BY ARMSTRONG VAS
DOHA: Defending champion and world No.2 Nick Matthew of England coasted to an emphatic straight games win over Nicolas Mueller of Switzerland to move into the second round of the PSA World Championship here yesterday.
At the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the 32-year-old took just 36 minutes to blow away Mueller, registering a 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 win.
The Englishman, bidding to complete a hat-trick of World Championship titles, will take on the winner of the match between Zac Alexander of Australia and Peter Creed of Wales.
The Yorkshireman, who lost the World No.1 ranking to compatriot James Willstrop, was happy with his first round win yesterday.
“I wish to maintain the momentum in the next rounds. It’s a long tournament. The remaining matches of the championship are the most important matches of the entire year,” said Matthew after his resounding win.
There were no major upsets on day two of the seven-day $325,000 championship.
All the seeds had it easy with former champions Ramy Ashour and Amr Shabana forcing their way into the second round.
Gregory Gaultier of France, who has graced in three finals but is yet to win the world title, also made his way into the second round.
On a day when most of the qualifiers had met their fate in the first round, England’s Joe Lee stood out.
The Englishman became the lone qualifier to make it to the second round.
The World No.48 defeated Pakistan’s Aamir Atlas Khan 11-6, 24-22, 11-6 in a match which went on for 66 minutes, with the second game lasting 33 minutes.
Lee, the world No. 48 will take on four-time champion Shabana in the next round match tomorrow.
The 33-year-old from Cairo coasted to an easy 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 victory over Ivan Yuen of Malaysia, winning in just 31 minutes against the qualifier.
Egyptian Ashour, aiming to add a second world title to his collection, got the better of compatriot Marwan El Shorbagy in three straight games. The former champion won 11-7, 12-10, 11-8 in 36 minutes.
Ashour said the match was not easy as the score suggests.
“Marwan played well in the second and third games. He has a lot to offer to the game in the coming years. He will be one of the stars of the game. He will sparkle, dazzle,” said Ashour, after the match.
The 25-year-old Ashour, one of the biggest names in the PSA World Tour, said playing a fellow Egyptian has its advantages.
“It’s not easy playing an Egyptian as we know each other’s style of play. We come from the same school, so we have a similar style and so we can have a game plan before going to the court. But if you are playing a non-Egyptian, it is still harder. We have to learn the way they play and study them (style of play) well and react accordingly on court. In both situations it is not easy,” said the former World No.1.
Ashour will take on another unseeded player Adrian Grant of England tomorrow.
Grant overcame the challenge of Australian qualifier Rex Hedrick 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8.
Frenchman Gautlier kept pace with the Egyptian brigade of Ashour, Shabana and Omar Mosaad who made it to the second round. THE PENINSULA
