(AFP File Photo)
Four Egyptian players have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Qatar Classic Squash championship in Doha, with two Egyptian players facing each other in round of eight and the winner advancing to the semi-finals.
In an Egypt-Egypt battle on Tuesday, Karim Abdel Gawad defeated Tarek Momen 3-2, and Karim Darwish overcame Omar Mosaad 3-1.
The two Egyptian winners, Abdel Gawad and Darwish, will face each other in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, 34-year-old Amr Shabana, the winner of the title in 2007, reserved his quarterfinal place after defeating South Africa’s Stephen Coppinger on Tuesday in an under 30-minute match.
Mohamed El-Shorbagy also guaranteed his place after beating Holland’s Laurens Jan Anjema.
El-Shorbagy, 22, met Daryl Selby on Wednesday.
The first day of first round action saw progress by Egyptian players, with wins by Momen, Darwish, Abdel Gawad, Mosaad and El-Shorbagy.
The 2013 Qatar Classic is the seventh Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Series event of the year and one of the leading events on the PSA World Tour since 1992.
The event is held at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in the Qatari capital Doha from 10-15 November. There, the world’s top squash players, including Gregory Gualtier and Nick Matthew, are featured in their battle to win the title.
Ramy Ashour withdraw from PSA World Series event following an injury, saying on Facebook last week that his doctor had advised him not to play in Qatar to prevent further damage to his injury.
Ashour’s withdrawal means Gaultier will look to regain the Qatar Classic title he won in 2011.
