Top seed Farag and Qatar’s al-Tamimi reach Round 3

Top seed Ali Farag of Egypt yesterday sailed into round three of the QTerminals Qatar Classic with a straight-game win over compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar but the day belonged to Welsh World No. 10 Joel Makin who stunned World No. 5 Paul Coll of New Zealand.
Qatar’s Mohamed Abdullah al-Tamimi yesterday also advanced with a slick performance against Omar Mosaad of Egypt on the Glass Court. Al-Tamimi, ranked 23, won 12-10, 11-4, 11-5 in just 32 minutes. In the first round, al-Tamimi crushed Lucas Serme of France on Sunday.
Farag yesterday barely broke a sweat as he carved out a 11-1, 11-5, 13-11 win over Abouelghar in just 36 minutes on the Glass Court at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
In the next round, Farag will play Fares Dessouky, who won an all-Egyptian affair against Karim El Hammamy. Dessouky won 7-11, 11-1, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4 in 64 minutes.
In round three, al-Tamimi – Qatar’s top squash player – will meet eighth seed Tarek Momen of Egypt who beat England’s Adrian Waller 11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9 in 39 minutes.
Al-Tamimi said yesterday: “I am very happy with this victory, since I knew that the match would not be easy at all because the opponent is one of the best squash players in the world. He was previously ranked two in the world, but I appeared in a good level and achieved the victory in three sets.”
He added that the next confrontation will be difficult because it will be against Tariq Momen ‘who is one of the best players in the world.’
“I will try to play the next match with intense focus and follow a different technique from today’s match,” al-Tamimi added.
The highlight win yesterday, however, belonged to Makin. The Welshman needed every bit of reserve in his body to go past Coll in a pulsating 93-minute battle to reach the third round of the QTerminals Classic on day three of the hugely popular tournament.
“I’m still trying to be attacking. I clipped the top of the tin twice with what I felt was the right shot. I’ve done hours and hours and hours of hitting and you’ve got to commit to it and believe you’re going to hit winners from those positions,” Makin said after the pulsating performance.
“If it’s on my racket then I’ve got to take it on at this point in my career,” he added.
Earlier on the Glass Court, defending champion and third seed Mohamed ElShorbagy came from behind to beat England teammate Charlie Lee. ElShorbagy needed 50 minutes for his 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3 win.
“The first match is always very tricky, especially on this court. Last year I had a tricky first match as well and it always gets better the more you play on this court,” ElShorbagy said yesterday
“He’s one of my teammates now and went to Europeans together and had some really good moments together.
“We get along very well but on court it’s a war,” he said.
Joining Makin and ElShorbagy in the third round will be last year’s finalist Victor Crouin, who came from behind to beat Patrick Rooney 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (61m) while Mohamed ElSherbini beat Rory Stewart 11-2, 11-6, 11-3 (26m).
Round three of the women’s event yesterday began with an all-England encounter as England No.1 Georgina Kennedy beat Sarah-Jane Perry in straight games.
In a one-sided affair, Kennedy never looked like letting the lead slip with Perry, who appeared to be struggling with injury, unable to counter Kennedy’s relentless pace as the 26-year-old booked her spot in the quarter-final in 21 minutes.
In the second women’s round three match, Egyptian No.3 seed Hania El Hammamy yesterday was given a testing time by Malaysia’s World No.43 Sivasangari Subramaniam.
Subramaniam, who on Sunday shocked World No.14 Olivia Clyne 3-0, was second best early on as El Hammamy quickly built a 6-1 lead.
The Malaysian, however, fought back well and, after saving a game ball, earned a game ball opportunity of her own at 11-10.
The Egyptian, though, clung on, clinching the game 13-11 before completing the victory with a pair of 11-6 wins.
El Hammamy will take on Kennedy in the quarter-final tomorrow.