English & Egyptian Upsets Dominate Opening Action In Hong Kong

Upsets produced by lower-ranked English and Egyptian players characterised today's opening day's play in the men's event in the Cathay Pacific Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.

It was a black day for the two Malaysian men who share the world No16 ranking. Mohd Azlan Iskandar, the 11th seed who arrived in Hong Kong fresh from an unexpected final berth in last week's Village Open in New York, failed to capitalise on a 2/1 lead over English qualifier Alister Walker - and, after losing a tie-break in the fourth game, went down 11-7, 10-11 (7-9), 8-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-5 in a 96-minute marathon which was by far the longest battle of the day.

Walker, the Botswana-born world No44 from Leeds in Yorkshire - and the only qualifier to reach the last 16 - now goes on to meet county compatriot James Willstrop, the No4 seed who had to work hard to overcome Wales's British Open Over-35 champion Alex Gough 11-10 (4-2), 11-10 (2-0), 11-4.

Ong Beng Hee, who like fellow Malaysian Azlan Iskandar had been enjoying a good run of recent form, was also taken to task by a lower-ranked Englishman. Left-hander Peter Barker, the 23-year-old from Essex who made his England debut this year, beat 13th seed Beng Hee 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-8, 11-7 in 74 minutes - and will now also meet a Yorkshireman, Lee Beachill, in the next round. Beachill, the No8 seed, defeated Canadian Shahier Razik 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6.

Scotland's John White was the highest seed to fall. Just nine months after beating Egypt's Ramy Ashour in straight games in the final of the Dayton Open in the USA, tenth seed White crashed out to the teenager 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 in just 34 minutes.

Ashour, the 19-year-old from Cairo who won a record second world junior title earlier this year, will join Mohammed Abbas in the second round after his unseeded compatriot upset Finland's 14th seed Olli Tuominen 11-4, 11-7, 11-6.

There was Malaysian success in the women's event when favourite Nicol David crushed Australia's Melissa Martin 9-0, 9-3, 9-1 in just 20 minutes. David, the world No1 who has returned to the scene of her World Open title success last December, will now meet one of her Dutch training partners Annelize Naude for a place in the quarter-finals.

Naude, the 15th seed, beat New Zealand qualifier Louise Crome 9-7, 9-6, 9-2.

Vanessa Atkinson, the No2 seed from the Netherlands whom Nicol David is expected to meet in Sunday's final, made a hesitant start in a bid for her first WISPA World Tour success since March. The world No2 needed 40 minutes to despatch English qualifier Rebecca Botwright 9-1, 5-9, 9-5, 9-6 - and will now meet another Lancastrian, 11th seed Laura-Jane Lengthorn, who beat compatriot Lauren Briggs 9-1, 10-9, 4-9, 9-3 in 55 minutes.

Men's 1st round:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Wai Hang Wong (HKG) 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 11-3 (35m)
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [14] Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (33m)
[6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-6, 11-3, 11-3 (36m)
[16] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [Q] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-11, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 11-0 (49m)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Alex Gough (WAL) 11-10 (4-2), 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (42m)
[Q] Alister Walker (ENG) bt [11] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 11-7, 10-11 (7-9), 8-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-5 (96m)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 10-11 (0-2), 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 11-10 (5-3) (79m)
[9] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 11-5, 11-4, 10-11 (0-2), 11-5 (43m)
Peter Barker (ENG) bt [13] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-8, 11-7 (74m)
[8] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Shahier Razik (CAN) 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6 (68m)
Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [10] John White (SCO) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 (34m)
[3] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Liam Kenny (IRL) 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (31m)
[12] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-6, 9-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7 (58m)
[7] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-6, 11-3, 2-11, 11-1 (36m)
[15] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [Q] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 11-10 (4-2) ret. (14m)
[2] David Palmer (AUS) bt [Q] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-6, 11-9, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7 (39m)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Melissa Martin (AUS) 9-0, 9-3, 9-1 (20m)
[15] Annelize Naude (NED) bt [Q] Louise Crome (NZL) 9-7, 9-6, 9-2 (38m)
[8] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 9-2, 6-9, 10-8, 9-1 (45m)
[16] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [Q] Runa Reta (CAN) 9-3, 9-2, 10-8 (54m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) 9-3, 9-3, 9-2 (19m)
[14] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 9-5, 5-9, 5-9, 10-8, 9-2 (59m)
[6] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [Q] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 9-3, 9-0, 9-7 (36m)
[9] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [Q] Peta Hughes (AUS) 9-0, 9-4, 10-8 (23m)
[13] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt Tricia Chuah (MAS) 9-6, 9-5, 9-4 (29m)
[5] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Christina Mak (HKG) 9-1, 9-0, 9-0 (22m)
[10] Alison Waters (ENG) bt Kasey Brown (AUS) 9-1, 9-1, 9-2 (27m)
[4] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 9-6, 9-0, 9-3 (32m)
[12] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 9-6, 9-1, 9-1 (22m)
[7] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Tegwen Malik (WAL) 9-3, 9-3, 9-3 (32m)
[11] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt Lauren Briggs (ENG) 9-1, 10-9, 4-9, 9-3 (55m)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [Q] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-1, 5-9, 9-5, 9-6 (40m)