Top Players Qualify for Qatar Classic Squash Championship Round of 16

Doha, November 04 (QNA) - The world's top ranked players qualified for the Round of 16 of the 2020 Qatar Classic international squash championship, which is organized by the Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation at the stadiums of Khalifa International Complex. The PSA World Champion Egypts Tarek Momen began his quest for his first Qatar Classic title with a 3-1 (13-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-5) defeat of his compatriot Youssef Soliman in the last match in the second round of the tournament on Tuesday. Momen will now face Englands James Willstrop on Wednesday for a place in the quarters. The World No. 18 Willstrop defeated his Scottish opponent, Greg Lobban, 3-1 (11-7, 13-15, 11-7, 11-7) in the exciting encounter that was just one minute shy of an hour inside the Glass Courts of the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex. "The issue is we are playing partners, and so we play a lot together, and that made it difficult today," said the reigning World Champion. We know each others game very well. I was aware of how he has been improving his game. I expected a tough game from him today, and I got one," Momen said in his post-match interview. Peru's Diego Elias defeated Qatar's Abdulla Al Tamimi 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 to advance to the Round of 16. Al Tamimi suffered an injury during the game that limited his abilities. Elias will take on Colombias Miguel Rodriguez in the Round of 16. Colombias World No.10 Miguel Rodriguez advanced into the third round of the Qatar Classic 2020 after beating the 62-ranked Shahjahan Khan of the USA (11-3, 11-3, 11-6) on the Glass Court of the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Tuesday. The defending champion and World No.1 Ali Farag wasted no time in dispatching England's Richie Fallows in the fastest match of the tournament till now as he advanced into the third round of the Qatar Classic 2020, a World Series Platinum event, on Tuesday. Just 28 minutes was all it took the 2018-19 World Champion to end the encounter in straight games (11-9, 11-8, 11-3) to book a match against Malaysia's Eain Yow Ng for a place in Thursday's quarter-finals. "We've never played before, but I know how talented Richie is," said Farag in his post-match interview. "This is a unique court in a good way in that it takes the ball in very easily, so any bad shot and you're penalised immediately. All credit to Richie he played really well. In the first two, I couldn't really find my range, and in the third, I was happy I was able to find the corners I intended to." Speaking about his next opponent, Yow Ng, Farag said, "He is another guy I've never played before. What a promising talent he is, World Junior champion and he has been knocking on the door for a while now. He is based in Bristol and is playing well, you could tell from his win today against a great player like Declan James, so I will have to watch his match and hopefully I will be ready." "We need nothing here, the Qatar Squash Federation always does a great job of making us feel comfortable, and there is nothing else you need other than thinking about your squash," he added. Wale's Joel Makin avenged his 2018 Allam British Open first-round loss to World No. 11 Mohamed Abouelghar on Tuesday with a straight-games (11-7, 11-3, 11-6) rout of the Egyptian in just 33 minutes to secure his seat in the last-16 of the Qatar Classic 2020. Makin will take on France's Lucas Serme, who overcame a first-game loss to Englishman Tom Richards 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6) as he booked a place in the last-16 of the Qatar Classic on Tuesday. "I have had a few games, in Egypt and Manchester, where I felt good physically, and that I could go to five games easily. Now it is all about my squash, my technique, my tactics, it has to come into place," Serme said. The Round of 16 matches will be played on Wednesday. (QNA)