory Gaultier at the Khalifa
International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar earlier today.
ElShorbagy had beaten Gaultier in their last meeting all the way back in
2017 and controlled the match masterfully, refusing to get drawn into
any discussions with the referee in a match that went through its
scrappy periods.
37-year-old Gaultier lost his focus at times - even receiving a conduct
stroke for ball abuse - and his frustrations contrasted with that of
ElShorbagy, who cut a cool, composed figure on court as he closed out a
confident 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 victory in 40 minutes.
“When I saw the draw, I knew that playing him would be really tough,"
said ElShorbagy.
"Mentally, it is the toughest first match you can get because of what he
has achieved. I watched him in 2006 when he played the World
Championships [at the Great Pyramid of Giza] and he is someone who
really inspired me. He was my role model, he still is my role model.
“I admire what he has done for the game and just seeing the way he
moves, the way he plays, for me, he is one of the greatest players of
all time. I am really happy to be on court with him. It is a pleasure
for me and I hope that we see him for many years to come."
ElShorbagy will play Germany’s Raphael Kandra in the last 16 after the
World No.33 toppled India’s Saurav Ghosal to reach the third round of a
Platinum event for the first time in 13 months.
Ghosal, the World No.13, took the opener but picked up a groin injury
during the second game and, while he played on, his movement was clearly
inhibited as Kandra came back to win three games without reply.
 “Altogether,
this is definitely not how you want to win," Kandra said.
"Of course, he played on and he was still kind of moving but wasn’t at
his best and I wish him a quick recovery, he probably has time now since
COVID-19 is kind of taking us back. Overall, I’m super happy, it has
been a while since I’ve been in the third round and I’m really looking
forward to continue."
Top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy will join younger brother Marwan in the last
16 after he got the better of England’s George Parker in the final match
of the day, winning 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 in 61 minutes.
ElShorbagy, a three-time Qatar Classic champion, lost his World No.1
spot to Ali Farag yesterday but can reclaim top spot if he wins the
tournament and Farag fails to make it to the final. The 29-year-old will
take on compatriot Youssef Ibrahim in the next round.
 “He
played really well, that’s the way he plays and it was up to me to
respond and up to me to find a way to win," said ElShorbagy.
"The fourth was very tight and it could have easily gone to a fifth
game. He is such a great player and I have trained with him a few times
down in Bristol. I know what he can do, I know how dangerous he is, he
has so much potential, and I don’t think he knows how much potential he
actually has."
Ibrahim advanced following the retirement of Cesar Salazar due to
injury, while Germany’s Simon Rösner became the first top 10 player to
exit the tournament after falling to a peerless performance from World
No.12 Fares Dessouky.
The pair had only faced each other twice on the PSA World Tour before,
but they had an average match time of over 75 minutes. This clash,
though, was only just over half of that time as Dessouky dominated
throughout, beating the World No.8 by an 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 scoreline.
 “Obviously,
it was not an easy match," Dessouky said.
"I know it was 3-0 but it was very close. I had to dig really deep to
get every single point and to play at a fast pace, which wasn’t easy at
all, I am happy to be through."
Dessouky will play Spanish veteran Borja Golan in the next round after
the 37-year-old defeated World No.16 Omar Mosaad. There were also wins
for World No.5 Paul Coll and Frenchman Gregoire Marche, respectively.
Round two continues tomorrow (November 3) when defending champion and
World No.1 Farag will begin his tournament. Play starts at 11:00 (GMT+3)
and will be shown live on SQUASHTV and
the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding
Europe & Japan).
For more information
on the 2020 Qatar Classic, visit the official
website and
follow the
tournament on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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Round 1 Home Favourite Al
Tamimi Kicks off Qatar Classic with a Win
 Qatari
No.1 Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi got his 2020 Qatar Classic campaign under way
with a win over England’s Patrick Rooney as the PSA World Tour Platinum
tournament began at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in
Doha.
The Qatar Classic returns for the first time since 2018 after taking a year
out to host the PSA Men’s World Championship in 2019, and Al Tamimi will
appear in the second round of this tournament for the first time after
beating Rooney in five captivating games.
The World No.30 began the match with seven unforced errors in the first game
but quickly improved to overcome Rooney by a 10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-3
scoreline and he will line up against Peru’s Diego Elias in the last 32.
“It’s tough playing here at home,” Al Tamimi said afterwards.
“I need to raise my level always, I just want to make the whole country
proud. I had some great performances last year, so I had a lot of pressure
on me coming into this first round, especially with the lockdown we’ve been
having because of COVID-19. I haven’t had any matches since February in
Chicago.
“I only played one match against Tarek [Momen] in Manchester and when I came
back I had to do two weeks quarantine, so all that work went for nothing. I
think its [the errors] just from a lack of matches and I’m really glad I got
through this one. I’m sure against Diego I’ll be a lot sharper."
 Meanwhile,
2011 Qatar Classic winner Gregory Gaultier was also victorious on the
opening day of action as he came back from a game down to defeat Spain’s
Iker Pajares Bernabeu.
Former World No.1 Gaultier lost to Pajares when the pair met back in
December at the WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship, which was
Gaultier’s first tournament back following a 14-month spell on the sidelines
due to a knee injury.
Gaultier has been handed a wildcard spot for this tournament after his
ranking – which is now up to No.56 – saw him miss out on qualifying for a
place in the draw and he came back from a game down to complete a 10-12,
11-3, 11-9, 11-8 victory in 57 minutes. Gaultier will play CIB PSA World
Tour Finals winner Marwan ElShorbagy in the next round in what will be their
first PSA meeting since 2017.
“I’m very thankful to the Qatar Squash Federation for giving me the
opportunity to get the wildcard to play,” said 37-year-old Gaultier.
“After being out for 14 months, my ranking went from No.1 to No.600, so I’m
very grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to play otherwise I
wouldn’t have been able to take part in this event. I’ve been coming here
for 20 years, I missed the last two because of my injury, but I’m very happy
to be back here."
England’s George Parker has booked his spot in the next round after he
prevailed in a gripping five-game contest with Frenchman Victor Crouin.
The court conditions favoured whoever took the ball in short more and it was
initially Crouin who found his drop shots first as he made a superb start to
the encounter.
But Parker felt his way into the match as he moved through the gears to take
a 9-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9 victory and he is rewarded with a second
round clash with Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy, who today lost his World No.1
spot to compatriot Ali Farag.
 “I’m
looking forward to it [playing ElShorbagy]," Parker said.
"I’ve played him a few times in Bristol in training and didn’t win, so it
will be an experience for me at No.40 in the world and 24 years old. I’m
trying to get as much experience as I can playing in these matches when
there is money and points on the line because playing these tough games is
how you develop.”
There will two players making their debut appearances in the second round of
a Platinum tournament after England’s Richie Fallows and USA’s Shahjahan
Khan beat Pakistan’s Tayyab Aslam and India’s Vikram Malhotra to reach that
stage for the first time.
 “I
think being consistent [was the key], which is usually something I’m not,”
said Fallows, who will play Farag next.
“I usually get to watch him [Farag] quite a lot because I’m normally out of
the competition when I get home and I can watch him on TV. I enjoy watching
Ali, he’s one of the best.”
There were also wins for the likes of England’s Declan James, Mexico’s Cesar
Salazar, Spain’s Borja Golan and Germany’s Raphael Kandra.
Round two begins tomorrow (November 2) with top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy in
action. Play starts at 11:00 (GMT+3) and will be shown live on SQUASHTV and
the official
Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding
Europe & Japan).
For more information
on the 2020 Qatar Classic, visit the official
website and follow the
tournament on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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