Golan Takes Out Qatar Classic Champion Gaultier In Doha

Spaniard Borja Golan scored one of the biggest scalps of his career when he defeated top seed and defending champion Gregory Gaultier in today's quarter-finals of the Qatar Classic, the seventh PSA World Series squash event of the year at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in the Qatari capital Doha.

"It's amazing - I don't have words for it," exclaimed the seventh seed from Santiago de Compostela after the 80-minute 7-11, 12-10, 11-6, 15-13 victory over world No 2 Frenchman Gaultier which takes him into his first ever World Series event semi-final.

"He's one of the best players of the last ten years - but I knew if I played my best, probably I could have a chance.

"I think I was very sharp at the front of the court," added the 30-year-old who reached a career-high world No 8 earlier this month.

"I gave it 100% - and played every point as if it was the last point of my life."

Golan will now meet world champion Nick Matthew for a place in the final. The third seed from England faced sixth-seeded Egyptian Amr Shabana in an eagerly-anticipated battle between two former world number ones.

Matthew had to save two game balls in the opening game to take the lead over the 34-year-old four-time world champion from Cairo.

The crowd seemed set to enjoy a mighty encounter between two of the sport's greats - but, just four points into the second game, Shabana offered his hand to Matthew to concede the match as the result of a knee injury sustained during the first game.

"Real shame that Shabs had to pull out tonight," tweeted Matthew to his followers later. "Was shaping up in to a really tough match."

The other semi will be an all-Egyptian affair between twice champion Karim Darwish, the No 4 seed, and fifth seed Mohamed Elshorbagy.

Both ended the runs of second round news-makers: World No 6 Elshorbagy despatched Daryl Selby, the Englishman who 24 hour earlier celebrated a 19-year wait by beating world No 2 James Willstrop.

Selby went down 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-2 in 47 minutes as Elshorbagy took a step closer to a second successive appearance in a final on the Doha court, having finished as PSA World Championship runner-up in Doha last December.

World No 5 Darwish, Classic champion in 2008 and 2010, beat unseeded fellow countryman Karim Abdel Gawad 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.

Semi-final line-up:
[5] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [4] Karim Darwish (EGY)
[7] Borja Golan (ESP) v [3] Nick Matthew (ENG)

Qatar Classic image courtesy of SquashPics.com