WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: PSA Qatar Masters Squash Championship, Doha, Qatar

2nd round:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 15-9, 15-6, 15-4 (38m)
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [16] James Willstrop (ENG) 15-11, 15-8, 17-15 (54m)
[3] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [15] Paul Price (AUS) 15-6, 15-11, 15-6 (29m)
[11] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Mark Chaloner (ENG) 15-10, 15-11, 15-12 (55m)
[7] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [12] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 15-5, 15-10, 10-15, 15-11 (94m)
[4] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Dan Jenson (AUS) 15-5, 15-4, 15-6 (33m)
[6] David Palmer (AUS) bt [14] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 12-15, 15-2, 15-4, 8-2 ret. (43m)
[2] John White (SCO) bt [9] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 15-7, 15-10, 15-11 (49m)

Women's World Grand Prix Finals, Doha, Qatar
2nd qualifying round:
   Pool A:
[1] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [4] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-4, 9-6, 9-10, 9-1 (55m)
[5] Linda Charman (ENG) bt [8] Tania Bailey (ENG) 7-9, 9-3, 9-5, 10-8 (64m)
   Pool B:
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [3] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 9-3, 9-0, 5-9, 9-6 (52m)
[7] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt [6] Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9-7, 9-4, 9-7 (59m)

Power Survives Masters Marathon

Canada's twice champion Jonathon Power survived a marathon 94-minute encounter against Malaysian Ong Beng Hee to reach the quarter-finals of the $120,000 PSA Qatar Masters at the Khalifa International Squash Complex in Doha.

In the second qualifying round of the Women's World Grand Prix Finals, England's Rebecca Macree beat compatriot Fiona Geaves in straight games to make sure of a place in the semi-finals in her debut in the event.

Power, anxious to make up for his shock second round exit last year after winning the title in the previous two years, beat off  a stiff challenge by the Malaysian before winning 15-5 15-10 10-15 15-11 in the longest second round match of the day.

The 29-year-old seventh seed from Montreal declared afterwards that he was delighted to be scheduled, for the first time, onto the all-glass court for the quarter finals.  It is this permanently-sited four-glass-walled court in Doha that north America's greatest player of all-time refers to as "my favourite court in the world" - on which he has won three PSA Tour Super Series titles, including the World Open crown in December 1998.

"Certainly Jonathon is looking very focused and is playing some superb squash but he needs the glass court to play at his fantastic best," commented PSA Technical Director Robert Edwards.

Power will meet England's fourth seed Lee Beachill, who by contrast cruised to a 15-5 15-4 15-6 win in only 33 minutes over Australia's unseeded Dan Jenson, the previous day's surprise victor over England's No10 seed Nick Matthew.  Beachill, the world No4 from Pontefract in Yorkshire is enjoying excellent form, and is undefeated in Doha since winning the Qatar Classic title in December.

The quarter-finals throw up mouth-watering repeats of the last two World Open finals:  France's top seed Thierry Lincou despatched compatriot Renan Lavigne 15-9 15-6 15-4 in 38 minutes to set up his first meeting with Amr Shabana since the left-hander triumphed against him in December's Pakistan final to became the first Egyptian to claim the World Open title.

After a disappointing sequence of results since then, Shabana was back to his best as he demolished England's James Willstrop, the pride of Pontefract in Yorkshire.  Playing with flair and dash, and a new found confidence, Shabana had to be at the top of his game to quash Willstrop, one of the sport's brightest new stars, 15-11 15-8 17-15 in 54 minutes.

The 2002 World Open final in Belgium saw Australia's David Palmer overcome Scotland's Australian-born John White in a five-game thriller.  This time, however, White is ranked one in the world, and Palmer six.  The Scot earned his place in the 2004 PSA Masters quarter-final with a stunning 15-7 15-10 15-11 defeat of ninth seed Joseph Kneipp in 49 minutes - avenging his loss to the Australian in the third round of the 2003 World Open.

Sixth seed Palmer followed a slow start against Egypt's Mohammed Abbas to eventually run out an easy winner.  Clearly after the first game the 14th seed was struggling with his movement.  When he retired midway through the fourth game, Abbas admitted to carrying an old muscular leg injury.  Palmer, now clearly free of injuries and illness, won in 43 minutes with a 12-15 15-2 15-4 8-2 scoreline.

Top seed Cassie Jackman clinched her place in the semi-finals of the WISPA World Grand Prix Finals with a 9-4 9-6 9-10 9-1 second qualifying round win over Australia's fourth seed Natalie Grinham in 55 minutes.  In the other match in Pool A, fifth seed Linda Charman needed 64 minutes to overcome England team-mate Tania Bailey, the eighth seed, 7-9 9-3 9-5 10-8.  Charman and Grinham meet in the final qualifying match to settle the other semi-final qualifier from the group.

In Pool B, England's seventh seed Rebecca Macree swept to her second successive upset when she beat sixth-seeded compatriot Fiona Geaves 9-7 9-4 9-7 in 59 minutes to ensure a semi-final place.  The other last four slot was also claimed early by Australia's Rachael Grinham when the No2 seed dismissed third seed Vanessa Atkinson 9-3 9-0 5-9 9-6 in 52 minutes.