2005 Qatar Open
	Draws: Men's Draw Women's Draw Qualifying: Men's Qualifier Women's Qual Previews: By Team Kneipp Top Half Bottom Half

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Peter Nicol eases past Ali Alramezi in round one (photo © 2005)

Ong Beng Hee followed up his last weekend's win in the Malaysian Open with an upset win over Canadian Graham Ryding to advance to the second round of the $125,000 Qatar Classic in Doha.

Light-filled opening ceremony at Qatar (photo © 2005)

Within days of his unexpected home triumph in the Malaysian Open Squash Championship, unseeded Ong Beng Hee continued his success against higher-ranked players in the Qatar Classic when he deposed 14th seed Graham Ryding in the only men's upset on the opening day of action at the Khalifa International Squash Complex in Doha.

Beng Hee, rediscovering the form which took him to a career-high world No7 in December 2001, beat his Canadian opponent 8-11 11-5 11-10 11-8 in exactly an hour.  The UK-based 25-year-old, currently ranked 17 in the world, now faces top seed Thierry Lincou after the Frenchman also recovered from a  game down to defeat Dutch qualifier Laurens Jan Anjema 10-11 11-8 11-6 11-2 in 57 minutes.

Lincou, the world No1 from Marseille, became world champion for the first time last December on the same all-glass court in Doha.  “I have always done well out here. This is the first match and you will see the best of me in the matches to come,” Lincou told the Gulf Times.

David Palmer defeats Liam Kenny (photo © 2005 Fritz Borchert)

All of the other seeded players advanced as the top half of the draw unfolded. Players advancing included Thierry Lincou, who stopped Laurens Jan Anjema after falling to an inspired Anjema in the first game.

"The first game was the best game I've ever played in my life," Anjema told SquashTalk. "But the fourth and last game was the worst," he continued.

Also advancing were John White, David Palmer, Amr Shabana and Peter Nicol.

England's Peter Nicol needed just 16 minutes to reserve his place in the second round of the $125,000 PSA Super Series Platinum event.  The sixth seed, twice a winner of the Qatar Classic title, beat Kuwait's Ali Alramezi 11-6 11-4 11-2, and now meets Scottish rival John White, the 11th seed who knocked out Pakistan's Mansoor Zaman 11-9 11-7 11-8.

 

 

RESULTS:        Qatar Open, Doha Qatar

MEN
First Round:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) def [Q] Laurens Jans Anjema (NL) 10-11 (1-3) 11-8 11-6 11-2
Ong Beng Hee (MAS) def [14] Graham Ryding (CAN) 11-8 5-11 11-10(3-1) 11-8
[6] Peter Nicol (ENG) def Ali Alramezi (KUW) 11-6 11-4 11-2
[11] John White (SCO) def Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 11-9 11-7 11-8
[3] David Palmer (AUS) def [Q] Liam Kenny (IRE) 11-4 11-9 7-11 11-7
[9] Karim Darwish (EGY) def Mohamad Abbas (EGY) 9-11 11-6 11-6 11-3
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) def [Q] Ben Garner (ENG) 11-9 11-6 11-8
[10] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) def Peter Barker (ENG) 11-6 11-10(2-0) 11-7