Qatar's Abdulla Al Tamimi faces a tough challenge against World No.2 Mostafa Asal in his opening match.
Doha: Abdulla Al Tamimi will lead Qatar’s charge at the star-studded Qatar QTerminals Classic 2024 when the premier PSA and WSA World Series event returns to Doha on September 30.
Qatar’s top-ranked player Al Tamimi, making his ninth appearance in the Qatar Classic, faces a tough challenge in the first round against No.3 seed Mostafa Asal, the draw for the prestigious tournament revealed.
Al Tamimi, who fell to Tarek Momen in the third round last year, will be looking to go higher this time. Still, the recent British Open champion Asal who reached the semi-finals in 2022, will also aim to impress on his return to Doha after skipping the event in 2023.
World’s No.1 ranked players, Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini – both from Egypt – headline the line-ups in the men’s and women’s tournaments this time at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
The defending men’s champion Farag, aiming to match British former World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy with a fourth title in Doha, will be up against a stellar field that includes almost all the top-ranked players in the PSA tour.
Already a three-time champion of the Qatar Classic, Farag, begins play against India’s Ramit Tandon in the opening round. Meanwhile, his opponent from last year’s final, the newly crowned World champion Diego Elias (No.4 seed) will look to carry his World Championships form into the Doha tournament he won in 2021.
Elias’ opponent in his opening match will be Qatari wildcard entry Salem Al Malki.
The draw also features New Zealand’s Paul Coll, the World No.3, who is in immaculate form after clinching four titles, including two Platinum level events and one Gold level event. Coll, a two-time Qatar Classic finalist and one of only two players who managed to defeat World No.1 Ali Farag multiple times last season, will start his campaign against Scotland’s Greg Lobban.
Stellar women’s field for Doha
Meanwhile, the women’s side is also no short of global stars.
Defending champion Hania El Hammamy is aiming to make a strong comeback at the Qatar Q-Terminals Classic as she looks to regain her top form following a challenging season last year. Currently ranked No. 3 in the world, El Hammamy will take on USA’s Sabrina Sobhy, aiming to challenge ElSherbini in the race for the world no. 1 ranking.
Top seed ElSherbini has twice missed the Qatar title after finishing as runner-up in the last two tournament but will be out to prove she is a top contender for the title this time around. ElSherbini, who is the top seed for the second consecutive year, will face a tough opponent in former World No. 3 Joelle King in her opening match.
Nouran Gohar, the No. 2 seed, also enters the tournament in outstanding form after racking up five consecutive event wins last season, including her maiden World Championship title. Gohar will meet Welshwoman Emily Whitlock in the opening round.
The Qatar Q-Terminals Classic will also feature Belgian sisters Nele and Tinne Gilis, along with Georgina Kennedy, Olivia Weaver, and Rowan Elaraby, all placed in the top 10 in the world rankings, promising thrilling clashes in the tournament’s early rounds.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency, the Secretary General of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel, and Badminton Federation and Tournament Director Tariq Zainal expressed his excitement about the upcoming event.
“We are pleased to announce the hosting of a new edition of the Qatar QTerminals Classic, and we are eagerly looking forward to welcoming all the players participating in this exceptional edition,” Zainal said, emphasizing that squash enthusiasts in Qatar will enjoy a week of high-level competition and thrilling matches.
