Gaultier Limps Out Of Kuwait Open

An apparent recurrence of the ankle injury which halted his progress last month saw France's second seed Gregory Gaultier limp out of today's men's second round of the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open as 11th seed John White claimed an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the world's richest squash tournament at the Al Qadsia Sports Centre in Kuwait City.

After the world No2 from Aix-en-Provence won the opening game, Scotland's rejuvenated White - runner-up in last month's Canary Wharf Classic in London - took the next two and was 4-0 up in the fourth when Gaultier was forced to concede, with his right ankle clearly in pain.

White's 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 4-0 victory takes him into a last eight clash in the PSA Super Series Platinum event against Egyptian Karim Darwish. The No8 seed was taken the full distance by England's 16th seed Peter Barker - indeed the first game itself established a Super Series record when it was finally settled at 23-21, the largest single-game score since the PSA introduced its 11-point game in 2004.

Darwish eventually clinched his 11-10 (13-11), 4-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-10 (2-0) win after 80 minutes.

An all-English second round clash saw 9th seed Lee Beachill avenge his defeat by Pontefract and England team-mate James Willstrop only two weeks ago when he upset his higher-seeded opponent 11-10 (4-2), 11-2, 11-6 in 58 minutes.

"The first game was crucial, it was tight all the way through and it was hard physically, but even more so mentally," Beachill told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "Winning that gave me a confidence boost and I think it took a little confidence out of him.

"The second was the best game of squash I've played for two or three years - he didn't play badly but I didn't hit a single loose ball."

Seventh seed Willstrop added: "I've found a way to get to him, but it doesn't mean I can do it every time, especially on this type of court."

Beachill now faces top seed Amr Shabana, the world No1 from Egypt who took 54 minutes to down another Englishman Adrian Grant, the 14th seed, 11-7, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1).

The first round matches in the women's WISPA Gold event produced a pair of upsets and one of the longest matches ever recorded.

Australia's former world number one Rachael Grinham, the No3 seed, suffered her first opening round defeat in a WISPA Grand Prix event for five years when she crashed out to New Zealander Shelley Kitchen.

The kiwi, who has never before beaten Grinham on the WISPA Tour, became the only qualifier to reach the last eight with a 7-9, 9-2, 9-5, 4-9, 9-7 win in 67 minutes.

"I hadn't played Rachael for a year - and she beat me pretty easily then - but I knew the court suited the way I play, so even though I was tired I knew I had to keep going," explained Kitchen. "She lost her length a bit in the fifth, let me back in front of her and I managed to pull through."

England's unseeded Jenny Duncalf extended her recent run of good form by beating Vanessa Atkinson, the No8 seed from the Netherlands, 9-7, 9-6, 9-4.

"I'd never beaten her before so I'm very happy with a 3/0," said Duncalf, from Yorkshire. "I've been playing well recently and was looking forward to this tournament."

Two of Duncalf's England team-mates battled out a first round match for 104 minutes before a winner was revealed. In a match almost 20 minutes longer than her previous record, fourth seed Tania Bailey eventually edged out Laura-Jane Lengthorn 9-6, 7-9, 9-5, 4-9, 9-6.

"I was absolutely dying for a drink in the fifth, it's all I was thinking about - and I never change my shirt during a match but I so wanted to in that one," said Bailey later.

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [14] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-10 (3-1) (54m)
[9] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [7] James Willstrop (ENG) 11-10 (4-2), 11-2, 11-6 (58m)
[3] David Palmer (AUS) bt [10] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 5-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (59m)
[6] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [13] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5 (56m)
[12] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [Q] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-10 (3-1), 11-10 (4-2), 11-7 (43m)
[4] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [15] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (29m)
[8] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [16] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-10 (13-11), 4-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-10 (2-0) (80m)
[11] John White (SCO) bt [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 4-0 ret. (43m)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-3, 9-5, 9-7 (46m)
[7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [Q] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-4, 7-9, 9-5, 9-5 (44m)
[4] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 9-6, 7-9, 9-5, 4-9, 9-6 (104m)
[6] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt Alison Waters (ENG) 9-4, 9-4, 7-9, 6-9, 10-8 (62m)
[5] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [Q] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 2-9, 9-2, 9-2, 9-5 (58m)
[Q] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 7-9, 9-2, 9-5, 4-9, 9-7 (67m)
Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [8] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 9-7, 9-6, 9-4 (40m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Kasey Brown (AUS) 9-3, 9-1, 9-0 (32m)