Mohamed Elshorbagy (right) of Egypt and Qatar’s Abdullah Al Tamimi during a training session at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha yesterday ahead of the Qatar Classic tournament which begins today. In today’s matches Elshorbagy will take on compatriot Tarek Momen while Abdullah will face World No. 3 James Willstrop of England. RIGHT: Willstrop (right) and Saurav Ghosal of India. BOTTOM: Abdullah relaxes after a training session. PICTURES BY: KAMMUTTY VP
Doha: France’s World No. 2 Gregory Gaultier leads a galaxy of stars who will be taking part in the Qatar Classic which begins from today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
After the withdrawal of Ramy Ashour from the PSA World Series event following an injury sustained at last week’s PSA World Championship in England, the Frenchman is the top seed of the tournament.
Gaultier will be looking to regain the Qatar Classic title he won in 2011. The Frenchman will open his campaign against top-ranked German Simon Rosner, the World No. 13.
The 30-year-old from Aix-en-Provence is scheduled to link up with Spain’s world No 8 Borja Golan in the quarter-finals - before a likely semi-final encounter with England’s Nick Matthew, the man who beat him in last week’s World Championship final in Manchester.
Gaultier and Matthew fought out a blistering 111-minute final which went the full distance - with home hero Matthew prevailing to win the prestigious title for a third time.
But 2009 Qatar Classic champion Matthew has a lot to do before reaching the semis.
Matthew’s first opponent is former England team-mate Alister Walker, the World No. 15 who now represents Botswana.
A predicted second round clash with the Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the highest-ranked South American of all-time, could take the Sheffield star on to a quarter-final clash with sixth seed Amr Shabana.
The Egyptian made his first major PSA Tour appearance in Doha in 1996, a full five years before Matthew began his Classic encounters. Four-time world champion Shabana - the 34-year-old from Cairo whose latest goal is to become the oldest World No. 1 or world champion - has reached the Qatar final on three occasions, winning the title in 2007.
England’s World No. 3 James Willstrop, elevated to second seed following Ashour’s withdrawal, begins his 11th Qatar campaign against wild card Abdullah Mohammed Al Tamimi, a promising Qatari junior who is ranked 99 in the world.
The revised draw now sees Willstrop in the same quarter as Mohamed Elshorbagy, the fifth-seeded Egyptian who upset the Englishman in the World Championship quarter-finals.
Willstrop’s biggest threat in his half of the draw is fourth seed Karim Darwish, the only two-time winner of the title in the draw. The World No. 5 from Cairo, champion in 2008 and 2010.
The 2013 Qatar Classic, the seventh PSA World Series event of the year is one of the leading events on the PSA World Tour since 1992.
Meanwhile, eight players from different nations made it through yesterday’s qualifying finals.
Veteran Helsinki-based Olli Tuominen became the sole Finn in the main draw after twice coming from behind to see off young Englishman Charles Sharpes 5-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-2, 11-6 in 56 minutes.
Having earned his 13th successive appearance in the event since 2001, the 34-year-old World No. 28 will now face Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, the World No 18, in the first round.
By contrast, Denmark’s Kristian Frost Olesen secured his maiden Qatar Classic appearance after beating Kuwait’s Ammar Altamimi 11-9, 11-7, 11-4.
The lowest-ranked player to qualify, World No. 63 Olesen has been drawn to meet eighth-seeded Egyptian Tarek Momen.
England’s Joe Lee survived the day’s longest match. The World No 33 was pitted against Egypt’s Marwan Elshorbagy, ranked just a single place higher.
But 24-year-old London-born Lee fought back from 1/0 and 2/1 down and saved two match-balls in the decider to beat Elshorbagy 9-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-1, 12-10 in 93 minutes.
Lee’s reward is a first round clash with Australian No. 1 Cameron Pilley.
The Peninsula
