December 2, 2003	Tuesday	Shawwal 7, 1424

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KARACHI, Dec 1: Pakistan’s Mansoor Zaman Pakistan’s lone hope in Qatar Squash Classic also lost in men’s first round on Monday at the Khalifa Squash Complex Doha Qatar.

According to details made available, Mansoor who directly got a place in the first round failed to win the match against his rival Olio Tuominen from Finland.

Both the players played very hard but the day was not with Mansoor. Olio grabbed the show 17-16, 15-3, 10-15 and 15-14.

Now the only hope for Pakistan is Carla Khan who beat Olga Sola in three straight sets easily 9-1, 9-2, 9-2 in women’s qualifying finals.

The first round produced a spectacular upset when Australia’s sixth seed Anthony Ricketts crashed out in four games to Egypt’s unseeded Mohammed Abbas.

Only four weeks ago, the in-form Ricketts reached his fourth successive PSA Tour semifinal after beating World No2 John White in the Canadian Open in Edmonton. The World No6 took the opening game against Abbas in Qatar, but the 22-year-old World No23 from Cairo fought back to take the next three to claim his shock 12-15 15-7 15-10 15-11 victory in 64 minutes.

Abbas will now face England’s ninth seed Lee Beachill, who brushed aside the challenge of Belgian qualifier Stefan Casteleyn 15-8 15-13 15-2 in 31 minutes.

Peter Nicol, the World No1 from England who is seeded to win the Qatar Classic title for a third successive year, made a hesitant start against World No18 Paul Price. The unseeded Australian took the opening game, but the defending champion struck back to clinch the match 11-15 15-6 15-11 15-7 in 45 minutes.

Three English players, two Australians and one each from Wales, Egypt and Pakistan made it through the women’s qualifying finals to earn places in the main draw.

Rebecca Botwright did so after fighting back from two games down against Wendy Maitland; beating the Scot 5-9 7-9 9-6 9-4 9-7 in 54 minutes to set up a first round clash with compatriot Tania Bailey, the eighth seed.

Egypt’s Engy Kheirallah was similarly placed against Vicky Lankester of England before winning 5-9 7-9 9-3 9-1 10-8 in 86 minutes to meet seventh seeded Natalie Grinham of Australia, and Heidi Mather of Australia was 1-2 down to Egypt’s Eman El Amir before winning 7-9 9-2 8-10 9-6 9-7 in 56 minutes to meet fourth seeded Cassie Jackman of England.

First round: Peter Nicol (ENG) bt Paul Price (AUS) 11-15, 15-6, 15-11, 15-7 Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Shahier Razik (CAN) 15-13, 15-9, 15-11 Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [6] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 12-15, 15-7, 15-10, 15-11; Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) 15-8, 15-13, 15-2; David Palmer (AUS) bt Rodney Durbach (RSA) 15-7, 15-8, 15-13; Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt Alex Gough (WAL) 15-7, 15-6, 10-2 ret inj; Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 17-16, 15-3, 10-15, 15-14

Women’s qualifying finals: Carla Khan (PAK) bt Olga Sola (ESP) 9-1, 9-2, 9-2; Amelia Pittock (AUS) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 9-4, 9-2, 9-6; Laura Lengthorn (ENG) bt Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 9-1, 5-9, 9-3, 3-9, 9-3; Alison Waters (ENG) bt Salma Shabana (EGY) 9-7, 9-2, 9-1; Heidi Mather (AUS) bt Eman El Amir (EGY) 7-9, 9-2, 8-10, 9-6, 9-7; Tegwen Malik (WAL) bt Kate Roe (ENG) 9-2, 9-2, 9-1; Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt Vicky Lankester (ENG) 5-9, 7-9, 9-3, 9-1 10-8; Rebecca Botwright(ENG) bt Wendy Maitland(SCO) 5-9, 7-9, 9-6, 9-4, 9-7.—PPI