Yannick Wilhelmi & Daniel Mekbib denied by higher seeds at QSF No.3 Squash Championships in Doha
October 12 2023
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UNSQUASHABLE players Daniel Mekbib and Yannick Wilhelmi were both denied places in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Squash Federation QSF 3 Squash Championships 2023 following defeat to higher seeds on the all-glass show court at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
Daniel Mekbib of the Czech Republic was beaten 11-4 11-8 11-4 by 2nd seed and defending champion Abdulla Al-Tamimi of Qatar, whilst Yannick Wilhelmi fell to 3rd seed Sébastien Bonmalais of France 11-2 11-8 11-4.
A thrilling second day of the Qatar Squash Federation QSF 3 Squash Championships 2023 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha saw Perry Malik emerged victorious from a gruelling five-game battle, securing his spot in the quarter-finals against top-seeded Eain Yow Ng.
Perry Malik's impressive journey began with a surprise victory over the higher-ranked Martin Svec in the first round, followed by a second round win over the eighth-seeded Addeen Idrakie in a demanding 84-minute showdown. The 22-year-old Malik faced an uphill battle in the early stages of the match, narrowly clinching the first game 16-14 after missing out on four game balls. He continued to resilience by saving a game ball of his own in the second game, which he won 13-11. Although Idrakie made a strong comeback, taking the next two games, Malik's determination shone in the fifth game. He surged ahead from a 4-4 tie to a commanding 9-4 lead before ultimately sealing the victory.
Meanwhile, Eain Yow Ng secured his quarter-final berth by triumphing over Abdullah Almezayen in four games. However, Declan James, making a return to the PSA World Tour after recovering from an Achilles injury sustained in November, faced disappointment as he fell in four games to Aly Hussein.
Notably, the last 16 round witnessed the upset of several seeded players. Rui Soares, Mazen Gamal and Simon Herbert, alongside Declan James and Addeen Idrakie, all succumbed to defeats, yielding victories to Velavan Senthilkumar, Toufik Mekhalfi, and Zahed Salem, respectively. This leaves only Eain Yow Ng, Sebastien Bonmalais, and Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi as the remaining seeded players.
Sebastien Bonmalais, the third seed, secured a straight game victory against Yannick Wilhelmi, while the defending champion and home favourite, Al Tamimi, dispatched Daniel Mekbib 11-8 11-4 11-8.
Qatar Squash Federation QSF No.3 Squash Championships 2023, Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar
2nd Round:
[1] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (44m)
Perry Malik (ENG) bt [8] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 16-14, 13-11, 11-13, 9-11, 11-7 (84m)
[9/16] Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [5] Declan James (ENG) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (63m)
[9/16] Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt [4] Rui Soares (POR) 13-11, 6-11, 14-12, 12-10 (50m)
[3] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt [9/16] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 (30m)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt [7] Simon Herbert (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (31m)
Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [6] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 11-8, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9 (69m)
[2] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bt Daniel Mekbib (CZE) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 (27m)
UNSQUASHABLE players Yannick Wilhelmi and Daniel Mekbib have both progressed to the 2nd round of the Qatar Squash Federation QSF 3 Squash Championships 2023 being staged at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
Yannick Wilhelmi defeated wild card Salem Al-Malki of Qatar 11-8 11-2 11-9 in 25 minutes to face 3rd seed Sébastien Bonmalais of France in the 2nd round.
Daniel Mekbib of the Czech Republic will play 2nd seed and defending champion Abdulla Al-Tamimi in his 2nd round match after beating Muhammad Asim Khan of Pakistan 7-11 11-6 11-7 11-4 in 46 minutes.
Qatar Squash Federation QSF No.3 Squash Championships 2023, Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar
1st Round:
[1] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bye
Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) bt [9/16] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) 8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (48m)
Perry Malik (ENG) bt [9/16] Martin Svec (CZE) 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (42m)
[8] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bye
[5] Declan James (ENG) bye
[9/16] Aly Hussein (EGY) bt Khaled Labib (EGY) 11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7 (57m)
[9/16] Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt [WC] Ahmad Mohammad Altamimi (QAT) 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (23m)
[4] Rui Soares (POR) bye
[3] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bye
[9/16] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [WC] Salem Al-Malki (QAT) 11-8, 11-2, 11-9 (25m)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Wong Chi Him (HKG) 12-10, 11-5, 17-15 (42m)
[7] Simon Herbert (ENG) bye
[6] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bye
Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [9/16] Yannik Omlor (GER) 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 (31m)
Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bt [9/16] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (46m)
[2] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi is set to defend his title at the Qatar Squash Federation QSF 3 Squash Championships 2023. Meanwhile, England's Declan James is making a long-awaited return to competitive play, marking his comeback after nearly a year of absence due to a ruptured Achilles tendon that prematurely ended his participation in the 2022-23 squash season. Remarkably, he enters the tournament as the No.5 seed, a pegged ranking facilitating his participation alongside contenders like Eain Yow Ng and his fellow countryman, Simon Herbert, both of whom are among the seeded players.
Eain Yow Ng, the No.1 seed, earned his top status by securing victory at the Cannon Kirk GillenMarkets Irish Squash Open in April and later clinching an individual Gold Medal in the squash tournament at the Asian Games. His second-round match awaits, where he will face either Yannik Omlor or Yassin Elshafei. The prospect of a semi-final showdown with Declan James looms should both players advance.
For this to materialise, Declan James must first navigate his second round match and potentially face off against No.4 seed Rui Soares, who shares his half of the draw. The bottom half of the draw, on the other hand, is dominated by Qatar's own Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, the No.2 seed and the highest-ranked Qatari player. His shoulders bear the weight of expectations for homegrown success, having previously hoisted the trophy as the No.3 seed in the event just a year ago.
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi's recent form is noteworthy, as he reached the last 16 in the QTerminals Qatar Squash Classic at the same venue, defeating former World No.3 Omar Mosaad along the way. His second-round opponent could be either Muhammad Asim Khan of Pakistan or Czech Daniel Mekbib, while Sebastien Bonmalais, Simon Herbert, and the 2021 runner-up Mazen Gamal join the fray as other seeded players in his half of the draw.
Among the first-round matches to watch out for is the clash between Toufik Mekhalfi and India's Abhay Singh. Singh's return to the court is particularly significant as he played a pivotal role in India's triumph at the Asian Games, helping secure the Men's Squash Team Gold. His heroic performance, which included saving two championship points in the deciding match, culminated in a dramatic victory and jubilant celebrations.
Daniel Mekbib of the Czech Republic was beaten 11-4 11-8 11-4 by 2nd seed and defending champion Abdulla Al-Tamimi of Qatar, whilst Yannick Wilhelmi fell to 3rd seed Sébastien Bonmalais of France 11-2 11-8 11-4.
A thrilling second day of the Qatar Squash Federation QSF 3 Squash Championships 2023 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha saw Perry Malik emerged victorious from a gruelling five-game battle, securing his spot in the quarter-finals against top-seeded Eain Yow Ng.
Perry Malik's impressive journey began with a surprise victory over the higher-ranked Martin Svec in the first round, followed by a second round win over the eighth-seeded Addeen Idrakie in a demanding 84-minute showdown. The 22-year-old Malik faced an uphill battle in the early stages of the match, narrowly clinching the first game 16-14 after missing out on four game balls. He continued to resilience by saving a game ball of his own in the second game, which he won 13-11. Although Idrakie made a strong comeback, taking the next two games, Malik's determination shone in the fifth game. He surged ahead from a 4-4 tie to a commanding 9-4 lead before ultimately sealing the victory.
Meanwhile, Eain Yow Ng secured his quarter-final berth by triumphing over Abdullah Almezayen in four games. However, Declan James, making a return to the PSA World Tour after recovering from an Achilles injury sustained in November, faced disappointment as he fell in four games to Aly Hussein.
Notably, the last 16 round witnessed the upset of several seeded players. Rui Soares, Mazen Gamal and Simon Herbert, alongside Declan James and Addeen Idrakie, all succumbed to defeats, yielding victories to Velavan Senthilkumar, Toufik Mekhalfi, and Zahed Salem, respectively. This leaves only Eain Yow Ng, Sebastien Bonmalais, and Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi as the remaining seeded players.
Sebastien Bonmalais, the third seed, secured a straight game victory against Yannick Wilhelmi, while the defending champion and home favourite, Al Tamimi, dispatched Daniel Mekbib 11-8 11-4 11-8.
Qatar Squash Federation QSF No.3 Squash Championships 2023, Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar
2nd Round:
[1] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (44m)
Perry Malik (ENG) bt [8] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 16-14, 13-11, 11-13, 9-11, 11-7 (84m)
[9/16] Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [5] Declan James (ENG) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (63m)
[9/16] Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt [4] Rui Soares (POR) 13-11, 6-11, 14-12, 12-10 (50m)
[3] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bt [9/16] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 (30m)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt [7] Simon Herbert (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (31m)
Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [6] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 11-8, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9 (69m)
[2] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bt Daniel Mekbib (CZE) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 (27m)
UNSQUASHABLE players Yannick Wilhelmi and Daniel Mekbib have both progressed to the 2nd round of the Qatar Squash Federation QSF 3 Squash Championships 2023 being staged at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
Yannick Wilhelmi defeated wild card Salem Al-Malki of Qatar 11-8 11-2 11-9 in 25 minutes to face 3rd seed Sébastien Bonmalais of France in the 2nd round.
Daniel Mekbib of the Czech Republic will play 2nd seed and defending champion Abdulla Al-Tamimi in his 2nd round match after beating Muhammad Asim Khan of Pakistan 7-11 11-6 11-7 11-4 in 46 minutes.
Qatar Squash Federation QSF No.3 Squash Championships 2023, Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar
1st Round:
[1] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bye
Abdullah Almezayen (KUW) bt [9/16] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) 8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (48m)
Perry Malik (ENG) bt [9/16] Martin Svec (CZE) 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (42m)
[8] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bye
[5] Declan James (ENG) bye
[9/16] Aly Hussein (EGY) bt Khaled Labib (EGY) 11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7 (57m)
[9/16] Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt [WC] Ahmad Mohammad Altamimi (QAT) 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (23m)
[4] Rui Soares (POR) bye
[3] Sébastien Bonmalais (FRA) bye
[9/16] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [WC] Salem Al-Malki (QAT) 11-8, 11-2, 11-9 (25m)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) bt Wong Chi Him (HKG) 12-10, 11-5, 17-15 (42m)
[7] Simon Herbert (ENG) bye
[6] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bye
Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [9/16] Yannik Omlor (GER) 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 (31m)
Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bt [9/16] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (46m)
[2] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi is set to defend his title at the Qatar Squash Federation QSF 3 Squash Championships 2023. Meanwhile, England's Declan James is making a long-awaited return to competitive play, marking his comeback after nearly a year of absence due to a ruptured Achilles tendon that prematurely ended his participation in the 2022-23 squash season. Remarkably, he enters the tournament as the No.5 seed, a pegged ranking facilitating his participation alongside contenders like Eain Yow Ng and his fellow countryman, Simon Herbert, both of whom are among the seeded players.
Eain Yow Ng, the No.1 seed, earned his top status by securing victory at the Cannon Kirk GillenMarkets Irish Squash Open in April and later clinching an individual Gold Medal in the squash tournament at the Asian Games. His second-round match awaits, where he will face either Yannik Omlor or Yassin Elshafei. The prospect of a semi-final showdown with Declan James looms should both players advance.
For this to materialise, Declan James must first navigate his second round match and potentially face off against No.4 seed Rui Soares, who shares his half of the draw. The bottom half of the draw, on the other hand, is dominated by Qatar's own Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, the No.2 seed and the highest-ranked Qatari player. His shoulders bear the weight of expectations for homegrown success, having previously hoisted the trophy as the No.3 seed in the event just a year ago.
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi's recent form is noteworthy, as he reached the last 16 in the QTerminals Qatar Squash Classic at the same venue, defeating former World No.3 Omar Mosaad along the way. His second-round opponent could be either Muhammad Asim Khan of Pakistan or Czech Daniel Mekbib, while Sebastien Bonmalais, Simon Herbert, and the 2021 runner-up Mazen Gamal join the fray as other seeded players in his half of the draw.
Among the first-round matches to watch out for is the clash between Toufik Mekhalfi and India's Abhay Singh. Singh's return to the court is particularly significant as he played a pivotal role in India's triumph at the Asian Games, helping secure the Men's Squash Team Gold. His heroic performance, which included saving two championship points in the deciding match, culminated in a dramatic victory and jubilant celebrations.