The Qatar Classic returns for the first time since 2018
Qatar’s Abdulla Al-Tamimi started his Qatar Classic campaign with a win over England’s Patrick Rooney at the PSA World Tour Platinum in Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
The World No.30 began the match with seven unforced errors in the first game but quickly improved to overcome Rooney by a 10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-3 scoreline. Round two begins tomorrow (November 2) where Al Tamimi will face off against Peru’s Diego Elias in the last 32.
The lack of practice has affected his game play, according to Al Tamimi. “I think it’s [the errors] just from a lack of matches and I’m really glad I got through this one. I’m sure against Diego I’ll be a lot sharper.”
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“I need to raise my level always, I just want to make the whole country proud. I had some great performances last year, so I had a lot of pressure on me coming into this first round, especially with the lockdown we’ve been having because of COVID-19. I haven’t had any matches since February in Chicago,” the Aspire Academy graduate said.
As many as 46 players are participating in the tournament, including Diego Elias (World No. 6), World No. 7 Marwa El Shorbagy, and the eighth-ranked Simon Rosner.
The 2005 champion, James Willstrop and 2011 winner Grégory Gaultier will also attend the tournament.
The winner will have a chance to go home with $175,000, along with the championship title.
To ensure everyone’s safety and that health precautionary measures are adhered to, this year’s tournament will have a limited number of spectators. However, fans can enjoy all the actions live on SquashTV.
In the last 15 years, Qatar has hosted more than 500 major international sports events, conferences and training camps – including the 15th edition of the Asian Games in 2006.
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