Matthew stays on course for Qatar triumph

WORLD champion Nick Matthew has emerged as clear favourite to win this year’s Qatar Classic after seeing the event’s top two seeds exit before today’s semi-finals in Doha.
GOING THROUGH: Amr Shabana, left, was forced to withdraw injured during his Qatar Classic quarter-final against world champion Nick Matthew. Picture kindly supplied by Steve Cubbins/squashsite.comGOING THROUGH: Amr Shabana, left, was forced to withdraw injured during his Qatar Classic quarter-final against world champion Nick Matthew. Picture kindly supplied by Steve Cubbins/squashsite.com
GOING THROUGH: Amr Shabana, left, was forced to withdraw injured during his Qatar Classic quarter-final against world champion Nick Matthew. Picture kindly supplied by Steve Cubbins/squashsite.com

Matthew’s fellow Yorkshireman James Willstrop was a surprise second-round casualty by losing 3-2 to Daryl Selby.

Top seed and beaten world championship finalist Gregory Gaultier then followed the 30-year-old second seed through the exit door yesterday, the Frenchman beaten 3-1 by Spain’s Borja Golan, the seventh seed, who will face 33-year-old Matthew in today’s semi-finals.

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As in the world semi-final against Ramy Ashour in Manchester two weeks ago, Matthew was the beneficiary of an injury to his opponent in yesterday’s quarter-finals.

Third seed Matthew, a winner of the event in 2009, had taken the first game against Egypt’s Amr Shabana 12-10 before, with the second game tied at 2-2, the sixth seed and former world No 1 had to withdraw due to a knee injury.

Matthew had to save two game balls in the opening game to take the lead over the 34-year-old four-time world champion from Cairo.

“Real shame that Shabs had to pull out tonight,” tweeted Matthew to his followers later. “Was shaping up in to a really tough match.”

No 4 seed Karim Darwish will contest the other semi-final against fellow Egyptian Mohamed El Shorbagy.

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