Former World Champion Gregory Gaultier’s (pictured) hopes of regaining the most prestigious Qatar Classic title have come to a premature end.
The 33-year-old was forced to withdraw from the November 13 to 18 PSA event as he was unable to recover from the ankle injury he sustained during last week’s PSA Men’s World Championship.
The Frenchman, a 2011 Qatar Classic winner and a runner-up last year in Doha, picked up the injury during his quarter-final clash with Egypt’s Tarek Momen in Cairo last week and was forced to withdraw from his semi-final fixture with World No.10 Ramy Ashour as a result.
His ankle problem is the latest in an injury-hit year for the Frenchman, who has already spent two months on the sidelines after damaging ligaments on the same ankle during January’s JP Morgan Tournament of Champions.
World No.4 Omar Mosaad replaces Gaultier as the number two seed and will play England’s Daryl Selby in round one, while 2009 winner Nick Matthew moves up to the number four seeded position and will play tournament wildcard Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi of Qatar.
