The draw for the qualifying round of the 2009 Qatar Classic took place yesterday morning at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex. Officials of the Qatar Squash Federation and other tournament officials attended the draw ceremony. RIGHT: Karim Darwish of Egypt in action against Amr Shabana also of Egypt in last year’s championship. Darwish is the top seed in the 2009 Qatar Classic tournament while compatriot Shabana pulled out of the tournament due to injury. SYED OMAR

DOHA: Former world number one and defending champion Karim Darwish of Egypt and Malaysian Nicol David will be seeking to retain the Qatar Squash Classic crowns they won last year in the $147,500 PSA World Tour Super Series which begins here from tomorrow at Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.

But missing from the Qatar action will be World champion and last year’s runner-up Amr Shabana of Egypt in the men’s section and Natalie Grinham, the world number three from the Netherlands, in the women’s section, both who have withdrawn from the tournament for different reasons..

The world number two, who became world champion for the fourth time at the Kuwait World Open earlier this month, has been forced to pullout from the seventh Super Series event of the year after sustaining a shoulder injury in Kuwait.

The spotlight, however, will be on Gregory Gautlier from France, the current world number one, the Frenchman who succeeded Darwish as world number one this month.

Gautlier’s training partner and compatriot Thierry Lincou is however keen to spring a ‘surprise’ at the championship, which by his account, he has ‘done well’ and ‘enjoys coming here’.

“I am in good form, no major injuries. And, I hope lucks holds be in good stead. Gregory, Darwish, Ramy Ashour, Nick Mathew and James Willstrop will be some of the favorites for the title, whom I will have to beat.”

Lincou, currently eight in the world rankings had set himself another two years before he plans to retire while trying to remain afloat in the top ten.

“I am keen to hold on to my top ten rankings for the next two years. I am 33 now and will be quitting at the end of two seasons.”

If Egyptian fans will miss Shabana, Ramy Ashour, the 2008 World Open champion from Egypt will be another player who will looking for a turnaround in Doha encouraged by his large legion of fans. England’s Nick Matthew will also be eager to perform in Doha after celebrating a career-high world number four ranking this month.  The fourth seed from Sheffield takes on compatriot Jonathan Kemp in the first round. 

 Winner of the event in 2005, James Willstrop will be keen to stamp his authority on the 2009 championship, after an ankle injury caused him to miss last year’s event.

In the Women’s section World champion Nicol David is the top seed and will also been keen to pick up yet another title from Doha.

The defending champion who has maintained her stranglehold on world number one position for the 40th successive month, will face stiff opposition from the likes of Rachael Grinham of Australia, the second seed, England’s Alison Waters and Jenny Duncalf and Natalie Grainger of the US in the prestigious WISPA Gold tournament.

Rachael sister Natalie, the 31-year-old who is almost three months pregnant who had earlier withdrawal from the Hong Kong Open last month also did for the Qatar Classic.

Grinham had a successful 2009 although she was out for more than two months at the beginning of the year with a severe case of whooping cough.

After fighting her way back to extreme fitness, she became European Champion for the first time in June, before winning two WISPA tournaments (in France and New Zealand) and making the final at both the World Games in Chinese Taipei and the World Open in Amsterdam.

This year also marked the first time that the former Australian represented the Netherlands in a team event, after taking up the nationality of her husband Tommy Berden at the beginning of 2008.

Natalie led the Dutch team to a silver medal at the European Team Championships in Sweden in May.

The finals will be played on November 23.