England’s Richie Fallows, ranked 55, sent his higher-ranked opponent, Tayyab Aslam of Pakistan (the World No. 44), out of the Qatar Classic 2020 earlier than expected with a straight-games win on Sunday. The Englishman won (11-5, 11-9, 11-9) in 42 minutes in the last match on the Glass Court of the Khalifa Tennis & Squash.
The encounter was the first time the duo will meet, and fortune seemed to be in favor of the 25-year-old London-resident Fallows right from the start as he took the first game quickly within 10 minutes.
Calm, composed, and putting almost every foot right, the Briton showed that he was no match for his opponent with his almost perfect sense of position and precise shots.
“I think being consistent, which is something I’ve not always done, was the secret of today’s win. Sometimes, instead of staying steady, I’ve been extravagant, but today I got my rhythm right,” Fallow noted.
Fallow, who takes on the World No.1 and the tournament’s second-seed, Ali Farag, in the next round said, “I’ve enjoyed watching Ali (Farag) play. I watch him quite a lot. I’ll like to keep my strategy against him to myself and allow people to watch me play in the next round.”
