DAYS after battling in the world's richest squash tournament of all-time in Kuwait, the world's best players began competing in the second biggest event of the year in the Qatar Classic men's PSA Super Series Platinum event which started earlier this week at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha. Egyptians and Englishmen led the charge through the qualifying finals with Tarek Mo'men, Yasser El-Halabi and Omar Mosaad from Cairo claiming places in the main draw, together with England players Daryl Selby, Alister Walker and Jonathan Kemp. Egypt's Mohamed Abbas withdrew at the last-minute. The 11th seed is languishing in hospital in Kuwait with suspected chicken pox. He was replaced by Englishman Stacey Ross who secured a place in the first round as a 'lucky loser'. Surprisingly, Egypt's young prodigy Rami Ashour, who had picked up the sport's biggest ever winner's cheque a week before, had work cut out in his Doha opener. The 19-year-old's opponent is older brother Hisham Ashour, the world No 26 who will no doubt want to exert some sibling authority. England's Peter Barker scored the best win of his career when he defeated event favourite and world number one Amr Shabana in four games in the second round. It was the second Tour meeting between the two left-handers but this time it was Barker, a recent recruit to the England team, who prevailed 11-7, 11- 8, 2-11, 11-8 in 46 minutes, dramatically ending Shabana's bid to reach his fourth successive Super Series event final. "It was a combination of a slow start by him and I really started well," Barker said. "It normally takes me a while to get comfortable at the front, but I knew I had to get there quickly today. I knew he probably wasn't 100 per cent physically, and it just happened right from the start," the 23-year-old from Essex told the English squash site after his remarkable victory. "My backhand was good again today, and we played most of the match down that side, hardly any rallies on the forehand. His forehand is such a weapon I was conscious of keeping it off that side. I haven't had a better win than that, that's right at the top of the pile." There was unexpected Egyptian success later when No 10 seed Wael El-Hindi twice came from behind to upset Australia's fourth seed Anthony Ricketts 3-11, 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 11-7 in 71 minutes. It was the second successive time that the Australian had failed to achieve his seeding since reaching the Tournament of Champions final in New York in March. "That's my second quarter-final this week," said the 26-year-old from Cairo who was scheduled to meet England's Lee Beachill next. "I lost the last one so we'll have to see how it goes. I've not played Beach for a while." Egyptian Ashour, winner of last week's Kuwait Open, had to fight for almost an hour before reserving his place in the last eight in Doha. The 19-year- old third seed beat Finland's 15th seed Olli Tuominen 11-5, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 11-9 and will now face England's No 6 seed James Willstrop. "He's like a machine," said Ashour of the Finn. "He runs, he never stops, so you have to be a double machine against him. I haven't played a match at a really fast pace like that for a while so I was happy to be able to do that. "Yesterday's match (against brother Hisham) affected me physically, I didn't have a quick takeoff and I was diving a lot to get to shots. Now I need good rest, good food and I'll come back tomorrow stronger!" It was a historic climax to the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open when Ashour had won the richest ever prize in squash a week before. He beat compatriot Shabana in straight games in the men's final The world's richest squash tournament at the Al Qadsia Sports Centre in Kuwait City boasted a $200,000 PSA Super Series Platinum men's event and a $58,500 WISPA Gold women's championship. Still five months away from his 20th birthday, Ashour truly came of age in Kuwait when he crushed Shabana -- winner of two PSA Super Series titles already this year -- 11-5, 11-3, 11-10 (2-0) in just 34 minutes. It was the pair's fourth meeting in six months but the first time that the young pretender had overcome his illustrious senior fellow countryman. And he did so in some style. After overwhelming Shabana in the first two games, Ashour was unable to continue the blistering attack in the third as the 27-year-old top seed reasserted his authority on the match to move ahead to his first game-ball at 10-6. But the effervescent youngster struck back in sensational style to clinch the match in straight games. "When you start so well, hitting winners and moving well like I did, you're always going to have a drop off at some point," Ashour told the English squash site later after the match. "I've been trying to work on my focus to make sure I don't relax after a good start. I don't think I relaxed in the third, I just got a bit loose, but I always thought I could come back and I was ready for another one or two games if necessary. "I didn't expect it to be like that, I thought it would be much harder, but I think he was suffering with his blisters. I'm really excited about what happened here today, but I'm sure it will be much tougher next time I play him." Shabana admitted he began poorly. "He was very good, but I didn't start well. I opened up the court too much, but managed to keep it tighter in the third. You have to do that for the whole match these days or you won't win. I felt that if I'd taken the third it would have been a different story, but it was so close, so far. "If we do meet then I'd like to think revenge will be sweet!"
