RESULTS: Qatar Classic, Doha, Qatar
1st round:
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 14-12, 11-9, 11-7 (33m)
[13] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 10-12, 11-2, 11-1, 11-5 (42m)
[5] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [Q] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (40m)
[12] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 13-11, 11-7, 11-6 (49m)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 8-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (57m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [10] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5 (60m)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [Q] Simon Rosner (GER) 11-5, 13-11, 5-11, 11-8 (62m)
[9] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Tarek Momen (EGY) 16-14, 11-6, 11-9 (49m)
Omar Mosaad pulled off the first upset in the $147,500 Qatar Classic when he beat fellow Egyptian Wael El Hindi, the tenth seed, to claim a surprise place in the last 16 of the ninth and penultimate 2010 PSA Super Series squash championship at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
Only days after celebrating a career-high world No17 ranking, Mosaad battled for exactly one hour to overcome Cairo compatriot El Hindi, the 30-year-old world No10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5.
"This match was always going to be tough," Mosaad told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "Our head to head was 2/0 up to last year in Mumbai, when I took my first win. So today, I was really up for it, as I wanted to confirm my win last year.
"Also, a victory here would really help my ranking," added the 22-year-old. "I have now entered the top 20, and I would hope to get top 16 with that victory."
Mosaad was joined by two further Egyptians in the last 16. Earlier in the day, second seed Amr Shabana despatched qualifier Nicolas Mueller 14-12, 11-9, 11-7 - but later acknowledged that the rising Swiss star shows potential.
"It's the first time I've played him - he's got good hands, good reach, good movement, and a clean technique, but I think he'll be really dangerous once he gets the balance between attacking and patience," explained the reigning world champion and Qatar champion in 2007. "He'll be a good player, he is very fair."
It was at the end of the day that 19-year-old Mohamed El Shorbagy became the third Egyptian through after overcoming unseeded compatriot Tarek Momen 16-14, 11-6, 11-9.
But a trio of Englishmen also secured places in the last 16 - led by fifth seed James Willstrop. The world No4 from Leeds, who lies in third place in the current Super Series rankings, removed South African qualifier Stephen Coppinger 11-9, 11-6, 11-5.
Shortly afterwards, Londoner Adrian Grant recovered from a game down to beat fellow Englishman Joey Barrington 10-12, 11-2, 11-1, 11-5 - and later sixth seed Peter Barker, also from London, got the better of top-ranked German Simon Rosner 11-5, 13-11, 5-11, 11-8.
Fourth-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier discovered a tough opponent in his first match against Egyptian qualifier Karim Abdel Gawad. The 19-year-old took the opening game against former world number one Gaultier, before the 2007 runner-up came back to take the next three to win 8-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 in 57 minutes.
"For his second time on a glass court, I must say he was impressive, especially in the first game," Gaultier acknowledged. "He is only 19, so only a couple of years, and he'll be up there.
"You just can't relax against these young players - they come on court to beat you! I remember when I was that age, whoever I was playing, even the number one player in the world, I would come to beat them, and give it all what I had."
Outstanding 1st round matches:
[11] David Palmer (AUS) v Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[7] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)
[16] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v [Q] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Henrik Mustonen (FIN)
[14] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [Q] Borja Golan (ESP)
[8] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[15] Alister Walker (ENG) v [Q] Tom Richards (ENG)
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Ahmad Mohd Al-Tamimi (QAT)