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- Welsh Ace Joel Storms Into Qatar Classic Last Eight
Joel Makin, the 24-year-old Welshman making his debut in the Qatar Squash Classic, has stormed into the quarter-finals.
He defeated French ace Mathieu Castagnet 11-4, 11-7, 7-11, 8-3 (retired) in their third round clash today.
It is a huge victory for Makin, who had been on court for a total of more than three hours in back-to-back five-games wins against Mexican and Australian opposition before battling to success in an hour against Castagnet.
Makin had shocked Colombian world number six Miguel Angel Rodriguez in a thrilling 106-minute clash to reach the last 16.
The man from Pembrokeshire followed one of the biggest wins of his career at the Channel VAS Championship in England last week, when he defeated World number one Mohamed Elshorbagy with a stunning performance in Doha.
He out-hustled and outplayed the tenacious Rodriguez, winner of the 2018 British Open, to secure his place in the third round of a major PSA event for only the second time in his career thanks to an 11-4, 6-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9 triumph.
http://https://youtu.be/09BbpwwBb9A
Makin had beaten Australian Rex Hedrick in a five set marathon the previous day, winning 8-11, 11-5, 13-11, 8-11, 11-3 in 78 minutes.
“My first round match yesterday was tough, but I felt like I got the win last week out of my system in the match against Miguel and played much better,” said Makin.
“I knew I had to be patient because if you open the court up too soon against Miguel he has such quick reactions and can hurt you from anywhere.
“I was just trying to slow the ball down and take the pace out of the game. I had to be disciplined and maybe it was a bit boring at the end, but it was all about controlling the pace when I wanted it, not when he decided it.
“I’m earning good wins and getting close to reaching the latter stages of tournaments. The win against Miguel was a big ranking victory for me.”
http://https://youtu.be/5Nzmb_JPXGw
Wales number one Makin, from Haverfordwest, then underlined his fitness levels by winning against Castagnet, who fought bravely before having to retire with a minor injury. Castagnet took an injury break during the fourth and then returned to the match, but had to stop soon after.
Makin is ranked 33 in the World, but will climb with the results he is producing.
Castagnet had secured his third round spot with a 3-0 win against Australian Cameron Pilley, while 2016 tournament winner and former World number one Karim Abdel Gawad recovered from two games down to beat Malaysia’s former World Junior Champion Eain Yow Ng.
The Qatar Classic is being played at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
Rhiwbina Squash Club’s Peter Creed also competed in the Qatar Classic, but he went out against Mexico’s Cesa Salazar. Creed produced a tenacious performance, leading 1-0 and 2-1 before going down 7-11, 11-5, 5-11, 12-10, 11-8 in 57 minutes.
Other last 16 results today: Paul Coll (New Zealand) beat Borja Golan (Spain) 11-3, 12-10, 3-0 retired (26 mins); Simon Rodney (Germany) beat Tom Richards (England) 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7 (45 mins); Diego Elias (Peru) beat Mazen Hesham (Egypt) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (36 mins), Mohamed Elshorbagy (Egypt) beat Adrian Waller (England) 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (31 mins); Taken Moment beat James Winnstrop (England) 7-11, 11-0, 11-1, 11-7 (39 mins).
The PSA Men’s World Championship will take place in Qatar, from October 31 to November 8, 2019 with a $325,000 prize fund.
Welshman Alex Gough, the former World number five from Newport, is the PSA chief executive, said: “We are delighted to announce that the 2019-20 World Championships will take place in Qatar and are looking forward to seeing the World’s greatest players return to the country for what promises to be an exciting week of action.”
Tournament director Tariq Zainal: “Hosting the PSA Men’s World Championships is further proof of Qatar’s commitment to the development of sport. Over the years, Qatar has grown to be a global destination for top sporting events, of which squash occupies a major place.”
