Top Seeds Safely Through In Doha

The top seeds successfully overcame their initial hurdles in the squash championships in the 15th Asian Games today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.

The championships, which have attracted the region's top squash players, boast an elite international field - led by Malaysia's world number one and world champion Nicol David in the women's event and Mohd Azlan Iskandar, also from Malaysia, the world No13 in the men's.

David, with a bye in the first round, has yet to make her debut in the 2006 event - but her great rival Rebecca Chiu, the title-holder from Hong Kong, today eased into the last eight with a 9-2, 9-6, 9-1 victory over China's Zhenzhen Wu in 14 minutes.

Indian star Joshna Chinappa faced a tough first round opponent in Eun Chan Ahn. The South Korean was quick and hit some brilliant winners from all parts of the court - severely testing the 20-year-old 5/8 seed from Chennai who, according to Indian National Coach Cyrus Poncha, was "well below par".

Chinappa clinched the match 10-8, 4-9, 9-7, 9-4 after 44 minutes - and will now face Rebecca Chiu for a place in the semi-finals.

The top two seeds in the men's event claimed their quarter-final places in contrasting styles. Favourite Iskandar defeated 24-year-old South Korean Kim Sung Young 9-3, 9-2, 9-0 in 26 minutes while fellow Malaysian Ong Beng Hee, the defending champion who is seeded two, walked into the last eight after being handed a walkover by Ahmad Al Zabidi, from Jordan.

Kuwaiti Ali Alramezi has not had the ideal preparation for his quarter-final clash with Ong Beng Hee. The 19-year-old 5/8 seed from Kuwait City twice had to fight from behind to beat Hong Kong's Roger Ngan 2-9, 9-1, 2-9, 9-2, 9-1 in a 61-minute marathon - the longest match of the round.

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt Kim Sung Young (KOR) 9-3, 9-2, 9-0 (26m)
[5/8] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Navin Samarasinghe (SRI) 9-2, 9-0, 9-5 (26m)
[5/8] Wai Hang Wong (HKG) bt Sun Kin Peng (MAC) 9-1, 9-3, 9-2 (19m)
[3/4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt Ricky Espinola (PHI) 9-0, 9-1, 9-0 (15m)
[3/4] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) bt Eranga Alwis (SRI) 9-1, 9-2, 9-1 (19m)
[5/8] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Kim Dong Woo (KOR) 9-0, 9-3, 9-1 (30m)
[5/8] Ali Alramezi (KUW) bt Roger Ngan (HKG) 2-9, 9-1, 2-9, 9-2, 9-1 (61m)
[2] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Ahmad Al Zabidi (JOR) w/o]

Women's 1st round:
[3/4] Sharon Wee (MAS) bt Chi Leng Joyce Kuok (MAC) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 (11m)
[5/8] Chinatsu Matsui (JPN) bt Tehani Guruge (SRI) 9-0, 9-2, 9-3 (19m)
[5/8] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Eun Chan Ahn (KOR) 10-8, 4-9, 9-7, 9-4 (44m)
[2] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt Zhenzhen Wu (CHN) 9-2, 9-6, 9-1 (14m)