Timothy Brownell (Photo PSA)
American No.1 Timothy Brownell claimed the biggest win of his career to date after stunning two-time Qatar Classic champion Diego Elias on the opening day of the Platinum-level event in Doha.
Despite falling 2-0 down against World No.3 Elias, unseeded Brownell rallied in sublime style, overturning the early deficit to record a 5-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 victory at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
Brownell continually played front-foot squash throughout the 57-minute contest, but it was the World No.26’s mental resilience which ultimately proved crucial to closing out the match.
After seeing a 6-0 fifth-game lead slip to 6-6 after a surge of Elias brilliance, Brownell kept his composure to claim his first-ever win over the 2024 World Champion on the PSA Squash Tour.
“I wasn’t doing that much wrong in the first couple of games,” Brownell said after the match. “Just because I was 8-1 down in the second, it doesn’t mean I was playing terribly. I knew the gap wasn’t that big between us.
“In between games, I knew it was just a few small things. My mum told me I was in there.”
“Some people think the gap between the top and the bottom players is bigger than it is. Maybe at the very top it is, but the margins are thin. I’m so happy to show that with today’s win.”
Meanwhile, former World No.1 Nouran Gohar marked her competitive return to the PSA Tour following the birth of her first child with a commanding three-game win over Kenzy Ayman.
Gohar, who stepped away from the PSA Tour 12 months ago and gave birth to her daughter this April, rarely looked troubled against World No.24 Ayman, racing through to an 11-7, 11-1, 11-3 victory after 22 minutes of play.
After the match, Gohar said: “As much as I was excited and happy and smiling, I could feel the nerves from 0-0. After the first game, I started to settle down a bit and feel more confident.
“In order for me to get to where I want to be to reach my goals, I need to get through these matches. The main goal is always to get back to World No.1.”
Elsewhere, World No.1s Hania El Hammamy and Mostafa Asal kickstarted their title quests with respective wins over Hana Moataz and Nicolas Mueller. Eight-time World Champion Nour ElSherbini, meanwhile, held off a late surge from Nada Abbas to win in four games.
Twelve months on from rupturing his Achilles at his home event, Qatari No.1 Abdulla Al-Tamimi more than played his part in an entertaining four-game bout with Karim Gawad. The 31-year-old’s efforts were ultimately in vain, though, as he fell to a spirited four-game defeat against the World No.4.
Results – Men’s Round One
[1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 (26m)
Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-2: 9-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-8 (85m)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt Juan Vargas (COL) 3-2: 10-12, 11-8, 11-5, 1-11, 11-7 (62m)
[8] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt Declan James (JAM) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (49m)
[7] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Bernat Jaume (ESP) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (38m)
Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (49m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v bt Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 3-1: 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6 (52m)
Timothy Brownell (USA) bt [3] Diego Elias (PER) 3-2: 5-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (57m)
[4] Karim Gawad (EGY) bt [WC] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 3-1: 11-7, 15-13, 5-11, 11-8 (48m)
Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt [WC] Salem Al-Malki (QAT) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (22m)
Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 3-1: 11-6, 11-5, 3-11, 11-8 (73m)
[6] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-1: 11-4, 11-3, 5-11, 11-5 (43m)
[5] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (41m)
Kareem El Torkey (EGY) bt Noor Zaman (PAK) 3-2: 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (46m)
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Abhay Singh (IND) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 14-12 (55m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Veer Chotrani (IND) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-1 (26m)
Results: Women’s Round One
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Hana Moataz (EGY) 3-1: 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8 (46m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Tomato Ho (HKG) 3-2: 9-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-4, 11-8 (79m)
Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt Aira Azman (MAS) 3-2: 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6 (49m)
[5] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-3 (22m)
[8] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (22m)
Anahat Singh (IND) bt Farida Mohamed (EGY) 3-1: 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7 (35m)
Salma Hany (EGY) bt [WC] Marta Dominguez (ESP) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 11-2 (22m)
[4] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 3-11, 11-4, 11-4 (40m)
[3] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bt Nada Abbas (EGY) 11-8, 11-3, 11-13, 11-9 (39m)
Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-1: 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 (43m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt [WC] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-3 (40m)
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt Nele Gilis (BEL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (43m)
[6] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 (26m)
Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Marina Stefanoni (USA) 3-1: 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10 (40m)
Nardine Garas (EGY) bt Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 11-5, 1-11, 7-11, 11-7 (43m)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (45m)
