AL-SARAJ MAKES JORDANIAN HISTORY

Another busy day at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, at the end of which the quarter-finalists were decided.

The girls’ last eight looks pretty much as expected, with France’s Melissa Alves creating the only upset as she ousted 5/8 seed

Maria Ubina, and there is a single interloper in the boys’ last eight too after Jordan’s Ahmad Al-Saraj created a bit of history for his country in beating English 5/8 seed Ollie Holland. Danish eased through the next two games to set up a meeting with another surprise package in Ahmad Al-Saraj, who progressed further than any Jordanian thus far as he upset England’s Ollie Holland in straight games.

The day ended in confusion and ultimate disappointment for the home fans when local favourite Abdulla Al-Tamimi was forced to concede his match against India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar.

Poised at one game all and four-all, blood from a self-inflicted Tamimi injury was deemed, after extended discussions, to have made the court unplayable.

Boys Last 16: Al-Saraj gatecrashed quarters, Qatar’s bid fizzles out

After cruising through his morning match top seed and defending champion Marwan El Shorbagy had his hands full in the first evening match as the Egyptian, aiming to emulate is elder brother Mohamed – who had arrived this afternoon to watch – in winning the title twice, found himself a game and 9-8 down to Pakistan’s Syed Bukhari.