Egypt’s Karim Ali Fathi takes the favourite tag in the upcoming
Qatar Circuit III, PSA M15 tournament which begins on Sunday March
20 in Doha as he renews his attempts to lift a 10th career PSA World
Tour title.
The World No.43 reached the semi-final stage of the Qualico Manitoba
Open a week ago, adding to the runner-up finish he achieved at the
Oregon Open in his first tournament of 2016.
Despite his tendency to reach the latter stages of the events he
participated in, Fathi is currently enduring a barren spell as far
as silverware is concerned, with his last success coming in August
2014.
However, the 22-year-old benefits from being the top seed in Qatar
and, with plenty of experience under his belt despite his tender
years, will certainly be a contender to capture the title. Fathi is
set to face a qualifier in the first round.
Mohamed Reda, the PSA Men’s Player of the Month for November,
represents Fathi’s biggest competitor for the crown and the duo are
seeded to meet in the final. Reda won the pair’s only professional
encounter thus far back in 2014 but has a number of tough potential
fixtures in his side of the draw, with a possible quarter-final
meeting against fellow Egyptian and seven-time PSA World Tour title
winner Mazen Gamal on the horizon.
He will need to progress beyond compatriot Shehab Essam though in
the opening round if he is to harbour any ambitions of adding to the
trio of PSA World Tour titles he has picked up this season.
Another player eyeing up silverware in Qatar is the country’s number
one player, Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi. The World No.61 broke his title
duck last time out at the Life Time Atlanta Open with a dramatic 3-2
victory over Chris Hanson and he will look to maintain that form as
he looks for a first tournament win on home soil.
A qualifier lies between Al Tamimi and a place in the quarter-final
where he will meet either Karim El Hammamy or Tayyab Aslam.
Germany’s Jens Schoor has reached the final in three of his last
four events on the PSA World Tour, winning one of those at the PSA
Valencia Open three months ago. The 28-year-old has 10 years of
professional experience and has an outside of chance of taking the
crown if he plays up to his potential. Schoor will begin his
tournament against a qualifier in round one.
