Champion Darwish In Qatar Classic Record Bid
by Howard Harding


13 October 2011 - Egypt's Karim Darwish will be bidding to become the first player to win the Qatar Classic three times when the sixth PSA World Series squash event of the year, in its 11th edition since 2001, gets underway at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in the Qatar capital Doha this week.

The world number three from Cairo reached the final for the third year in a row last year - and went on to win his second title after beating compatriot Amr Shabana in four games.

But third seed Darwish, who has played in each event since 2001, is expected to face stiff competition this year - not only again from Shabana, but also from fellow countryman Ramy Ashour, the world No2, and favourite Nick Matthew, the world number one from England.

Darwish opens his 2011 campaign against a qualifier and is expected to meet fifth seed Shabana in the quarter-finals, before a semi-final clash with top seed Matthew, whom he beat at the same stage in 2010.

Matthew begins his Qatar Classic campaign against Pakistani Aamir Atlas Khan - and will be hoping to maintain the impressive run this year which has seen the 31-year-old from Sheffield reach all five World Series event finals so far.

But Shabana is the man in the best form currently, after overcoming the Englishman in the US Open final earlier this month. The four-time World Open champion, Doha winner in 2007, takes on Swiss number one Nicolas Mueller in the opening round.

Second seed Ramy Ashour - who, despite forgoing the US Open, heads the 2011 Dunlop PSA World Series Standings - lines up against up-and-coming Englishman Tom Richards in the first round, before a likely quarter-final encounter with eighth seed David Palmer. The distinguished two-time World Open champion from Australia has reached the final four times since 2001, but has yet to pick up one of the Tour's most prized titles.

After qualifying on 14 & 15 October, the main draw of the 2011 Qatar Classic gets underway on Sunday 16 October leading to the final on Friday (21 October).

2011 Qatar Classic 1st round draw:

[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)
Tarek Momen (EGY) v Qualifier
Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) v Qualifier
[6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Qualifier
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) v Qualifier
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Qualifier
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) v Qualifier
Simon Rosner (GER) v Qualifier
Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Hisham Mohamed Ashour (EGY)
[7] Peter Barker (ENG) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
[8] David Palmer (AUS) v Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
Stewart Boswell (AUS) v Qualifier
Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Saurav Ghosal (IND)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Tom Richards (ENG)

1st qualifying round:

Alan Clyne (SCO) v Matthew Karwalski (AUS)
Siddharth Suchde (IND) v Leo Au (HKG)
Kamran Khan (MAS) v Omar Abdullah Al Emadi (QAT)
Joey Barrington (ENG) v Bradley Hindle (MLT)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) v Yann Perrin (FRA)
Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) v Wael Farag (EGY)
Chris Ryder (ENG) v Ivan Yuen (MAS)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)
Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) v Ahmed Mohammed Al Tamimi (QAT)
Raphael Kandra (GER) v Robbie Temple (ENG)
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) v Henrik Mustonen (FIN)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY)
Mazen Gamal (EGY) v Abdul Rahman Al-Malki (QAT)
Farhan Mehboob (PAK) v Elvinn Keo (MAS)
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) v Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND)





 Back To Main