Fri 5th Dec
THE FINALS Gulf Times Reports
Men's Final:
[9] Lee Beachill [2] bt John White (Sco) 15/12, 15/5, 11/15, 12/15, 15/9 (94m)
Women's Final:
[2] Natalie Grainger (Usa) bt [1] Carol Owens (Nzl) 10/9, 9/7, 9/10, 9/4 (61m)
Beachill & Grainger upset the odds
to take Qatar Classic titlesEngland's Lee Beachill the USA's Natalie Grainger won the men’s and women’s titles respectively in the $225,000 Qatar Classic squash championships after absorbing finals, both overcoming higher seeds to claim their best-ever tournament wins.
Beachill, the victor over world No.1 Peter Nicol of England in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, on Friday took home a cash prize of $17,000 for beating second seed White, who had won the Qatar Masters 2003 title in Doha last April. White had to be content with $11,000 for his efforts.
Grainger, the losing finalist in the World Open 2002, also staged in Doha last November, got richer by $15,000. Owens, winner of April's Qatar Grand Prix was rewarded with a prize of $10,000.
Beachill off to a great start
Beachill took the first game in just 18 minutes, then supplemented his fine start by outlasting a completely baffled White to go up 2-0, winning the second game 15-5 to give an indication that the match might be over in three games.
However, White relied on his experience to break Beachill's rhythm, using his great reach to extend the rallies and score winners from all corners of the court to push the match into a fifth game.
In the deciding game, both players traded points, but at 7-all Beachill broke away, thanks mainly to deft drop shots against a tiring White. Beachill got the lucky break at 11-9 up when White gifted two points in strokes to see the Englishman put further distance between the them. 13-9 to Beachill soon became 15-9 when White hit an easy return into the tin, giving the Englishman his first Doha triumph.
An ecstatic Beachill said he was going to spend the next week celebrating his memorable win over White.
"I am just relieved having won this prestigious tournament. Everybody knows that the Qatar Classic is the biggest PSA tournament other than the World Open. Every player tries to lift the trophy in Doha. I did it today. My name is there on the trophy now and nobody can take this credit away from me," Beachill said moments after the final point in a match that went the full five games.
"I worked my way to the final with meticulous planning. I knew I had got a tough with tough opponents to beat, but I stuck to my plan of playing attacking squash right throughout the tournament here," said the Englishman, who had world number one Peter Nicol, who Beachill beat in the quarters, in his corner for the match.
Grainger recovers from poor start
In the women’s final, Grainger started the match in terrible fashion, gifting points to Owens, who raced to an 8-2 lead. However, a nervous Grainger calmed herself and fought back in blistering fashion, reeling off seven consecutive points to go 9-8 up and then win it 10-8.
Grainger maintained her ascendancy, winning the second game 9-7, using well-placed drop shots to take the game on her 11th game point.
Owens won the next game 10-9 to indicate a recovery, but Grainger, sealed her fine performance in the tournament by outplaying Owens in the fourth game to register her maiden victory in Qatar.
Grainger said the Qatar Classic triumph was the highlight of her career so far.
"I am simply ecstatic. This is the best win of my career so far. Although I have beaten Carol a few times in the past, but to defeat her in a major final like the Qatar Classic title match is a greatly satisfying for me," a beaming Grainger said.
"Carol is the world No.1 and a great champion and to beat a player of her calibre has given me a lot of pleasure. I nearly lost it in the first game because I started off very nervously, but then I gradually managed to calm myself and play to my own strengths," Grainger added.Pics from Fritz Borchert
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