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Qatar Classic Preview
Top Half
By Team Kneipp

Two months of globe trotting squash madness begins this week with the Qatar Classic. Here’s how the top half of the first round pans out in our opinion.

1* THIERRY LINCOU plays Qualifier 1

14* GRAHAM RYDING versus ONG BENG HEE
Ryding is currently ranked 13, with a career high of 10. He finished last
year off with some great results, but has had a less spectacular 2005. Beng
Hee is currently ranked 17, but has been as high as 7. He has just won the
Malaysian Open, beating countryman Iskandar along the way. Beng Hee has had
a tough two years as he has corrected some technique problems and unlearnt
coaching that he found detrimental. During this period his ranking took a
dive and he says he was startled at how much grief some of the Malaysian
media gave him. His victory over Iskandar who is now the #1 ranked Malaysia
should hopefully halt some of that, but has taught him a lesson he didn’t
want to learn.

Beng Hee: Just took the Malaysian Open  Photo © 2005 Fritz Borchert

Both Ryding and Beng Hee have had mixed first round success throughout the
year. Ryding has lost three of his first round matches in the bigger tournaments this year, while Beng Hee has lost two. Ryding and Beng Hee have played each other twice in PSA events, Beng Hee won in 2002 and Ryding won
in 2003.

This should be a close match and could go either way. We’ll be very surprised if it’s not decided in at least four (probably five) games.

6* PETER NICOL versus ALI ALRAMEZI
Nicol is ranked 7 this month. Last time his ranking was this low there was a bloke called Jansher and a bloke called Jahangir who were doing a reasonably good job of playing professional squash.

Alramezi has been a PSA member for less than a year and is ranked 183. He enters the main draw via a local wild card position, but strangely he’s from Kuwait and not Qatar. To make it even stranger he didn’t receive the wild card at this year’s Kuwait Open, instead gaining entry into the qualification draw as a local. We’ll try to get to the bottom of this one.

Speaking of locals there’s no players with a Qatar passport playing this tournament and six byes in the qualification first round. Where are the locals and are there so many big tournaments that there’s no hungry international qualifiers willing to risk the price of a ticket to Qatar on the hope of making the main draw?

Nicol’s only first round loss this year was to Laurnens Jan Anjema in Chicago at the beginning of the year. Only an injury could prevent him making the second round here.

11* JOHN WHITE versus MANSOOR ZAMAN

White looks to advance.  Photo © 2005 Debra Tessier.

White is current ranked 9, and has a brief career high last year of #1. Mansoor is ranked 23 with his career best 11 being over two years ago. Mansoor’s ranking went out to the 30s earlier this year. He has going in the right direction again, but that’s mainly aided by decent results in the medium sized Pakistan tournaments because he hasn’t won a single match this year away from home soil. The past record between these two indicates the Qatar Classic isn’t going to be the tournament to change that pattern. White has beaten Mansoor once a year for the past three years with the most recent victory coming in August at this year’s English Open, the only time Mansoor got a game.

3* DAVID PALMER plays Qualifier 2

9* KARIM DARWISH versus MOHAMMED ABBAS
Darwish is currently ranked 10. He has been as high as 7, two years ago but has spent most of this year swapping places with Gaultier for who is ranked 11 and who is ranked 12. Like Gaultier he’s obviously successfully sustaining a very high ranking, but is stagnant and needs to change areas to break through to the next level.

Abbas is ranked 19 and had a career high of 15 in December last year.

Darwish’s only first round loss this year was against Olli Tuominen, whereas Abbas has lost four, two against the seeding. Darwish has beaten Abbas five out of their seven encounters, with Abbas’ only victories coming on home soil. Both of those tournaments were over four years ago so it will a surprise if Abbas can make it through to the last sixteen.

5* AMR SHABANA plays Qualifier 3

10* GREGORY GAULTIER verus PETER BARKER

Peter Barker .  Photo © 2005 Fritz Borchert.

Gaultier is currently ranked 12. He’s either comfortable at this ranking and
not driven enough to break through to the next level (very unlikely),
reached his peak (also very unlikely) or in need of something to take his
game to the next level. For the past two years he has been ranked between 10
and 12, with the exception of a one-month peak at 9. Obviously he’s doing
something very successful and consistent to sustain this level (we’d happily be ranked back there again), but has to re-evaluate his training or game plan to look at why things are stagnant.

Barker is ranked 22, one place off his career high of last month. We played
him a couple of weeks ago in a Dutch Eredivisie league match. He was very
eager to volley, played great deceptive winners and was so hungry for the
win. He chased every ball down like he was serving 10-9 in the fifth game of
the World Open final. If he can take the same game onto the Doha court
Gaultier will have his work cut out for him.

Gaultier has only played four tournaments this year so far, but hasn’t lost in the first round of any of them. Barker’s only first round loss this year was to Ryding at last month’s British Open. You can’t keep winning first round matches and not get your ranking into the top 16.

Gaultier and Barker haven’t played in a PSA tournament yet. Gaultier is the
safe bet, but Barker would be a good outside bet to risk.

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