Shabana Toppled In Toronto

In a superb performance in which he dominated play for most of the match, Malaysian Mohd Azlan Iskandar upset top seed Amr Shabana in four games in the second round of the PACE Canadian Classic in Toronto - denying the world number one from Egypt a place in the quarter-finals of a PSA Super Series event for the first time for over a year.

Iskandar, the London-based world No18, has been working with Peter Nicol recently - and the determination he showed in sticking with Shabana is evidence of the effect the former world champion from England is having on the Malaysian's game.

The first game found Iskandar fast and focused, while Shabana seemed a little slow and sluggish. Shabana’s usually sharp shooting was not working and errors at crucial times gave Iskandar the psychological edge in taking the first two games - the second in just six minutes.

After losing the first two points of the third game, Shabana finally settled down and took the next eight points in a row to lead 8-2. The 24-year-old 12th seed tried to stage a mini comeback, but crashed the ball into the tin at 4-8 to put Shabana back in charge and the Egyptian made no mistake finishing the game 11-6. The Egyptian now appeared to be very much in contention.

But Shabana’s ascendancy was short-lived - and the anticipated crumbling of Iskandar failed to happen. The Malaysian was determined, returning from 5-8 down to claim a mighty 11-10 (2-0), 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 victory in 48 minutes to record the best win of his career.

In his first ever appearance in a Super Series quarter-finals, Iskandar will now face Egypt’s 19-year-old superstar Ramy Ashour, the No6 seed from Cairo who beat compatriot Mohammed Abbas, the No14 seed, 11-4, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6.

There was a further upset earlier in the first day's play at the John Bassett Theatre in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre when Australia's 11th seed Stewart Boswell prevailed in a 91-minute marathon against England's No7 seed James Willstrop.

The skinny Australian, who almost left the sport because of injury, showed that he is not only back again, but a better squash player than when a back injury forced him to stop playing nearly three years ago.

In a game played at a furious pace, Willstrop finally gained ascendancy in the fourth game to force the match into a fifth game decider. However, Boswell sharpened the edge to win the 16-minute final game to claim a well-deserved 10-11 (3-5), 11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-8 victory.

2nd round:
[12] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [1] Amr Shabana (EGY) 11-10 (2-0), 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (48m)
[6] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [14] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-4, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6 (55m)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [9] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-4, 11-8, 11-3 (45m)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [15] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 (32m)
[8] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [10] John White (SCO) 10-11 (0-2), 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-9 (69m)
[13] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 8-11, 3-11, 11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9 (54m)
[11] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [7] James Willstrop (ENG) 10-11 (3-5), 11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-8 (91m)
[2] David Palmer (AUS) bt [16] Graham Ryding (CAN) 11-3, 11-9, 10-11 (2-4), 11-6 (67m)