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Women's Qatar Classic
 
En Français

Malcolm Willstrop in Doha    THE FINAL

 [2] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [1] Lee Beachill (Eng)
      5/11, 11/2, 2/11, 11/10 (2-0), 11/8 (84m)

LINCOU WORLD CHAMPION
 
France has its first world squash champion, after Thierry Lincou wiped away the bitter memory of losing last year's final, beating world number one Lee Beachill in a dramatic final in Doha.

The early games were uneven, with Beachill quickly taking the lead, but the next two changed hands for the loss of just two points each, leaving Beachill 2-1 ahead. From then on the pair were never separated by more than a few points.

Beachill led 6-4 and 8-6 in the fourth, but Lincou levelled at 9-all before the Englishman earned his first, and only, match ball at 10-9. Lincou saved it and took the next two points to level the match up.

Again in the fifth it was close. 5-all, 6-all, but Lincou got a crucial lead, 9-6, and although beachill closed, the Frenchman earned match balls of his own at 10-7. Beachill saved one,
but on the next point the World Title was heading for France.

REPORTS

• Semi-Finals

• Quarter-Finals

• Second Round

• 1st round day Two

• 1st round day One

• Qualifying Finals

• Qualifying First Round

DRAW & RESULTS
 

James Willstrop

11/8, 11/6, 5/11, 11/10(2-0) (70m)
 

David Palmer

5/11, 11/2, 2/11, 11/10(2-0), 11/8

Thierry Lincou

Peter Nicol

Thierry Lincou

Thierry Lincou

Qualifying:

Finals (27-Nov):

Alex Gough bt Joey Barrington  11/10 (10-8), 8/11, 11/6, 11/6 (80m)
Tommy Berden bt Alister Walker  5/11, 11/7, 11/5, 9/11, 11/4 (67m)
Jonathan Kemp bt Mansoor Zaman  11/8, 11/2, 11/4 (24m)
Mohamed Essam A Hafiz bt Peter Barker  11/9, 10/11(3/1), 11/7, 11/10(5/3) (65m)
Rodney Durbach bt  Hisham Ashour  11/10(2-0), 11/8, 11/7 (36m)
Azlan Iskandar bt Laurens Jan Anjema  11/4, 11/5, 11/7 (33m)
Bradley Ball bt Shahid Zaman  11/5, 10/11(1/3), 11/8, 11/3 (44m)
Wael El Hindi bt Stephane Galifi   10/11(0/2), 11/2, 9/11, 11/10(3/1), 11/9 (68m)

First Round (26-Nov):
Alex Gough (Wal) bye
Joey Barrington (Eng) bt Farrukh Zaman (Pak)  11/4, 11/3, 11/7 (44m)
Tommy Berden (Ned) bt Ben Garner (Eng)  11/5, 11/6, 9/11, 6/11, 11/3 (49m)
Alister Walker (Eng) bt Cameron Pilley (Aus)  7/11, 10/12, 11/6, 11/8, 11/7 (71m)
Mansoor Zaman (Pak) bt Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra)  11/5, 11/8, 9/11, 11/8 (55m)
Jonathan Kemp (Eng) bt Alex Stait (Eng) 7/11, 11/6, 9/11, 11/3, 11/7 (58m)
Peter Barker (Eng) bt Philip Barker (Eng) 11/6, 1/11, 11/9, 11/3 (51m)
Mohamed Essam A Hafiz (Egy) bt Jan Koukal (Cze)  11/5, 11/10, 8/11, 11/9 (52m)
Hisham Ashour (Egy) bt Klemaen Gutman (Slo)  11/5, 11/2, 11/10 (24m)
Rodney Durbach (Rsa) bt Liam Kenny (Irl)  7/11, 11/5, 11/9, 11/1 (54m)
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) bt Lee Drew (Eng)  7/11, 11/6, 11/6, 11/9 (41m)
Azlan Iskandar (Mas) bt Gavin Jones (Wal)  11/9, 11/4, 11/7 (26m)
Bradley Ball (Eng) bt Arshad Iqbal Burkhi (Pak) 11/8, 11/7, 6/11, 7/11, 11/8 (74m)
Shahid Zaman (Pak) bt Shahier Razik (Can) 9/11, 11/9, 11/5, 11/10(3-1) (55m)
Stephane Galifi (Fra) bt Borja Golan (Esp) 11/6, 11/6, 11/10 (4-2) (38m)
Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt Ryan Thompson (Nam) 11/4, 11/3, 11/4 (20m)

01-Dec, the QUARTERS:
 
Shabana's Dream Dies

Defending champion Amr Shabana saw his dream of retaining the world title evaporate in Doha, as David Palmer,  Shabana's prececessor as world champion, staged a comeback from two games down to deny the Egyptian a place in the semi-finals.

Shabana started strongly, then let the third game slide 11/2, giving Palmer all the incentive he needed as he went on to level the match.

An injury time-out for Shabana at 10-9 to Palmer in the fifth couldn't save him - even though he saved the match ball Palmer took the tie-break to advance to the semi-final.

Shabana was self-critical of how he eased off. "I shouldn't have done it," he told AFP. "Now they will say that Shabana is not strong enough in the head. It bothers me because it is perfectly true. But I want to prove them wrong. I shall do that by working hard to become world number one. At least I can relax now with the pressure off me."

In the semi-final Palmer will face Lee Beachill, who was at his best against Pontefract team-mate James Willstrop, returning everything the young prodigy could throw at him, with interest. This was "Beachill at his best", according to Malcolm Willstrop.

Palmer beat Beachill in dramatic fashion in the British Open, and with both playing well, more of the same looks on the cards in Qatar.

French-Canadian Semi

France's Thierry Lincou, the second seed, also needed five games to quell the challenge of Anthony Ricketts.

A 2-0 lead became 2-all, but Lincou pulled away quickly in the fifth to repeat his Nottingham win over the Australian.

Lincou's surprise opponent in the semi-finals is Canadian Graham Ryding, who continued to upset the seedings, doing what compatriot Jonathon Power couldn't do yesterday - that is, to beat Peter Nicol.

Ryding's Best Win ... Ever

Ryding took the first two games, and although Nicol pulled one back the Canadian raced ahead in the fourth, closing it out 11/3 to score the biggest win of his career.

When he scored match point, the usually laid back Ryding did a couple of fist pumps while team-mates Jonathan Power and Shahier Razik jumped for joy, banging their hands on the glass court.

"This is the best I've ever played and it was great to feel those emotions," Ryding told The Canadian Press. "I made Nicol work in the first three games and he was a little bit tired."

So how did Ryding, the world no 19 from Toronto, succeed where his more illustrious compatriot Power failed?

"Jonathon just tried to steamroll him and that didn't work, plus it's not a style that suits me," Ryding added.

"My game plan against Nicol was to keep him off balance so he wasn't so rhythmic. When he got in a groove I would just make things stop and it paid off in the end. I stayed patient."

Steve Cubbins ©SquashSite 2004

Malcolm Willstrop reports from Doha The Quarters ...

DRAW & RESULTS
 

World Open Champions
 
REPORTS

• Second Round

• 1st round day Two

• 1st round day One

• Qualifying Finals

• Qualifying First Round

"I thought I was going to be on  the golf course tomorrow!" "He played some fantasic squash and if he had gone on like that he would have won in straight games.  I was surprised he let the third  game go so easily. But he had a lot of pressure on him, defending the title.  I know what its like to have that."            David Palmer to AFP.

More photos, and Words
from Malcolm Willstrop

"The pace at which he played was tremendous and when he does that he usually makes some mistakes but today he didn't."   Peter Nicol to AFP

30-Nov, Round TWO:
 
NICOL PUNISHES POWER

The performance of the day in Doha was that of Peter Nicol, the former world champion and world number one who put a troubled season into perspective, beating arch-rival Jonathon Power in four games to reach onother world quarter-final.

In their 40th career meeting (view the full history), but only the second at less than quarter-final level, Nicol moved ahead 22-18 with a performance Malcolm Willstrop described as one of Nicol's best ever in terms of resiliance.

Nicol faces the surprise package of the quarter-finals and another Canadian, Graham Ryding, who ended the run from qualifying of 'veteran' Welshman Alex Gough.

PALMER/SHABANA:
THE REVENGE
In a repeat of the British Open final, David Palmer, the 2002 world champion, and reigning champion Amr Shabana will meet in the quarters. Palmer brushed aside England's Adrian Grant and Shabana, who has been suffering flu-like symptons in Doha, beat compatriot Mohammed Abbas easily enough despite dropping the third game.

PONTEFRACT BROTHERS
The winner of that match faces a Yorkshireman in the semi-finals. Pontefract stablemates Lee Beachill and James Willstrop will face off once again tomorrow, but this time a world open semi-final place is at stake. Beachill dominated Joe Kneipp after a slow start, and Willstrop came out on top in the battle of former world junior champions against Karim Darwish.

ANOTHER REPEAT
In the bottom quarter Thierry Lincou won his all-French match against Gregory Gaultier in four games, and now meets Australian Anthony Ricketts, who needed five games to beat yeaterday's giant-killing Finn Olli Tuominen.

Lincou got the better of Ricketts in the British Open quarter-finals, but it was a hard, physical affair, and Lincou can't take victory for granted. The winner faces Nicol or Ryding in the semis.

Steve Cubbins   
©SquashSite 2004

Malcolm Willstrop reports from Doha ..

IN THE PAPERS:
The Peninsula

DRAW & RESULTS

World Open Champions
 
Head to Head
Peter/Jonathan
 

REPORTS

• 1st round day Two

• 1st round day One

• Qualifying Finals

• Qualifying First Round
   

More photos, and Words
from Malcolm Willstrop

29-Nov, Round One, Bottom Half:
White & Matthew in early exits

After a first day where all the seeds progressed, the opening match of day two saw the first upset as Canada's Graham Ryding turned a 2-1 defecit into a spectacular victory over fifth seed Nick Matthew. A further shock was to follow quickly, as Finn Olli Tuominen took a first game tie-break against seventh seed John White, then took advantage as the Scot folded in the next two games.

Ryding meets Alex Gough in round two, after the Welsh qualifier pulled off a minor upset against Egypt's 15th seed Omar Elborolossy - Omar's last match, as he declared earlier this week that he was retiring after these championships. Tuominen's reward is a meeting with Australia's Anthony Ricketts, who eased past Ong Beng Hee in straight games.

No upset problems for France's second seed as Thierry Lincou brushed aside Englishman Bradley Ball in straight games to set up an all-French clash with Gregory Gaultier, who struggled to overcome another English qualifier, Jonathan Kemp, recovering from 1-2 down to win in five games.

Nicol v Power in last 16!
Jonathon Power, winner of the world title in 1998, the last time it was held in Qatar, avenged his defeat in last month's Cleveland semi-final at the hands of Australian Dan Jenson to move into an encounter with long-time adversary Peter Nicol in the second round. Nicol, who took over as world champion from Power in 1999 and held the title for three years due to the non-staging of the 2000&01 events, eased past Egypt's Hisham Ashour in three quick games.

This will be their 40th career meeting, with Power closing the gap to 21-18 in the Canadian Classic quarters in Toronto, but not since the Cathay Pacific Open in 1996 have they met this early in a tournament.

Steve Cubbins   
©SquashSite 2004

 IN THE PAPERS: 
 
The Peninsula   The Gulf Times
 

Malcolm Willstrop reports from Doha Round one, part two

• DRAW & RESULTS

• World Open Champions
   

• REPORTS

• 1st round day One

• Qualifying Finals

• Qualifying First Round

 
28-Nov, Round One, top half:
Seeds Safely Through in Doha

The opening day of the 2004 World Open in Doha saw all the seeds in the top half of the draw safely through to the second round, but defending champion Amr Shabana needed five games to keep his title defence on track.

In the morning session Joe Kneipp's experience proved too much for Malaysian youngster Azlan Iskandar, Mohammed Abbas won a disappointing all-Egyptian match against Wael El Hindi, and two English youngsters, James Willstrop and Adrian Grant won in three games against Rodney Durbach and Renan Lavigne respectively.

Following the opening ceremony action moved onto the glass court - favoured by shotmakers such as Shabana and Jonathon Power.

Shabana Survives
Defending champion Shabana survived a scare against PSA President Mark Chaloner. The Egyptian took the first easily, but all-too-familiar lapses mixed in with the brilliant shots, allowing Chaloner to come back and take a 2-1 lead.

In the end Shabana's shots carried him through, but more care will be needed if he is to realise his confident predictions this week. He meets compatriot Abbas on Tuesday.

On the outside court England's Simon Parke took the first game from Karim Darwish but was unable to convert it as Darwish took the next three to set up a clash of former World Junior Champions against Willstrop.

Injuries no problem
On the showcourt top seed and world number one Lee Beachill showed no signs of the abductor injury that troubled him in Canada, although Italian Davide Bianchetti stretched the Yorkshireman to an extended tie-break in the third. Beachill now meets Kneipp for a place in the quarter-finals.

Another player recently on the injured list, British Open champion David Palmer, the 2002 world champion, brushed aside Dutch qualifier Tommy Berden in 37 minutes, apparently recovered from the shoulder injury which kept him out of the Canadian Classic. Palmer's second round opponent is Grant.

The bottom half of the draw plays on Monday, alongside sixteen women's first round matches.

Steve Cubbins   
©SquashSite 2004

Malcolm Willstrop reports from Doha Round one, part one ...

• DRAW & RESULTS

• World Open Champions
   

• REPORTS

• Qualifying Finals

• Qualifying First Round

 
27-Nov, Qualifying Finals: 

Qualifying Complete in Doha ...
The 2004 World Open is set for main round action Khalifa Squash Complex in Doha, as eight qualifiers claimed their places in the main draw and earned a shot at the World Championship title.

Joey takes Alex to Twenty
Qualifying top seed Alex Gough enjoyed a rest day yesterday, but Joey Barrington, who spurned his usual qualifying 3-2 thriller, arrived fresh too, and stretched the Welshman early on. Alex took the first game 20-18, Joey levelled, but then fitness began to tell, and Alex reeled off the next two games to set up a date with 15th seed Omar Elborolossy. It may not have been 3/2 (although that 20-18 could be counted as two games), but Joey once again stayed on court longer than anyone else, 80 minutes.

Other victors in long matches were Tommy Berden, the Dutch champion who beat Alister Walker in five, Wael El Hindi, again in five over Frenchman Stephane Galifi, and Mohammed Essam A Hafiz who won a fourth-game tiebreak 5/3 to end the Barker family involvement (Peter, ranked 12 places higher than Hafiz at no 31, beat brother Philip yesterday.

Berden meets British Open champion David Palmer tomorrow, El Hindi faces compatriot Mohamed Abbas, while Hafiz, after a day off, faces an uphill task against third seed Peter Nicol.

Pakistan interest ended
Both Pakistani players fell at the final qualifying stage - Mansoor Zaman surprisingly lost 3/0 to Jonathan Kemp in just 24 minutes.  Kemp, playing in his second World Open, has been producing results that bely his ranking of 45, and this was a significant upset againt the world no 24.

Shahid Zaman, recovering from a series of marathon matches in the CNS International last week, finally ran out of steam against another Englishman Bradley Ball. Ball, enjoying a career-high ranking of 38, has been to the final in three of his last four tournaments.

Both Englishmen face French opposition on Monday - Ball plays second seed Thierry Lincou and Kemp meets Gregory Gaultier, with the winners to meet in the second round.

Youth and Experience
In a clash of the up-and-coming juniors Malaysia's Azlan Iskandar cruised to a 3-0 win over 'LJ' Anjema, while tour veteran Rodney Durbach claimed a main draw spot in three close games against Egypt's talented Hisham Ashour. The South African meets young James Willstrop tomorrow, while Iskandar faces an experienced pro next time in Joe Kneipp.

Steve Cubbins   
©SquashSite 2004

• World Open Champions

Shabana ready to defend title ...

The long-established Qatar Classic has been upgraded for 2004 to become the Qatar World Open. Running alongside the Women's Qatar Classic, both events feature the highest prize funds of the year.

Current champion Amr Shabana, a surprise winner in Lahore, is seeded six, behind the current top five of Lee Beachill, Thierry Lincou, Peter Nicol, David Palmer and Nick Matthew, but is confident of doing well.

"After winning the World Open there was a lot of pressure on me, and I also had problems, but people were always ready to write me off," Shabana told AFP. "They were always ready to say 'you're not making any results.' But this month has been the first time I have done myself justice since the World Open. Now I'm injury free and my confidence is rising."

Along with Shabana, Nicol and Palmer, Canada's Jonathon Power makes up a quartet of competitors who have held the world title.

This is the second time Qatar has hosted the World Open, with Canada's Jonathon Power, who particularly likes the court in Doha, winning the title in 1998.

"I'm in great shape but I don't recover as well," Power admitted to AFP. "As long as I can stay healthy I can have a great week."

 
26-Nov, Qualifying Round One:

Qualifying Results 

World Open under
way in Doha ...
The 2004 World Open got under way at the Khalifa Squash Complex in Doha today, with sixteen qualifying matches as players vied for a place in the main draw and a shot at the World Championship title.

The last World Open in Lahore saw an unexpected winner in Egypt's Amr Shabana, and the last World Open in Doha, in 1998, saw Jonathon Power claim the title. This year's qualifiers will avoid those two champions, but 2003 finalist Thierry Lincou and former champions Peter Nicol and David Palmer await three of the 'lucky' qualifiers.

The Barker Bros ...
You go all the way to Qatar and end up playing ... your brother! It happened a few times to Tim and Ben Garner, and in Doha it happened to Peter and Philip Barker. In the end it was Peter that won 11/6, 1/11, 11/9, 11/3, to guarantee one of the family in the qualifying finals. Peter now plays Egypt's Mohamed Essam A Hafiz, who beat the in-form Czech youngster Jan Koukal, for a place in the main draw.

Shahid's Dash ...
Shahid Zaman came within an ace of claiming the CNS title in Karachi yesterday - the unseeded Pakistani youngster losing to Ong Beng Hee in the final after being 2-0 up. That was his third 3-2 marathon in four days, and immediately after the final Shahid had to rush to the airport in time to make the Qatar qualifiers. It was worth the effort, as the son of squash legend Qamar beat Canada's Shahier Razik in a mere four games, 9/11, 11/9, 11/5, 11/10(3-1) in just under an hour. He'll sleep well tonight ...
 
Long and Short ...
The shortest match of the day lasted just 20 minutes as Egypt's Wael El Hindi beat Namibia's Ryan Thompson 11/4, 11/3, 11/4, but two matches went over the 70-minute mark as Alister Walker beat Aussie Cameron Pilley in five and fellow Englishman Bradley Ball also succeeded in five against Pakistan's Arshad Iqbal Burkhi.

Today's average match time was 44 minutes.

Joey fit for business?
For once England's Joey Barrington (son of ...) saved some energy as he spurned his usual 3-2 heroics and defeated Pakistan's Farrukh Zaman in straight games. So, an early night for Joey, but he'll need it since tomorrow he faces qualifying top seed Alex Gough, who received a bye today!

Steve Cubbins   
©SquashSite 2004

Qatar Ready for
World Open
"We are ready to stage the World Open and the Qatar Classic," said Qatar Squash Federation (QSF), President Nabil Ali bin Ali. "The fans in Doha can expect top quality squash, something they have seen in the past also. Qatar won the rights to host these two world class events because of our great reputation in squash circles."

The QSF president added: "The players are coming to Doha after a hectic month of squash on the PSA and WISPA circuits. Thankfully we don't have any pull-outs or major injuries to any of the players who will compete here. The fans can also meet people like squash legend Jahangir Khan of Pakistan, who will be our guest."