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Fri
13th, Round One ...
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Mosaad and Pilley
create Qatar upsets
It was a hectic start to the main draw, with four courts in constant
action from 13.00. The schedule took abit of a knock when
one of the first matches took 92 minutes - Engy Kheirallah
repeating her Kuwait victory over Dominique Lloyd-Walter.
Action on the glass court began with Peter Barker beating
local wildcard Abdul Rhaman Al Malki in straight games, while the
biggest upset so far isqualifier Omar Mosaad's comeback from two
down to beat 16th seed Azlan Iskandar, and the shortest match Laura
Lengthorn's 15-minute dismissal of Nicolette Fernandes.
The much-anticipated all-Ashour match didn't
disappoint, with Hisham coming from 2-0 down before falling 11-0 in the
fifth to Kuwait champion Ramy.
The final two matches, both five-game thrillers, saw Cameron
Pilley finally win one of those matches he keeps losing, and
David Palmer escape from Davide Bianchetti in five for the second
week running ...
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Round Two starts at 13.00
Sat
with four women's matches,
then 16.00 with three courts
in action ....
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[1] Nicol David (Mas)
bt
Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) 9/1, 9/4, 9/4 (29m)
 "It's
very different conditions from the courts in Kuwait and here. I was just
trying to get the feel of it in the first, didn't try to do anything
fancy, just get it tight and tighter.
"It was nice to be first on in the first round, I'm happy with the
result and how I played."
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[5] Vicky Botwright (Eng)
bt
Sharon Wee (Mas) 9/1, 9/4, 9/0 (23m)
 "I
played her in KL and it was a five-game battle, so it was nice to play
her again so soon after. I was hitting a better length today and was
pretty happy with how I played but it should be a tough match tomorrow."
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[15] Olli Tuominen
(Fin) bt [Q] Jonathan Kemp (Eng)
11/5, 14/16, 11/9, 11/6 (46m)
 "He
made a few errors in the first two, even though I lost the second. I got
my game together and although he didn't make as many errors in the last
two I was a lot quicker and he was struggling to get the ball past me.
"The third was tough, but the fourth was a lot easier."
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[10] Wael El Hindi (EGY)
bt [Q] Tarek Momen (Egy)
11/8, 11/6, 11/2 (21m)
 "The
court's better this year, the floor is softer.
"It's a good start to the event for me, and hopefully I'll get better
and betterduring the week."
Wael El Hindi |
[6] Natalie Grainger (Usa)
bt Isabelle Stoehr (Fra) 10/8, 9/0, 9/5 (34m)
 "Happy
with that, much better than my last match in Kuwait.
"I just wanted to keep the ball up and move it around, and she gave me a
few easy points here and there. Glad to get off in three ..."
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[5] Nick Matthew
(Eng) bt Bradley Ball (Eng) 11/4, 11/9, 11/4 (31m)
 "I
was pleased to get in when Thierry pulled out, but after Greg withdrew I
wish the draw had been kinder to me ..."
Bradley Ball |
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[13] Engy Kheirallah (Egy)
bt Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Eng) 8/10, 3/9, 7/9, 9/2, 9/6 (92m)
 "I
thought I'd go for the record!
"I could have won the first, and I was 7/1 up in the third so it might
have been a lot quicker. She played much better than in Kuwait, she
didn't make many errors and she hung in there, getting everything back.
"I'm just so relieved to reach the second round, but it will be tough
again tomorrow, these courts are really hard to play on."
 "Gutted.
Twice in two weeks, but it was so close this time. We were stuck at
5-all in the fifth for ages, and I kept telling myself four more
rallies, just four more shots."
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[14] Peter Barker
(Eng) bt Abdul Rahman Al-Malki (Qat) 11/4, 11/3, 11/3 (25m)
 "I've
been champion of Qatar many times but this is the first International
tournament I've played. It was a much faster pace than I'm used to. I
couldn't get the ball tight enough to stop him from cutting it out, and
I made too many mistakes.
"Still, it's an honour to be given a place in the draw and I hope to get
more matches with players of this standard."
 "It's
a good start, getting used to the court and I still feel pretty fresh.
It's probably Shabana next and he'll be looking to bounce back after a
disappointing end to last week in Kuwait, but I still hope to do better
than when he beat me 3/1 in the worlds."
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[1] Amr Shabana (Egy)
bt
[Q] Renan Lavigne (Fra) 11/2, 11/3, 11/3 (24m)
 "I
was a bit worried about my feet, but the floor is softer now, it's much
nicer.
"I thought I played well, happy with my game and especially to get off
in three and conserve some energy unlike last week …"
 "He
was too good, a good effort from him after a hard week in Kuwait - just
two days later he's fully fit again. He's so fit, so fast and has so
many options in his racket.
"I couldn't find a rhythm, everything I tried to do, he was on to it. I
was too impatient, I wasn't building the rallies and you just can't go
short too soon against him. I wasn't moving at my best but I don't think
it made any difference.
"World number two, then world number one … it doesn't get any easier!"
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[Q] Omar Mosaad (Egy)
bt [16] Azlan Iskandar
(MAS)
4/11, 4/11, 11/6, 11/3, 11/9 (61m)
 "I
played for too many dropshots early in the match and made errors. I
started to rally in the third and controlled the game, and got more
confidence from that and took the fourth comfortably.
"The fifth went point for point to 8-all, he made an error, I hit a
winner, then I hit really good backhand to take the match.
"It's my best win ever, and I'm delighted to reach the second round.
Nick Matthew is a great player, but I hope to do as well again.
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[6] James Willstrop
(Eng) bt Joey Barrington (Eng) 11/5, 11/5, 4/11, 11/7 (54m)
 "It
was looking good, 2/0 up after 20 minutes, but he stuck in well and it
gradually became one of those grinding matches you get on these courts.
I had high hopes of getting off quickly in three, but it wasn't to be.
"It' shard when part of the draw gets two rounds on the glass court
while the rest of us are slugging it out on these, which everyone knows
I hate."
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[10] Laura Lengthorn
(Eng) bt
Nicolette Fernandes (Guy) 9/1, 9/0, 9/0 (15m)
"I just went on and tried to be as
prepared as I could be. We played in Belfast so I knew what to expect, I
just tried to keep the pace high."
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Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt [9] Stewart
Boswell (Aus) 7/11, 11/7, 11/4, 9/11, 11/4 (71m)
 "It's
about time I got to win one of those five-setters! I played better than
against Whitey last week, I was more consistent and my length was better
- I was inches away from the wall rather than metres!
"I'm really happy with how I played and it's great to get a half-decent
win at last."
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[3] Ramy Ashour (EGY)
bt
Hisham Ashour (EGY) 11/7, 11/8, 5/11, 12/14, 11/0 (44m)
 "I
never enjoy playing him, I just don't want to have any rallies I want to
finish them off before I start thinking. If I think about it for just a
second I know I'll make a mess of it.
"In the fifth I just decided to block it all out, I got a few points and
he slowed down and was struggling at the front.
"I knew it was bound to happen sometime, I just hope it doesn't happen
again soon."
Ramy Ashour
 "I
pulled a muscle playing Bengy last week, so I've had five days with no
exercise and hotel food, so I was struggling at the end!
"Against Ramy you have to run, and I couldn't do that to my best today.
I think I did all I could, but I'm very proud of my little brother, I
hope he'll soon be number one very soon."
Hisham Ashour |
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Thu 12th, Qualifying Finals ... |
Renan qualifies again,
but no joy in draw ...
Day two of qualifying, with eight men's and six women's main draw
places up for grabs.
MEN'S QUALIFYING FINALS:
Renan Lavigne (Fra) bt
Dylan Bennett (Ned)
12/10,
11/9, 11/4 (41m)
plays Shabana
Daryl Selby (Eng)
bt Saurav Ghosal (Ind)
11/13,
7/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/8 (83m) plays Ricketts
Shahid Zaman (Pak) bt Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra)
4/11,
7/11, 11/6, 11/7, 11/5 (53m) plays Beachill
Alister Walker
(Eng) bt Omar Abdel Aziz (Egy)
11/9,
11/4, 11/8 (38m)
plays [LL] Ross
Tarek Momen (Egy) bt Mansoor Zaman (Pak)
11/8, 5/11, 11/7, 12/14, 11/9 (61m) plays El Hindi
Omar Mosaad (Egy)
bt Amr Swelim (Egy)
11/9, 5/11, 11/4, 9/11, 11/8 (57m) plays Iskandar
Yasser El Halaby (Egy) bt Eric Galvez (Mex)
w/o
plays Darwish
Jonathan Kemp
(Eng)bt Stacey Ross (Eng)
11/4, 12/14, 11/5, 11/8
plays Tuominen
WOMEN'S QUALIFYING:
Christina Mak (Hkg) bt Lauren Siddall (Eng)
9/4, 1/9, 9/4, 9/1 (50m)
plays Kitchen
Tenille Swartz
(Rsa) bt Dipika Pallikal (Ind)
9/4, 9/6, 9/1 (24m)
plays Brown
Line Hansen (Den)
bt Carlene Rossel-Reed (Rsa)
9/0,
9/5, 9/5
plays R.Grinham
Suzie Pierepont
(Eng) bt Jenna Gates (Eng)
9/2,9/0,
10/9
plays Waters
Orla Noom (Ned) bt
Adel Weir (Rsa)
6/9,
9/0, 9/3, 9/1
plays Bailey
Aisling Blake
(Irl) bt Eman El Amir (Egy)
9/4,
3/9, 9/2, 9/4
plays Duncalf
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"I first came here in '98, the place is unrecognisable from then, they
just keep building and building. I've made the main draw a few times and
a couple of last sixteens.
"I was a bit nervous to start with and felt a little slow. I won the
first but was lucky to take the second from 9/4 down and that made a
huge difference. I was playing better and felt in control in the third.
"I'm pleased to qualify for both events, now I'm just hoping for a good
draw. There aren't any easy ones, but at least I can't get Greg again
..."
(he drew Shabana!)
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11-Apr-07:
Egyptians Excel In Qatar Qualifiers
There will be five Cairo-based players seeking qualifying places in the
first round of the Qatar Squash Classic after resounding Egyptian
successes in the first qualifying rounds in Doha, Qatar.
But only one of the eight slots available is certain to end up in
Egyptian hands when 19-year-old Omar Mosaad takes on 22-year-old Amr
Swelim in Thursday's qualifying finals.
Stiff competition will come from four Englishmen, a pair of Frenchmen
and Pakistanis, and an Indian, a Dutchman and a Mexican.
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