Seeds Sail Through In Chicago

The seeds were untroubled on the first day of action in the Infor Windy City Open - though Australia's defending champion David Palmer had to fight back from a game down before reserving his place in the last sixteen of the second PSA Super Series Silver event of the year, in Chicago, USA.

Second seed Palmer, the world No2 from New South Wales, needed 64 minutes to overcome Italy's Davide Bianchetti, ranked 26 places lower, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9.

"I was playing far too slow at the start of the match, I knew I had to pick up the pace because it’s not my game at all," the World Open champion told www.squashsite.co.uk. "It was not my best game, I had to keep my head down, but at the end of the day, it’s still a win, even if it was one of those days."

Event favourite Amr Shabana, the world No1 from Cairo, despatched unseeded Australian Dan Jenson 11-10 (3-1), 11-4, 11-6 (32m) - to join fellow Egyptian Wael El Hindi in the second round. The No11 seed removed compatriot Hisham Mohd Ashour 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.

John White, the hard-hitting Scot who is based in the US, overcame a first game deficit to beat fellow US-based Briton Mark Heather 8-11, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4. The former world No1 will next take on Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee, the 14th seed who caused one of three English qualifier casualties of the day when he beat Stacey Ross 11-7, 11-10 (3-1), 11-6.

1st round:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Dan Jenson (AUS) 11-10 (3-1), 11-4, 11-6 (32m)
[7] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 11-2 (35m)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Alex Gough (WAL) 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (40m)
[8] John White (SCO) bt Mark Heather (ENG) 8-11, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (51m)
[14] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [Q] Stacey Ross (ENG) 11-7, 11-10 (3-1), 11-6 (38m)
[11] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (37m)
[16] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [Q] Scott Handley (ENG) 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 (38m)
[2] David Palmer (AUS) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (64m)