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TODAY at the Qatar Classic
Steve Cubbins in
Doha ... |
Tue
17th,
FINALS
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[3]
Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [2] David Palmer
(Aus)
8/11, 11/9, 11/9, 11/6 (66m)
Ramy makes it a double
Game Points ...
G1: Palmer is sure and steady as Ramy mixes brilliance with errors,
one up to Palmer.
G2: Same mixture, but Ramy comes from 6/2 down to finish with a flurry
of winners.
G3: Ramy finding his shots to go 10/6 up, David saves three but a flying
dropshot into the nick takes Ramy into the lead.
G4: Ramy on fire, and in the end David has no answers as the world
junior champ beats the world senior champ.
 "When
you go on court for the 14th day and it's your second final in two weeks
you feel a bit loose, you have to search for the motivation to win,
which is what I was doing in the first game.
"At the start my breath wasn't there, I was rushing and he was making me
do the running. But I knew if I could get my concentration I could find
the motivation to get me into the match.
"In the second I was more patient, pushing him to the back, and it was
beginning to come. It was a big distraction when my string broke and I
had to borrow Rachael's racket.
"The third was the toughest, we were both diving, but I knew if he took
that one it would be much harder for me, so I really pushed, and then in
the fourth I knew I could go for my shots.
"I'm so proud to have won these two tournaments …"
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 "I
made a good start, and at 6/2 in the second I needed to push on, but
when he broke his strings it seemed to affect me more. I lost my length
and my position on the T, I know that from 2/0 up I could have gone on
to win.
"He got a couple of lucky bounces at the end of the third, and in the
fourth he was too good. I was tired, but it wasn't fatigue, it was more
the speed that we were moving around the court that affected me.
"I didn't think anyone could win these two tournaments back to back, but
he's proved me wrong, he's a great player.
"Now I'll go to do some training and come back looking to win some
titles later in the year."
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[1]
Nicol David (Mas) bt [2] Natalie Grinham
(Aus)
9/7, 2/9, 9/7, 9/2 (69m)
Nicol does it
again
G1: Natalie jumps out to a 6/0 lead, but Nicol steadies, reels off eght
points and after 20 minutes takes the lead.
G2: No coming back this time as Natalie gets off to a good starts and
keeps the points rolling in.
G3: An even game as the lead changes hands several times, but Nicol
finishes the stronger to take retake the lead.
G4: Nicol comes out in attack mode, blasts to an 8-0 lead and although
Natalie pulls a couple back, the end is inevitable.
 "I
was struggling to find my game, but she came out really strong, she was
on right from the start. I was just sticking in, and started to find it
towards the end of the first.
"You never know how you'll play at the start, but I try not to think
about it, when I find it I'll find it, and that's what happened. At 5/7
in the third I found my focus, it just suddenly clicked and I said to
myself that now was the time to go for it.
"Then I used all the energy that gave me in the fourth.
"It's great to win the Qatar Classic for the first time, and to have so
many people from Malaysia supporting me here and in Kuwait gives me a
real boost."
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 "I'm
disappointed to lose, but not with how I played. It was only in the last
game, when she started with two or three lucky shots which gave her some
confidence and then she just stepped on it and it got away from me.
"I totally changed my gameplan for the second, and that worked. Until
the end of the third I thought I was controlling the match, so it's
disappointing I couldn't continue it, but I know what I was doing right,
I know I've got the game and the fitness and the tactics to beat her,
I'll get her next time!"
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