FOOTBALL | Page 2 NBA | Page 5 Man United Leonard back, ease into last leads LA 32 of Europa Clippers League past Blazers Saturday, November 9, 2019 GOLF Rabia I 12, 1441 AH Captain Woods GULF TIMES chooses himself to play Presidents Cup SPORT Page 7 WORLD SQUASH Qatar’s al-Tamimi sees off Marche for rare major win ‘I PLAYED THE THIRD GAME WITH NO SPONSORS ON MY SHIRT. IT GETS IN YOUR HEAD SOMETIMES’ By Mikhil Bhat Al-Tamimi has had the company of Doha world No 2 ElShorbagy during train- ing for the past month or so and the young Qatari was only thankful for ome hero Abdulla al-Tamimi the time. brushed aside distractions “We had a month of training to- and an often-resurgent-of- gether before this tournament. That ten-erratic world No 15 Gre- itself gives you a lot of confi dence, goireH Marche of France to become the that pace of play, playing with the best fi rst Qatari to reach the second round player in the world. It was really good, of the PSA Men’s World Squash Cham- and I enjoy being on court with him,” pionships with a historic 3-1 (11-6, 11- he said. 9, 7-11, 11-9) win at the Khalifa Inter- Though back at the court, right after national Tennis and Squash Complex his win, while he thanked the audience in Doha yesterday. and offi cials for their support during Less than two hours earlier, top the match, in a light-hearted laugh- seed Mohamed ElShorbagy opened ter-inducing moment, he remarked, “I his campaign to regain the world ti- am glad I am not playing an Egyptian. tle with a breezy 3-0 win at the same I think when I am playing an Egyptian, court. I don’t feel like I am playing at home In an unexpected turn of events, a sometimes.” second Qatar player –Syed Azlan Am- ElShorbagy, who has reached two jad – too made it to the second round. World Championships fi nals in Doha – Al-Tamimi had gotten off to bril- 2012 and 2014 – began his campaign to liant start going one game up against lift his second world title with an easy the Frenchman when the referee asked 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6) win over French- the Aspire Academy graduate, who is man Victor Crouin. Mohamed ElShorbagy of Egypt (right) in action against Victor Crouin. ranked lower than Marche, to change Qatar’s Abdulla al-Tamimi “I felt towards the end of the US his shirt, which looked similar to that celebrates his win over Gregoire Open (when he reached the fi nal) I was The Qatar player was unable to con- (FRA) 3-1: 8-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-8 (54m) of his opponent’s on television. Marche of France in the first feeling a bit fl at mentally and physi- tinue, and since Bernabeu had acci- [2] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Raphael Kandra While his team looked for another round of the PSA World Squash cally, and it was nice to get a break, dentally contributed to the situation, (GER) 3-1: 12-10, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4 (52m) shirt, al-Tamimi continued with his Championship yesterday. refresh again. I’m coming here feeling the rules meant that the Spaniard had Abdulla al-Tamimi (QAT) bt [15] Gregoire brilliant form to go up 2-0. strong again,” the 28-year-old from to forfeit. Marche (FRA) 3-1: 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9 (50m) Just before the third game, al- Alexandria said. Also in second round is last year’s [1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Victor Tamimi changed into a blue spon- Praising Crouin, he said, “I’ve been fi nalist and second seed Tarek Momen Crouin (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 (33m) sor-less shirt and the nervy match watching Victor for a while, since the of Egypt, who beat Germany’s Raphael [4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [WC] Hamad al-Amri began heading in the opposite direc- World Juniors. He didn’t win it but he Kandra 3-1 (12-10, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4). (QAT) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 (20m) tion with Marche forcing errors and impressed me the most. The way he [3] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt [L] Auguste the 24-year-old Qatari dropping a moves on court, the way he plays, he SELECTED RESULTS Dussourd (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 13-11 (28m) few balls. Partisan support egged al- looks hungry, he looks like he wants it, [WC] Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) bt Iker Pajares [6] Diego Elias (PER) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 3-0: Tamimi on to bounce back, even as and that’s what I look for in juniors.” Bernabeu (ESP) 3-2: 8-11, 12-10, 4-11, 2-0 rtd 11-8, 11-9, 14-12 (45m) Marche dropped points by slipping on In an unexpected turn of events, (60m) [5] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Ben Coleman the glass court. However, the French- a freak incident on the court meant Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) (ENG) 3-1: 12-10, 4-11, 11-2, 11-2 (54m) man ran the Qatari close in his do-or- that Qatar’s Syed Azlan Amjad too 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (33m) James Willstrop (ENG) bt George Parker die game before going down 9-11. reached the second round, and will go [9] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Arturo (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 (45m) Al-Tamimi will face French world up against Egyptian 12th seed Omar Salazar (MEX) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (22m) Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) No 28 Mathieu Castagnet, who beat Mosaad tomorrow. Leo Au (HKG) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 3-0: 16-14, 3-0: 14-12, 11-6, 11-6 (38m) Canadian Shawn DeLierre 3-0 (11-7, Amjad was trailing Spain’s Iker Pa- 11-7, 11-3 (36m) Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt [L] Kristian Frost (DEN) 11-8, 11-4), in the second round today. jares Bernabeu 1-2 (8-11, 12-10, 4-11), Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Ryosei Kobayashi (JPN) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-6 (42m) “Ever since I began, it was a dream when in the fourth game, between 3-1: 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (52m) Declan James (ENG) bt Vikram Malhotra (IND) to play on this court, and when I fi - tion. I was leading 2-0 and he came ally happy that I was able to regain my points, Bernabeu smacked the ball to- [7] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Tayyab 3-2: 8-11, 1-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6 (51m) nally did, there was yet another bigger back really strong. I had a few issues focus and try and stay on top of him. wards the front wall only to realise that Aslam (PAK) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (25m) Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Max Lee (HKG) 3-1: 11-6, dream to win in a major event here. It with the shirt, because he was a high- “He is obviously a good player, he his opponent was in the line of fi re. Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Campbell Grayson 11-6, 8-11, 11-8 (56m) has taken me around seven years to do er-ranked player, it was me who had is one of the quickest players on the The ball had brought down Amjad af- (NZL) 3-0: 12-10, 11-5, 11-5 (42m) [13] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Eain Yow Ng that,” said al-Tamimi, who won his to change the shirt. I played the third tour. So I had to be ready for a longer ter hitting him where it hurts the most [14] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) (MAS) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 (58m) fi rst major match at the home court game with no sponsors on my shirt. It match and stay focused. Even till the physically, and the Team Qatar player 3-1: 11-7, 3-11, 11-3, 11-6 (33m) Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) yesterday. “I lost a bit of concentra- gets in your head sometimes. I was re- end he was picking up a lot of balls.” was forced to take a medical timeout. [12] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Baptiste Masotti 3-2: 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, 11-13, 11-9 (107m) QNB STARS LEAGUE Al Duhail bounce back in style to beat Khor By Sports Reporter excellently side-foot home from get back on level terms when unleashing an unstoppable drive Doha 10 yards out. they were awarded a penalty for a that fl ew straight past the goal- The lead was quickly doubled Al Duhail’s Yousef Msakni is handball early in the second half keeper. when Bezerra again chased down hoisted by a teammate after he and Muntari stepped up to con- Al Wakrah responded well l Duhail produced a a long ball over the top before scored against Al Khor yesterday. vert the spot kick. and were carving out chances stunning comeback, fi nding Hammoudan with a well- The turnaround was complet- throughout the half that ought to rallying from a two- weighted pass across the box and ed in the 66th minute when Msa- have yielded an equaliser.