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Key Points

Indian squash player Abhay Singh delivered an impressive performance against higher-ranked Egyptian opponent Fares Dessouky in the Qatar Classic. Despite losing the match 3-2, Abhay demonstrated remarkable skill and resilience after his previous round upset of world No. 5 Karim Gawad. The five-game thriller showcased the competitive spirit of Indian squash on the international stage. Abhay will next compete in a PSA Bronze event in New York from October 5.

Key Points: Abhay Singh Battles Dessouky in Epic Qatar Classic Squash Clash

  • Abhay loses 3-2 to world No. 15 Dessouky in intense Qatar Classic match
  • Dramatic five-game thriller showcases Indian squash talent
  • Previous round upset of Karim Gawad highlights Abhay's potential
  • Match lasted 66 intense minutes with multiple lead changes
2 min read

Abhay goes down fighting to World No. 15 Dessouky in Qatar Classic squash

Indian squash star Abhay Singh fights hard against Egypt's Fares Dessouky in thrilling five-game Qatar Classic match

"Abhay showed remarkable resilience against a higher-ranked opponent - Squash Commentator"

Mumbai, Sep 29

India's Abhay Singh went down in a five-game thriller to Egyptian world No. 15 Fares Dessouky in the Round of 16 at the Qatar Classic squash, a USD 231,500 PSA Platinum event being played in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.

World No. 35 Abhay, who stunned former world champion and current world No. 5 Karim Gawad of Egypt in the previous round, took the lead twice against Dessouky before the Egyptian clawed back to win 11-13, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-3 in 66 minutes.

Abhay, 27, a multiple Asian Games medallist, will next play in a PSA Bronze event in New York from October 5.

Earlier, India's Ramit Tandon went down 3-0 to the top-seeded Mostafa Asal of Egypt in the first round, going down 4-11, 5-11, 4-11.

Meanwhile, in the women's section, seventh seed Malaysia Sivasangari Subramaniam defeated Belgium's Nele Giliss 3-0 in the second round to seal a place in the quarterfinals. Sivasangari won 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 in the PSA Platinum level tournament, which offers a total prize fund of $231,500 each for men's and women's sections.

On the first day of the competition on Sunday, Egypt's World No.14 Mohamad Zakaria earned the biggest win of his career to date after taking out World No.4 Joel Makin as eight of the top 16 seeds exited the Platinum-level Qatar Classic in round one.

Zakaria had lost out to No.3 seed Makin in the third round of the CIB Egyptian Open earlier this month but dominated proceedings today at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, winning 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 in 67 minutes to score his first win over a player inside the world's top four.

In the women's event, Malaysia's Aira Azman got the better of No.5 seed Satomi Watanabe, while No.8 seed Georgina Kennedy saw her tournament come to an end against France's Melissa Alves. Azman came back from two games down against Watanabe to claim her first win over the World No.6 to reach the last 16 of the Qatar Classic for the first time.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The scoreline in last two games (11-3, 11-3) suggests Abhay ran out of steam. Need better fitness conditioning for these long matches against top players. Still, great effort overall!
A
Arjun K
Egyptian players dominating squash as usual. But Abhay beating Gawad shows we can compete with the best. Need more international exposure and better coaching facilities in India.
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Sarah B
Great to see Indian players making waves in international squash! The prize money of $231,500 shows how professional this sport has become. Hope more young Indians take up squash seriously.
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Kavya N
Abhay's performance against top Egyptian players gives me hope for Indian squash! 🏆 Next tournament in New York - wish him all the best. Hope he gets proper recovery time between events.
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Michael C
Interesting to see the upsets in this tournament! World No.14 beating World No.4, and Abhay's win over World No.5. Shows rankings don't always tell the full story. Squash becoming more competitive globally.

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