Victor Crouin. Pic: PSA World Tour
Doha: Top seed Victor Crouin moved into the quarter-finals of the Men’s PSA Challenger QSF#4 event after outclassing unseeded Curtis Malik in straight games at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday.
The Frenchman took only 35 minutes to dispatch his English opponent 11-7, 11-9, 11-6 to advance in the tournament.
The World No.20 will now meet Egypt’s Mazen Gamal in the quarter-final today. Gamal stunned compatriot Yahya Elnawasany, beating the eighth seed 11-7, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7 in 48 minutes.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi and Syed Azlan Amjad suffered defeats in their respective last-16 matches yesterday.
Sixth seed Al Tamimi after winning the first two games succumbed to a fightback from Egypt’s Aly Abou Eleinen, who won the match 5-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 in 55 minutes.
On the other hand, Amjad went down fighting against seventh seed Tayyab Aslam of Pakistan 12-10, 11-9, 11-9 in a 37-minute match. Eleinen will face second seed Egyptian Omar Mosaad, who advanced after defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Asim Khan 11-5, 2-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-2 in 53 minutes.
Aslam will play against Mexican Leonel Cardenas after the fourth seed defeated Czech Martin Svec 11-2, 11-6, 13-15, 11-3 following a 44-minute battle.
The other quarter-final will be played between third seed Karim El Hammamy of Egypt and India’s fifth seed Ramit Tandon.
El Hammamy booked his last-8 berth after beating Scotsman Rory Stewart 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 (54 minutes) while Tandon fought hard for 40 minutes to record an 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7 win over Englishman Charlie Lee.
The quarter-finals will begin at 5pm today.
ROUND 2 RESULTS
[4] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt. Martin Svec (CZE)3-1: 11-2, 11-6, 13-15, 11-3 (44m)
[2] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt. Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK)3-2: 11-5, 2-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-2 (53m)
[3] Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt. Rory Stewart (SCO)3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 (54m)
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt. [6] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)3-2: 5-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 (55m)
[5] Ramit Tandon (IND) bt. Charlie Lee (ENG)3-1: 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7 (40m)
[7] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt. Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT)3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-9 (37m)
Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt. [8] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY)3-1: 11-7, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7 (48m)
[1] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt. Curtis Malik (ENG)3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-6 (35m)
