Saudi International 2006
December 13 - 16

Reports

Saudi Sets Scene For Last Super Series Finals Qualifying Chances

This week's Saudi Squash International, the ninth and final PSA Super Series event of the year, provides the final opportunity for players to claim lucrative places in the 2007 Super Series Finals in London.

 

The Saudi International, in its second year in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Khobar, gets underway on Saturday 16 December, leading to the final on Wednesday (20 December).  The second richest PSA event of the year, the Saudi International boasts a $130,000 prize-fund.

 

Egypt's world number one Amr Shabana heads the latest Super Series standings – compiled from points received from the eight Super Series events so far this year.  Only the top eight players in the final list will qualify for the 2007 Super Series Finals.

 

Winner of the Hong Kong Open, PSA Masters and Tournament of Champions, Shabana is more than one thousand points ahead of second-placed David Palmer, the Australian who won the Windy City Open in Chicago at the beginning of the year, then clinched the World Open title for the second time in Egypt in September.

 

Frenchman Gregory Gaultier is currently in third place – and is certain to finish in the top eight and thereby make his Super Series Finals debut next year.  Ramy Ashour, the Egyptian teenager who had never progressed beyond the first round of a Super Series event before this year, is in fifth place in the list – and, like compatriot Karim Darwish, is set to make his Finals debut in 2007.

 

However, the pair are scheduled to meet in the first round in Al Khobar – and a win by Ashour might jeopardise eighth-placed Darwish's finish in the top eight.

 

Defending Super Series Finals champion Anthony Ricketts will be looking for a positive performance in Saudi.  The Australian is currently in ninth place in the list – and will need to reach the quarter-finals in Al Khobar to boost his chances of returning to London's Broadgate Arena.

 

Englishman Lee Beachill is also currently out of contention:  The world No10 from Yorkshire has qualified each year since 2003 – and was runner-up to Ricketts in this year's final.

 

Gawain Briars, Chief Executive of the PSA, commented:  "Reflecting the burgeoning condition of the PSA Tour in general and the Super Series badge in particular, we have player competition that is on a knife edge to gain the all-important Super Series ranking points to qualify for the lucrative Super Series Finals in Broadgate London next spring.  The tour is currently witness to an ongoing spree of top class results whose unpredictability challenges the most experienced aficionados to pick certain winners from any rounds.  The professional game is so much more exciting as a consequence."

 

Current Super Series Standings (after the Warid Pakistan Open, US Open, Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open, Al-Ahram World Open, Liverpool 08 Open, Virtual Spectator Bermuda PSA Masters, Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions, and SSA Global Windy City Open):

 

1             Amr Shabana (EGY)                      8,618.75

2            David Palmer (AUS)                      7,356.25

3            Gregory Gaultier (FRA)                 6,400.00

4            Thierry Lincou (FRA)                    5,925.00

5            Ramy Ashour (EGY)                       3,312.50

6            James Willstrop (ENG)                 3,306.25

7            Nick Matthew (ENG)                     3,143.75

8            Karim Darwish (EGY)                    2,856.25

9            Anthony Ricketts (AUS)                2,381.25

10           Stewart Boswell (AUS)                 2,225.00

11           Lee Beachill (ENG)                        2,162.50

12           John White (SCO)                        1,831.25

 

Saudi International 1st round draw:

[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)

[16] Alex Gough (WAL) v [Q] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)

[8] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Ramy Ashour (EGY)

[15] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) v Peter Barker (ENG)

[4] James Willstrop (ENG) v Shahier Razik (CAN)

[9] Lee Beachill (ENG) v [Q] Joey Barrington (ENG)

[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v [Q] Shahid Zaman (PAK)

[12] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v Mohammed Taher Al-Saif (KSA)

[10] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v [Q] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)

[7] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [Q] Simon Parke (ENG)

[14] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Borja Golan (ESP)

[3] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Wael El Hindi (EGY)

[13] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG)

[6] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [Q] Alister Walker (ENG)

[11] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v [Q] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)

[2] David Palmer (AUS) v Jonathan Kemp (ENG)

REVIEW THE 2005 EVENT PAGES
Power Storms To Saudi Success


. Draw
. Qualifying

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Reports
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Previews



France's Gregory Gaultier with Egypt's Amr Shabana at the US Open

Egypt's Ramy Ashour and Anthony Ricketts


Englishman James Willstrop and Anjema

SAUDI INTERNATIONAL
2006
$130,000

Round 1 Round 2 Quarters Semis Final
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY)
v
Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[16] Alex Gough (WAL)
v
[Q] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
[8] Karim Darwish (EGY)
v
Ramy Ashour (EGY)
[15] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
v
Peter Barker (ENG)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG)
v
Shahier Razik (CAN)
[9] Lee Beachill (ENG)
v
[Q] Joey Barrington (ENG)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS)
v
[Q] Shahid Zaman (PAK)
[12] Olli Tuominen (FIN)
v
Mohammed Taher Al-Saif (KSA)
[10] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v
[Q] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)
[7] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
v [
Q] Simon Parke (ENG)
[14] Adrian Grant (ENG)
v
Borja Golan (ESP)
[3] Thierry Lincou (FRA)
v
Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[13] Stewart Boswell (AUS)
v
[Q] Daryl Selby (ENG)
[6] Nick Matthew (ENG)
v [
Q] Alister Walker (ENG)
11] Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
v
[Q] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)
[2] David Palmer (AUS)
v
Jonathan Kemp (ENG)

Qualifying

Qualifying finals:
Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Ben Garner (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-2 (35m)
Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (28m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 3-11, 11-9, 11-2 (98m)
Simon Parke (ENG) bt Mark Chaloner (ENG) 10-11 (2-4), 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (60m)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) 11-10 (5-3), 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-5 (64m)
Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt Bradley Ball (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 10-11 (1-3), 1-11, 11-9 (66m)
Alister Walker (ENG) bt Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 11-3, 11-2, 2-0 ret. (22m)
Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Stacey Ross (ENG) 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-2 (59m)
1st qualifying round:
Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Arthur Gaskin (IRL) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6
Ben Garner (ENG) bt Jago Nardelli (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-9
Julian Illingworth (USA) bt Dylan Bennett (NED) 11-5, 9-11, 11-2, 11-3
Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt Rob Sutherland (WAL) 11-10 (2-0), 11-2, 11-8
Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Jason Barry (RSA) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Joe Lee (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7
Simon Parke (ENG) bt Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-6, 11-6, 11-9
Mark Chaloner (ENG) bt Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-9
Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) bt Lee Drew (ENG) 5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6
Bradley Ball (ENG) bt Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8
Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 11-8
Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt Scott Handley (ENG) 11-9, 11-10 (3-1), 11-4
Alister Walker (ENG) bt Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) 11-10 (2-0), 11-9, 11-8
Stacey Ross (ENG) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7
Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Alex Stait (ENG) 8-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-0

Previews

Maximum Reward For Pakistan In Saudi International Qualifiers
Pakistan
achieved maximum returns from both their players in the qualifying finals of the Saudi International when Shahid Zaman and Aamir Atlas Khan secured places in the main draw of the PSA Super Series Platinum event which will take place in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, in December.

Khan became one of the youngest players ever to earn a place in a PSA Super Series event when he beat France's Jean-Michel Arcucci 11-10 (5-3), 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-5 in 64 minutes on the second day of the special qualifying event held at St George's Hill in Surrey, England.

The 16-year-old from Peshawar, who is the reigning Asian Junior (U19) champion, is making great strides on the senior international circuit - and reached the first round of last week's World Open in Egypt as a qualifier.

Shahid Zaman, 24, from Quetta, beat England's Bradley Ball 11-8, 11-9, 10-11 (1-3), 1-11, 11-9 in 66 minutes to join Khan in the Saudi main draw.

Meanwhile England claimed four places in Saudi with qualifying finals wins by Daryl Selby, Simon Parke, Alister Walker and Joey Barrington.