Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan stormed into the quarter-finals of the AVC Men’s Beach Tour Doha Open at the Al Gharafa Beach Complex on Thursday. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists beat Bahrain’s Ali Marhoon and Hasan Abdulla Nasser 21-15, 21-11 to confirm their place in the last eight. On Wednesday, Younousse and Ahmed Tijan had defeated Uzbekistan’s Otabekov and Alekseev 21-7, 21-10 in their opening fixture.
Still unbeaten in Asia after claiming gold at the Samila Open in Thailand, the World No. 9 Qataris will next face Thailand’s No. 6 seeds Dunwinit Kaewsai and Banlue Nakprakhong in the quarters.
Other quarter-final matchups on Friday (May 2) include Australia’s Paul Burnett and Luke Ryan vs Japan’s Takahashi and Ikeda, fellow Aussies Ben Hood and Oliver Merritt vs Iran’s Aghajanighasab and Pourasgari, and Japan’s Malki/Fukushima taking on Thailand’s Muneekul/Muadpha.
The four-day Doha Open features 21 elite pairs from 10 Asian nations, offering ranking points, qualification credits, and prize money. The semi-finals and final are set for Saturday (May 3).
Qatar’s Cherif Younousse (right) and Ahmed Tijan celebrate after their win over Bahrain’s Ali Marhoon and Hasan Abdulla Nasser at the Al Gharafa Beach Complex on Thursday.
BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE
