Aziz & Pallikal Lead Upsets In Qatar Classic Qualifiers

Both the second seeds in today's qualifying finals crashed out of the Qatar Classic as Egyptian Omar Abdel Aziz and Indian teenager Dipika Pallikal earned surprise places in the main draws of one of the year's biggest men's and women's international squash circuit events at Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in the Qatar capital Doha.

Abdel Aziz, ranked 42 in the world, dashed Tom Richards' hopes on the last day of qualifying in the men's $147,500 PSA World Tour Super Series event - beating the world No31 from England 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 in 42 minutes.

The 26-year-old from Cairo will now face England's No8 seed Peter Barker in the first round.

But England's Chris Ryder became the lowest-ranked player to make it into the men's main draw: The 29-year-old from Leamington Spa, the world No 43, defeated Malaysian Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 15-13, 11-8, 12-10 in 68 minutes - and will now line up against Australia's 15th seed Cameron Pilley, ranked 28 places higher.

Dipika Pallikal, the world No48 from Chennai, became the youngest player to line up in the main draw of the women's $74,000 WISPA World Tour championship. The 18-year-old despatched Malaysian Sharon Wee, ranked 31 in the world, 11-5, 9-11, 11-1, 11-2 in 27 minutes.

Pallikal, a successful qualifier for the first time after an unsuccessful attempt early in 2007, will now do battle with England's Laura Massaro, the seventh seed.

Czech outsider Lucie Fialova survived a 57-minute marathon against Orla Noom to beat her higher-ranked Dutch opponent 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-4.

The 21-year-old from Prague, ranked 59 in the world, becomes the lowest-ranked player in the women's draw, where she faces 12th seed Annie Au, a Qatar Classic debutante from Hong Kong.

Men's qualifying finals:
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (32m)
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-7, 11-8, 3-11, 11-3 (41m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (32m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 15-13, 11-8, 12-10 (68m)
Eric Galvez (MEX) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 11-4, 6-11, 11-6, 11-13, 15-13 (97m)
Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 (41m)
Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Martin Knight (NZL) 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 (50m)
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 (42m)

Women's qualifying finals:
Joelle King (NZL) bt Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 13-11, 13-11, 11-5 (47m)
Joey Chan (HKG) bt Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) 11-9, 11-3, 11-7 (23m)
Alana Miller (CAN) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND) 5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (33m)
Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt Christina Mak (HKG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 (25m)
Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Olga Ertlova (CZE) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 (32m)
Annelize Naude (NED) bt Heba El Torky (EGY) 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10 (46m)
Lucie Fialova (CZE) bt Orla Noom (NED) 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-4 (57m)
Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 11-5, 9-11, 11-1, 11-2 (27m)