Brown & Fernandes Lead Qatar Airways Challenge Upsets

Qualifiers Nicolette Fernandes and Kasey Brown led the upsets on today's first day of action in the women's Qatar Airways Challenge, the third biggest championship on the WISPA World Tour, at the Secunderabad Club in Hyderabad, India.

Fernandes, the only professional squash player from Guyana, secured the best result of her career when she despatched 11th seed Annelize Naude, from the Netherlands, 9-6, 0-9, 9-7, 9-7 in 76 minutes.

The 23-year-old, who rose five places to a career-high world No38 ranking this month, now goes on to meet England's Tania Bailey, the sixth seed who needed more than an hour to overcome unseeded Welsh player Tegwen Malik 9-4, 9-6, 5-9, 9-6.

Australia's Kasey Brown maintained the momentum which saw her win four successive WISPA Tour titles on home soil - including last week's Australian Open - when she toppled Scotland's 15th seed Pamela Nimmo 9-3, 6-9, 9-3, 9-4 in 52 minutes.

England's Lauren Briggs, who has just taken up a part-time coaching role at London's prestigious RAC Club, also pulled off a notable upset. The unseeded 26-year-old from Essex recovered from a game down to beat Egypt's 12th seed Engy Kheirallah 6-9, 9-4, 9-4, 9-3.

Favourite Nicol David, the world champion from Malaysia, coasted to a 9-3, 9-3, 9-2 victory over 17-year-old Egyptian Raneem El Weleily in just 23 minutes. But the world No2 from Penang now has to face 10th seed Shelley Kitchen for a place in the quarter-finals.

It will be the pair's first meeting since the New Zealander shocked David, the favourite for gold, for the bronze medal in this year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

1st round:
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Carla Khan (PAK) 9-5, 9-2, 9-0 (26m)
[13] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt [Q] Runa Reta (CAN) 9-3, 9-4, 9-4 (36m)
[6] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Tegwen Malik (WAL) 9-4, 9-6, 5-9, 9-6 (62m)
[Q] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt [11] Annelize Naude (NED) 9-6, 0-9, 9-7, 9-7 (76m)
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Tricia Chuah (MAS) 9-3, 9-3, 9-0 (25m)
[16] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 9-2, 9-5, 9-7 (38m)
[7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 9-2, 9-7, 9-3 (23m)
[9] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 9-5, 5-9, 7-9, 9-1, 9-5 (74m)
[14] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt Amelia Pittock (AUS) 9-0, 9-0 ret. (9m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Melissa Martin (AUS) 9-1, 9-3, 9-0 (20m)
Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [12] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 6-9, 9-4, 9-4, 9-3 (51m)
[4] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [Q] Sarah Kippax (ENG) 9-4, 9-0, 9-1 (27m)
[Q] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [15] Pamela Nimmo (SCO) 9-3, 6-9, 9-3, 9-4 (52m)
[8] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) 9-2, 9-2, 9-0 (17m)
[10] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [Q] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 9-4, 9-1, 7-9, 9-4 (42m)
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 9-3, 9-3, 9-2 (23m)