Lincou In Maiden Qatar Classic Title Bid
Just under a year after winning his first World Open squash title in Doha, France’s Thierry Lincou is back in Qatar’s capital city where he is seeded to become a first-time winner of the Qatar Classic, the second PSA Super Series Platinum event of the year which boasts a $125,000 prize fund.
Lincou, the world No1 from Marseille, will face qualifier Laurens Jan Anjema in the first round today (Tuesday) after the Dutchman survived one of the longest qualifying finals battles to beat England’s Stacey Ross 11-5 5-11 8-11 11-10 11-8 in 82 minutes.
The Frenchman is expected to face Peter Nicol in the quarter-finals. The sixth-seeded Englishman is a two-times winner of the Qatar Classic trophy – in 2001 and 2002 – and takes on Kuwaiti Ali Alramezi in the first round.
England’s Lee Beachill begins his defence of the title on Wednesday. The fourth seed meets Welsh qualifier Alex Gough, the former world No5 who defeated Egypt’s Hisham Mohd Ashour 11-2 8-11 11-7 10-11 11-6 in the qualifying finals.
Canada’s Jonathon Power is the No2 seed who is expected to face Lincou in Sunday’s final. Winner of the World Open title on the all-glass court at the Khalifa International Squash Complex in 1998, Power meets Australia’s Joseph Kneipp in the first round - and is expected to link up with another Australian in the last eight. Anthony Ricketts is the event’s No7 seed who, after winning last month’s British Open title in England, rose to a career-high world No3 ranking.
The Qatar draw will have a particularly local feel for Englishman James Willstrop. The eighth seed faces qualifier Simon Parke, a fellow Yorkshireman, in the first round. Victory would take the former world junior champion to a likely second round meeting with England team-mate Nick Matthew, the 12th seed who is also from Yorkshire. Willstrop’s predicted quarter-final opponent would then be Lee Beachill, his Pontefract club team-mate!
1st round draw:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v [Q] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
[14] Graham Ryding (CAN) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
[6] Peter Nicol (ENG) v Ali Alramezi (KUW)
[11] John White (SCO) v Mansoor Zaman (PAK)
[3] David Palmer (AUS) v [Q] Liam Kenny (IRL)
[9] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [Q] Ben Garner (ENG)
[10] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Peter Barker (ENG)
[12] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Adrian Grant (ENG)
[8] James Willstrop (ENG) v [Q] Simon Parke (ENG)
[16] Shahid Zaman (PAK) v [Q] Davide Bianchetti (ITA)
[4] Lee Beachill (ENG) v [Q] Alex Gough (WAL)
[15] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [Q] Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[7] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[13] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v [Q] Stewart Boswell (AUS)
[2] Jonathon Power (CAN) v Joseph Kneipp (AUS)
RESULTS: Qatar Squash Classic, Doha, Qatar
Qualifying finals:
Liam Kenny (IRL) bt Dan Jenson (AUS) 5-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0) (83m)
Ben Garner (ENG) bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 10-11 (2-4), 11-4 (66m)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Rodney Durbach (RSA) 10-11 (3-5), 11-10 (2-0), 11-4, 11-7 (59m)
Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-10 (2-0), 6-11, 11-7, 11-6 (86m)
Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Ramy Ashour (EGY) 11-9, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0) (40m)
Alex Gough (WAL) bt Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 11-2, 8-11, 11-7, 10-11 (5-7), 11-6
Simon Parke (ENG) bt Laurent Elriani (FRA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3 (36m)
Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Stacey Ross (ENG) 11-5, 5-11, 8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-8 (82m)