World Champion Gawad Features in All-Star Qatar Classic Draw by Nathan Clarke
photo PSA
November 7, 2016
- Recently-crowned World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad will look to
continue his superb form in the upcoming Qatar Classic after the draw
for the World Series tournament - which will take place between Sunday
November 13 - Friday November 18 in Doha - was released today (Monday
November 7).
The world’s greatest players will battle it out for crucial points on
the PSA Road to Dubai Standings - which is topped by World No.1 Mohamed
ElShorbagy - with a place at the lucrative season-ending Dubai PSA
World Series Finals up for grabs for the top eight.
Gawad, the 25-year-old from Giza, Egypt, lifted the sport’s most
prestigious title at the Wadi Degla PSA Men’s World Championship last
week in Cairo, beating three-time winner Ramy Ashour to add to the Al
Ahram Squash Open NEWGIZA title he claimed in front of the iconic Great
Pyramid of Giza earlier this season.
The World No.3 will meet a qualifier in round one, and is seeded to
contest a mouthwatering semi-final with 2015 World Champion Gregory
Gaultier, who will hope to be fully recovered from the ankle injury he
sustained during the World Championship.
Defening champion ElShorbagy is also in action as he looks to bounce
back from a semi-final defeat to Gawad in Cairo. The hard-hitting
Egyptian’s title-winning exploits at the Delaware Investments U.S. Open
catapulted him to the top of the PSA Road to Dubai standings ahead of
Gawad and he will aim to strengthen his grasp on top spot with a third
successive Qatar Classic crown.
ElShorbagy opens up against Australian No.1 Cameron Pilley - the player
who ended his charge during the 2016 Dubai PSA World Series Finals -
and could meet Ashour in an explosive quarter-final clash, which would
act as the latest chapter in their long-running rivalry.
2009 victor Nick Matthew, 2015 World Championship runner-up Omar Mosaad
and World No.6 Ali Farag are just some of the other big names included
in a world-class draw, with Mosaad taking on the tournament wildcard,
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, in round one.
2016 Qatar Classic - First Round Draw:
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Qualifier]
James Willstrop (ENG) v Chris Simpson (ENG)
[Qualifier] v [8] Ramy Ashour (EGY)
[5] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [Qualifier]
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v [Qualifier]
[WC] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) v [3] Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Tom Richards (ENG) v Zahed Mohamed (EGY)
Max Lee (HKG) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
[Qualifier] v [7] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
[6] Ali Farag (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)
Simon Rösner (GER) v [Qualifier]
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
The qualifying stages of the 2016 Qatar Classic will take place on
November 11-12, while the main draw begins a day later, with the final
taking place on Friday November 18 - entry to the tournament is free of
charge.
