Ramy Retirement Sees Richards Through In Qatar
by Howard Harding
17 October 2011 - England's unseeded Tom Richards secured a surprise place in the last 16 round of the Qatar Classic after second seed Ramy Ashour conceded their first round match in the sixth PSA World Series squash event of the year in the Qatar capital Doha after just 18 minutes.
Ashour, the world number two who heads the 2011 Dunlop PSA World Series Standings, was clearly struggling with an injury that hampered his movement on the all-glass court at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
Richards, the world No24 who lost to the Egyptian at the North American Open in February, took the opening two games before Ashour offered his hand in defeat.
"I know he could barely move on there," said the 25-year-old from Surrey to www.squashsite.co.uk after his surprise win. "Yet I still had to play the best squash I ever played to beat him!"
Richards goes on to face Cameron Pilley after the world No16 from Australia saw off India's world No32 Saurav Ghosal 11-6, 12-10, 11-7.
Earlier, an all-Australian second round clash was set up after Commonwealth Games Doubles silver medallists David Palmer and Stewart Boswell survived their first round battles.
Palmer, four times a runner-up in the Doha event, was given a good workout by Scotland's Alan Clyne in his last Qatar Classic.
"At the end it wasn't the best," said eighth seed Palmer after his 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4 victory in 56 minutes. "But I'll take the win - nowadays, I take what I can!
"But tomorrow, I'll have to play better," added the 35-year-old from New South Wales.
Boswell had lost after leading two-nil against Mohamed El Shorbagy in last week's US Open in Philadelphia - but having taken the first two games against his younger brother Marwan El Shorbagy, the Aussie finished it off this time, racing through the third for the loss of just two further points to set up a meeting with long-time adversary and Australian team-mate Palmer.
Distinguished Frenchman Thierry Lincou gave one of the day's most impressive performances to set up a meeting with England's No7 seed Peter Barker.
Unseeded on the PSA Tour for the first time for over ten years, former world number one Lincou found himself two games down against Egyptian Hisham Mohamed Ashour, Ramy's older brother.
But the determined 35-year-old Frenchman bravely fought back to record an impressive 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 victory after 62 minutes.
"Anything I was putting at the front ended in the tin, and I couldn't find any length either, as he was twisting and turning me too much," said the Marseille man about the first two games. "I was only able to play one rally the whole match where I was in control. I'll be ready and sharp for playing against Peter tomorrow!"
Germany's Simon Rosner, who had won his last four encounters with Chris Ryder, extended that run with a four-game win over the English qualifier.
"I'm happy to get through," said Rosner. "Although I don't think either of us were playing at our best, and I was disappointed that I relaxed a bit in the third. Still you have to win those matches."
Rosner will next face James Willstrop, after the fourth-seeded Englishman beat Egyptian qualifier Mohammed Abbas 11-6, 11-4, 11-3.
RESULTS: PSA World Series Qatar Classic, Doha, Qatar
1st round (lower half of draw):
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (30m)
Simon Rosner (GER) bt [Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5 (56m)
Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Hisham Mohamed Ashour (EGY) 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (62m)
[7] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-2 (63m)
[8] David Palmer (AUS) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4 (56m)
Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [Q] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 (35m)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-6, 12-10, 11-7 (54m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt [2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) 11-4, 11-6 ret.
2nd round line-up:
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Tarek Momen (EGY)
[6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Henrik Mustonen (FIN)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) v Simon Rosner (GER)
[7] Peter Barker (ENG) v Thierry Lincou (FRA)
[8] David Palmer (AUS) v Stewart Boswell (AUS)
Tom Richards (ENG) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
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