Qualifiers complete World Championship line-up

Derbyshire’s  Joel Hinds was the first of four Englishmen to book their place in the main draw of the Worlds in Manchester when he battled to a 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 3-11, 14-12 victory in 78 minutes over fellow countryman Chris Ryder.

Players from nine countries – including the English quartet and a further four from Egypt – came through the qualifying finals  to join the main draw of the sport’s biggest event of the year.

The Hinds-Ryder clash was a thriller.

“I don’t know what happened in the third,” admitted  26-year-old world No82  Hinds (pictured above in action with Ryder) on the eve of his world championship debut on his third attempt to qualify. “I don’t think I played badly in that game or the fourth – maybe I got a bit edgy, because I thought I could win, and he relaxed a bit. He slowed down the pace, started to lob, and it made it hard for me.

“I”m so happy to reach my first worlds, but drained, completely drained emotionally!”

Ryder, the 33-year-old world No72 who was hoping to make the main draw for the sixth time since 2008, added: “We train together with the same coach, Rob Owen, in Birmingham – so he knows my strengths and weaknesses, and he played very well to my weaknesses in the first two games! Then I think I got the physical edge over him in the third, I felt my shots were better rewarded.

“I had my chances, had a couple of match balls, but I’m happy that Joel is through to the main draw, he is actually a good mate!”

Later Hinds was joined by fellow Englishmen Charles Sharpes, Eddie Charlton and Jaymie Haycocks. Sharpes, the world No62, will make his second successive appearance in the championship after beating New Zealand’s Paul Coll 11-5, 13-11, 11-8.

“A bit like yesterday,” said the London-born 21-year-old. “A tough game, but I’m so happy to get by in three! So proud coming through those games 3/0, really happy. I think recently, and at this tournament as well, I’ve been mentally strong, with a good fighting attitude. What can I say, I’m an English Bulldog!”

Leeds-based Charlton, from Nottingham, will make his first world championship appearance after seeing off Kuwaiti Yousif Nizar Saleh 11-6, 12-10, 11-3.

Haycocks, a 29-year-old from Birmingham, defeated 18-year-old Londoner Richie Fallows11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 7-11, 11-5 in 73 minutes.

Egypt’s Fares Mohamed Dessouki became the lowest-ranked player to qualify when he denied Welsh interest in the event by beating Peter Creed 11-4, 11-6, 11-6.

The 19-year-old from Alexandria (pictured above in action with Creed), ranked 111 in the world, was celebrating his second successive upset in the qualifiers – and will now make his debut in the main draw.

Compatriots Andrew Wagih Shoukry and Zahed Mohamed have also qualified for the first time. 23-year-old Shoukry, from Cairo, stopped Irishman Arthur Gaskin 11-5, 9-11, 11-1, 11-8, while Mohamed, a 21-year-old from Alexandria, survived a nail-biting clash with fellow countryman Karim Ali Fathi – the world No39 and highest-ranked player in the qualifiers – before prevailing 11-5, 17-15, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8 after 76 minutes.

The Egyptian foursome was completed by 20-year-old Cairo-born Mohamed Abouelgharwho denied further English interest in the event by defeating Nottingham’s Declan James 11-5, 11-8, 14-12.

“Declan is such an honest player, you don’t have to worry about blocking or double bounces,” said world No66 Abouelghar later. “Really we had a good game – I expected a hard match, he is such a good player, and that’s why I gave it all I could in the third, because I was afraid it would go to a five-setter, and that he would turn things round and win it!

“He is so talented, I know we’ll be playing many more times together, hopefully not in the early rounds. It’s my second worlds, I qualified last year, and lost against Greg Marche. This is the biggest tournament of my year, I’m just going to enjoy my squash, I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Kristian Frost Olesen will become the sole Dane in the main draw after beating France’sLucas Serme 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 in 86 minutes – the longest match of the day. The 24-year-old from Odense will be making his third appearance since 2010.

“It’s always very tough against Lucas – it’s always been in four, and so far, always went my way,” said world No59 Olesen later. “But it was really tough. This is the third time I have qualified out of four attempts. There is so much at stake, it’s such a big win for me, it means everything.”

Kuwait will be represented by two players in the main draw for the first time in the championship’s 37-year history after world No 106 Ammar Altamimi continued his giant-killing run with an 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 victory over experienced Frenchman Yann Perrin.

Altamimi, the 25-year-old world No 106 from Kuwait City, will be making his maiden appearance in the event – alongside Kuwaiti number one Abdullah Al Muzayen, ranked 44 in the world.

Germany’s Raphael Kandra battled to an 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 upset over higher-ranked MalaysianMuhd Asyraf Azan to earn his second successive appearance in the event as a qualifier – and was then drawn to face his fellow countryman Simon Rosner, the 12th seed, in the main draw!

Matthew Karwalski became the lone Australian qualifier when he ousted Canadian Dane Sharp 11-4, 15-13, 11-5 to gain his second appearance in the event.

“The first was over pretty fast, he might have been nervous probably,” commented the 27-year-old from New South Wales. “And in the second, I played about the same, but he slowed down the pace, and he had warmed up by then, and playing short was not the right tactic. Still, from 7-4 down, I managed to win the game.

“And taking the second really gave me confidence, took a comfortable 7/0, and it was a matter of closing it out,” added the world No54.

“It’s the second time I’ve managed to qualify, last year in Qatar, but it was easier, only one round, whereas this time, it was two. Hoping to get a good slot in the main draw and a good chance to do well.”

For the second year in a row, there will be only one Pakistani in the draw – but this time it is as a qualifier that Nasir Iqbal will make his maiden appearance in the event. The 19-year-old from Bannu defeated Germany’s Jens Schoor 11-13, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 in 57 minutes – and will now line up against Egypt’s No5 seed Karim Darwish in the first round.

In one of the final matches of the day, veteran Canadian Shahier Razik secured his 10th appearance in the championship since 2002 when he defeated Qatari teenager Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 in 64 minutes. The 35-year-old from Toronto, the oldest player to qualify, will line up against Hong Kong’s Leo Au in the first round.

RESULTS: AJ Bell PSA World Squash Championship, Manchester, England

Qualifying finals:
Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt Jens Schoor (GER) 11-13, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (57m)
Joel Hinds (ENG) bt Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 3-11, 14-12 (78m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (35m)
Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt Dane Sharp (CAN) 11-4, 15-13, 11-5 (36m)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 11-8, 11-6, 11-3 (36m)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Declan James (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 14-12 (38m)
Charles Sharpes (ENG) bt Paul Coll (NZL) 11-5, 13-11, 11-8 (47m)
Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt Geoffrey Demont (FRA) 7-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 (51m)
Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) bt Arthur Gaskin (IRL) 11-5, 9-11, 11-1, 11-8 (41m)
Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) bt Peter Creed (WAL) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (40m)
Eddie Charlton (ENG) bt Yousif Nizar Saleh (KUW) 11-6, 12-10, 11-3 (43m)
Ammar Altamimi (KUW) bt Yann Perrin (FRA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (30m)
Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) 11-5, 17-15, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8 (76m)
Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (86m)
Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) bt Richie Fallows (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 7-11, 11-5 (73m)
Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (64m)

Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [Q] Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (EGY)
[14] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Campbell Grayson (NZL)
[15] Alister Walker (BOT) v [Q] Shaun le Roux (RSA)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v Joe Lee (ENG)
Henrik Mustonen (FIN) v [Q] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG)
[7] Peter Barker (ENG) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
[8] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Adrian Grant (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)
Leo Au (HKG) v [Q] Shahier Razik (CAN)
[16] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[11] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Christopher Gordon (USA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
Max Lee (HKG) v Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[4] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [Q] Zahed Mohamed (EGY)
[3] James Willstrop (ENG) v [Q] Joel Hinds (ENG)
Tom Richards (ENG) v Ben Coleman (ENG)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [Q] Steven Finitsis (AUS)
[9] Borja Golan (ESP) v Chris Simpson (ENG)
[12] Simon Rosner (GER) v [Q] Raphael Kandra (GER)
Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) v [Q] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY)
Julian Illingworth (USA) v Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)
[6] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v Adrian Waller (ENG)
[5] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Nasir Iqbal (PAK)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [Q] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [Q] Ammar Altamimi (KUW)
[13] Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Q] Charles Sharpes (ENG)
[10] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Q] Eddie Charlton (ENG)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY)
Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) v [Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [Q] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN)

Event website: www.mensworldsquashchampionship2013.com