Doha: Top seed Gregory Gaultier of France and two-time champion Ramy Ashour registered contrasting wins to advance into the second round of the PSA World Championship 2014.
Yesterday, at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex Frenchman Gaultier, who has finished runner-up four times, rallied from behind to register a 3-2 win over Egyptian qualifier Andrew Wagih Shoukry.
No top seed has ever lost in the first round, but when the 31-year-old stood 6-6 in the fourth game against Shoukry there looked a real possibility it would happen.
Gaultier worked patiently towards safety and to a 6-11, 9-11 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 victory in a mature and considered recovery by the man from Aix-en-Provence.
Shoukry, one of a record 14 Egyptians in the main draw, played pressure-free and tenaciously excellent squash, but Gaultier’s ability to analyse what was happening and to adapt was decisive.
“I had no patience when my shots weren’t working,” Gaultier admitted.
“I had to find patience, and get a few things going. I thought ‘just play as if it’s 0-0’ at the start of the third game, and once I got ontop in the third I thought ‘that’s it”.
Gaultier next plays Mohamed Nafiizwan Adnan of Malaysia, who beat Mazen Hesham, a promising young Egyptian, 13-11 11-7 9-11 11-5, and could go on to a last 16 meeting with Omar Mosaad, the ninth-seeded Egyptian, who ended a spirited performance by local wild card player Abdulla Al Tamimi 11-8, 11-8, 10-12, 11-5.
Tamimi lost the first two games by identical scores but rallied back to take the third game from the ninth seed.
The Aspire Academy product tried to make a fight in the fourth game but a knee injury with the score reading 7-2, in the favour of the Egyptian, added to his woes.
The 19-year-old returned to the court after getting medical attention but Mosaad wrap up things.
“I’m feeling happy with my performance, even if I rushed the point a bit in the 4th. But happy overall, hopefully I can do better next time,” said Tamimi. Another Egyptian Ashour also made it to advanced, defeating Ivan Yuen of Malaysia in 32 minutes.
The fourth seed survived a scare in the second game winning it 14-12 but wrapped the third at 11-5. “
I need to be consistent if I need to win the championship,” said the 27-year-old. “One thing which I have tried to change is my mental composure. I want to remain calm in order to do well in the event,” said Ashour, who won the World Championship in 2008 and four years later repeated the feat.THE PENINSULA
