Mohamed Elshorbagy Pips Parker to Stay on Course, Rosner Ousted
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Delhi Capitals seal 2nd IPL playoffs spot, RCB qualify too PAGE 15 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020 QATAR CLASSIC SQUASH Mohamed ElShorbagy pips Parker to stay on course, Rosner ousted AGENCIES DOHA TOP-SEEDED Mohamed ElShorbagy weaved his way past Englishman George Park- er in a tricky affair to make the third round and stay in quest for a fourth Qatar Clas- sic crown at the Khalifa Inter- national Tennis and Squash Complex on Sunday. Parker needed 61 minutes to win 3-1: 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8. It was the Englishman, who already had experience of the glass court this week fol- lowing his opening win, who came out strongly, and held a lead in the middle stage of the Spain’s Borja Golan and Egypt’s Omar Mosaad during their second round match at the Khalifa Internation- first game. However, three late al Squash & Tennis Complex on Monday. errors gifted the game to the former World No.1. Results ElShorbagy turned it up a notch in the second game, as ROUND 2 he held a five-point lead early (1) Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt George on. Although Parker tried to Parker (ENG) 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8) fight back, the three-time Qa- Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) retired 3-1 (4-11, 11-3, 12-10) tar champion doubled his ad- Borja Golan (ESP) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-1 vantage in the match. It looked Top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy gestures after his Qatar Classic second round win over England’s George (11-7, 6-11, 11-61, 13-11) like the match was over as ‘the Parker at the Khalifa International Squash & Tennis Complex on Monday. Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt 7-Simon Rosner Beast’ led 9-6 in the third and (GER) 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 11-8) was two points away from wan ElShorbagy dispatching in Doha, booking his place in and third games, but no matter 6-Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Gregory sealing the win, but the Eng- former World No.1 Gregory the last 16 of the Qatar Clas- what, the World No.12 had the Gaultier (FRA) 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-6) lishman fought back, winning Gaultier in straight games. sic, where he will face German answers, and was able to close Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Sourav Ghosal (IND) five straight points to send the The pair had met on the No.2 Raphael Kandra. out the match in straight games, 3-1 (10-12, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7) match into a fourth game. PSA World Tour eight times “When I saw the draw, I setting up a clash with Spain’s Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-5) The fourth sat nicely at prior to this clash, but their knew that playing him would Borja Golan in the last 16. Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim reached the last 16 after Mexico’s Cesar 4-Paull Coll (NZL) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt 6-6, but it was ElShorbagy last meeting came three years be really tough. Mentally, it “Obviously, it was not an Salazar was forced to withdraw due to injury. 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-8). that was able to get his nose ago at the Cathay Pacific Sun is the toughest first match easy match. I know it was 3-0 in front, and he kept it there, Hung Kai Financial Hong you can get because of what but it was very close. I had to into it after being 7-4 down, Meanwhile, Spain’s former Wednesday Order of play eventually securing the match Kong Open, where ‘the Jackal’ he has achieved,” ElShorbagy dig really deep to get every sin- but he hit three balls into the World No.5 Borja Golan bat- 11am: Eain Yow Ng (MAS) vs Declan James (ENG) 11.45: Tom Richards (ENG) vs Lucas Serme (FRA) after an hour’s play on the took the win. explained. gle point and to play at a fast tin in the latter stages, allow- tled past Egypt’s World No.16 1.30pm: Mohd Abouelghar (EGY) vs 8-Joel Makin glass court. The World No. 2 After some lengthy early pace, which wasn’t easy at all. ing Coll to take the first. Omar Mosaad winning 11-7, 2.15: Shahjahan Khan (USA) vs M Rodriguez (COL) will not play Youssef Ibrahim exchanges, ElShorbagy was Rosner ousted I am happy to be through,” he The New Zealander, who 6-11, 11-6, 13-11. 4pm: James Willstrop (ENG) vs Greg Lobban in the third round, with the able to take control of the Egypt’s Fares Dessouky explained after the victory. reached the final of thePS A The World No. 26 Golan 4.45: Richie Fallows (ENG) vs 2-Ali Farag (EGY) 6.30: 5-Diego Elias (PER) vs Abdulla Al Tamimi (QAT) pair meeting for the first time first game. With some deci- caused the first major surprise Men’s World Championship at held off a fightback to reach 7.15: 3-Tarek Momen (EGY) vs Yousself Soliman (EGY) on the PSA World Tour. sions going against the former as he overcame World No.8 Si- Coll stays cool this very venue twelve months the last 16 of a Platinum event “He played really well. World No.1, the Egyptian took mon Rösner in straight games New Zealand’s World No.5 ago, established further con- for the first time since the That’s the way he plays and advantage of Gaultier’s frayed to knock the German out of Paul Coll got the better of trol in the second game, racing 2018 Qatar Classic. It was turning into an en- the way he likes playing and mental state to secure an early the PSA Platinum level Qatar Frenchman Baptiste Masotti into a 9-2 lead. He closed out It was a scrappy encounter joyable match between the two it was up to me to respond lead in the clash. Classic. for the second time in just six the second, before also doing with plenty of video referee de- players with both exchang- and up to me to find a way to Gaultier came out fighting The pair had only faced weeks. so in the third, as Masotti kept cisions, but Golan was able to ing quickfire rallies, however, win. Luckily I did that today,” at the start of the second game, each other twice on the PSA The pair met in the first making unforced errors. make the difference as he held World No.21 Salazar slipped ElShorbagy admitted. winning four of the first five World Tour before, but they round of the Manchester Coll moves through to the on in the fourth after seeing his whilst lunging into the front “The fourth was very tight points, but ElShorbagy soon had an average match time of Open, the first PSA World third round of the Platinum first matchball saved to con- left corner at 10-10 in the third and it could have easily gone turned the game its head, win- over 75 minutes. This clash, Tour event held after the tour’s event where he will face another vert 13-11 on the tie-break and and was unable to recover to a fifth game. He is such a ning ten straight points to dou- though, was only just over half six-month suspension due to member of the French quartet move into the last 16 in Doha. handing the match to Ibrahim. great player and I have trained ble his advantage in the match. of that time, as Dessouky dom- the COVID-19 pandemic, with that featured at the WSF Men’s Golan will face the winner of 21-year-old Ibrahim has with him a few times down in ElShorbagy’s mental state inated throughout. the Kiwi taking the victory. World Team Squash Champi- Simon Rösner v Fares Dessouky enjoyed a strong season since Bristol. I know what he can do, was totally different to that The Egyptian took the first He did the same in this onships in Washington in 2019, for a place in the quarter finals. the PSA Tour restarted in Sep- I know how dangerous he is. of his last outing on the PSA game in just eight minutes, as he one in under 40 minutes, and World No.17 Gregoire Marche. “It was really tough,” said tember and will now feature He has so much potential, and World Tour, as he lost his way did not allow the ‘German Tree- was in control throughout the “That clash (in Manches- the Spaniard afterwards. in the last 16 of PSA Platinum I don’t think he knows how against Tarek Momen in the Chopper’ to find his rhythm at clash. There was some won- ter) was both our first matches Egypt’s World No.41 event for the second time in much potential he actually semi-finals of the CIBE gyp- all, giving up just three points in derful, free-flowing squash in back after a long break and I Youssef Ibrahim made the last a row after recovering from a has,” he added. tian Open last month. That the opening salvo. parts across the contest, espe- was a bit passive in that match, 16 after Mexico’s Cesar Salazar game down to draw level be- Also moving through to helped his to secure the vic- Rösner tried to fight back cially in the first game.