Qualifying Complete In $350K Men's World Championship
by Howard Harding
photo courtesy Squash365
6 December 2012 - England's Jaymie Haycocks produced the win of his life when he became the lowest-ranked player to qualify for the Qatar PSA World Squash Championship after upsetting the highest-ranked opponent in today's qualifying competition for the PSA World Tour's premier championship in the Qatar capital Doha.
Boasting a $325,000 prize-fund - the second biggest in the sport's history - the Qatar PSA World Championship is being hosted by Qatar for the third time, following previous stagings in 1998 and 2004, and is being held at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
Haycocks, a 29-year-old from Birmingham, is in his seventh year as a member of the PSA and ranked 87 in the world. His opponent Campbell Grayson is a New Zealander whose world ranking at the time of the draw was 50 - just one position below an automatic place in the main draw - but is currently ranked ten places higher.
However, in his first ever meeting with the Kiwi, Haycocks totally disregarded the rankings - and battled for 104 minutes to overcome Grayson 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-13, 11-5 to earn his first appearance in the main draw of the PSA World Championship after only once before trying to qualify, four years ago.
In his career-first appearance in the main draw of any PSA World Series event, Haycocks will line up against unseeded Australian Ryan Cuskelly, the world No33.
Another Englishman also claimed a surprise place in the main draw when Surrey's Charles Sharpes, ranked 71 in the world, beat Kamran Khan - a Malaysian seeded to win - 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 in 36 minutes.
London-born Sharpes, aged 20, will make his maiden appearance in the championship against fellow Briton Alan Clyne, the top-ranked Scot.
With Haycocks and Sharpes joined by Robbie Temple, Joe Lee and Olivier Pett, England boasts five qualifiers in the main draw - but successful qualifying endeavours by Peter Creed, Abdullah Al Muzayen, Kristian Frost Olesen and Mark Krajcsak will extend main draw representation by a further four countries.
Creed became the only Welsh representative in the first round after beating higher-ranked Mexican Cesar Salazar 5-11, 10-12, 12-10, 13-11, 11-8 in 75 minutes, while Al Muzayen added sole Kuwait interest following an 11-8, 14-12, 11-8 victory over Frenchman Julien Balbo.
Two Danes were bidding for main draw honours, but only Olesen was successful, beating Austrian hope Aqeel Rehman 14-12, 13-11, 11-4.
And Krajcsak added Hungary to the list of nations represented in the 64-main draw when he overturned Denmark's Rasmus Nielsen 3-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7.
RESULTS: Qatar PSA World Championship, Doha, Qatar
Qualifying finals:
Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-13, 11-5 (104m)
Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (78m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Steven Finitsis (AUS) 12-10, 11-6, 11-6 (62m)
Robbie Temple (ENG) bt Admire Magwaza (ZIM) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (24m)
Olivier Pett (ENG) bt Kim Are Killingberg (NOR) 11-7, 11-3, 11-0 (23m)
Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt Arthur Gaskin (IRL) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (31m)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (38m)
Joe Lee (ENG) bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8 (68m)
Peter Creed (WAL) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 5-11, 10-12, 12-10, 13-11, 11-8 (75m)
Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 14-12, 13-11, 11-4 (61m)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Yann Perrin (FRA) 3-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6 (49m)
Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt Leo Au (HKG) 11-5, 10-12, 11-4, 11-8 (49m)
Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt Rasmus Nielsen (DEN) 3-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7 (46m)
Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) bt Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY) 11-2, 11-7, 11-8 (34m)
Charles Sharpes (ENG) bt Kamran Khan (MAS) 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 (36m)
Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) bt Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-8, 14-12, 11-8 (40m)
Updated 1st round draw :
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) v Chris Ryder (ENG)
Shawn Delierre (CAN) v Adrian Waller (ENG)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
[14] Tom Richards (ENG) v Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
[15] Borja Golan (ESP) v [Q] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN)
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [Q] Charles Sharpes (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) v Martin Knight (NZL)
[8] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) v Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v [Q] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)
[16] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [Q] Olivier Pett (ENG)
[11] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
Julian Illingworth (USA) v [Q] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER) v Siddharth Suchde (IND)
[4] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Mark Krajcsak (HUN)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [Q] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW)
Chris Simpson (ENG) v [Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS)
[9] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[10] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [Q] Robbie Temple (ENG)
Max Lee (HKG) v Henrik Mustonen (FIN)
Adrian Grant (ENG) v [Q] Rex Hedrick (AUS)
[5] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY)
[7] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [Q] Ivan Yuen (MAS)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) v [Q] Joe Lee (ENG)
Shahier Razik (CAN) v [Q] Shaun le Roux (RSA)
[12] Alister Walker (BOT) v Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)
[13] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Stephen Coppinger (RSA)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [Q] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG)
Zac Alexander (AUS) v [Q] Peter Creed (WAL)
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
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