In a remarkable PSA World Tour event which featured a ‘seedless’ semi-final line-up, Pakistan’s Muhammad Saqib Yousaf emerged victorious to claim his maiden Tour title at the inaugural Doha Bank PSA Challenger in Qatar.
It was in the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 event at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha that the 20-year-old from Lahore made his breakthrough by upsetting fellow countryman Waqas Mehboob, the No3 seed.
In the final, Yousaf faced Ahmed Hawas – an unseeded Egyptian who despatched fourth-seeded Kuwaiti Bader Al Hussaini in the last eight.
There was little between the two players in the final – points were shared at 8-8 in the first and 9-9 in the second, but Yousaf was able to finish both games in his favour.
In the third, the same scenario was repeated – but it was Hawas who was able to clinch the game to reduce the deficit.
The 22-year-old from Cairo also had three game-balls in the fourth – but, with some solid returns and well-structured rallies, Yousaf found his way back into the match to win 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11 after 54 minutes.
Yousaf received his trophy from Mr Yousef Hashim, Executive manager Doha Bank.
Final:
Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt Ahmed Hawas (EGY) 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11 (54m)
Semi-finals:
Ahmed Hawas (EGY) bt Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 12-10, 11-6, 6-11, 14-12 (41m)
Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (58m)
Quarter-finals:
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt [Q] Ahmed Atef Abdel-Fattah (EGY) 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10 (45m)
Ahmed Hawas (EGY) bt [4] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 12-10, 11-7, 11-7 (34m)
Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt [3] Waqas Mehboob (PAK) 11-9, 6-11, 11-3, 11-5 (35m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [Q] Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (27m)
1st round:
[Q] Ahmed Atef Abdel-Fattah (EGY) bt [2] Anthony Graham (ENG) 11-8, 11-8, 1-11, 5-11, 11-7 (94m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9 (43m)
Ahmed Hawas (EGY) bt Alex Ingham (ENG) 11-7, 12-14, 11-8, 11-5 (45m)
[4] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) bt [Q] James Simpson (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (28m)
[3] Waqas Mehboob (PAK) bt Ahmed Mohammed Al Tamimi (QAT) 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 (13m)
Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 11-2, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 (36m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [Q] Aamir Khan (UAE) 6-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 (33m)
[Q] Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) bt [1] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 11-6, 11-3 ret. (11m)
Qualifying finals:
Ahmed Atef Abdel-Fattah (EGY) bt Zeyad Tareq Alowaesh (KUW) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (26m)
Aamir Khan (UAE) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10 (51m)
James Simpson (ENG) bt Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (26m)
Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) bt Hugo Varela (ESP) 11-5, 11-7, 11-2
1st qualifying round:
Zeyad Tareq Alowaesh (KUW) bt Omar Abdullah Ahmed (QAT) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (21m)
Ahmed Atef Abdel-Fattah (EGY) bt Abdul Rahman Al-Malki (QAT) 11-4, 5-11, 11-2, 11-4 (33m)
Aamir Khan (UAE) bt Abdulla Al-Mass (QAT) 11-3, 11-4, 11-8 (15m)
Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Ali Miski (LIB) 11-7, 11-0, 11-9 (22m)
James Simpson (ENG) bt Sadam Mehawesh (QAT) 11-1, 11-2, 11-4 (12m)
Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) bt Salem Fayez Mohammed (KUW) w/o
Hugo Varela (ESP) bt Faisal Al-Marri (QAT) 11-4, 11-4, 11-1 (14m)
Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) bt Abdulwahab Al-Ishaq (QAT) 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (18m)
