Power Surges in Budapest While Shabana Toils

While second seed Jonathon Power made light work of his opening encounter in the Nissan Hungarian Open, favourite Amr Shabana toiled for almost an hour before overcoming Italian No1 David Bianchetti in the first round of the $40,000 PSA Tour event in Budapest.

Canadian Power, winner of the title in 1997, took just 15 minutes to despatch local wild card player Marton Szaboky 11-3 11-2 11-2, and now meets seventh-seeded Egyptian Mohammed Abbas, who beat English qualifier Ben Garner 11-8 11-7 5-11 11-5.

After forging a 2/0 lead in his first round match, Egypt's world champion Amr Shabana lost concentration as his unseeded opponent pulled back the deficit to draw level. The stylish left-hander from Cairo refocused in the decider and finally clinched his place in the quarter-finals with an 11-9 11-7 9-11 8-11 11-8 victory in 58 minutes.

Shabana will meet Adrian Grant, another left-hander, after the eighth seed from England overcame compatriot Peter Barker, a qualifier, 10-11 11-8 11-5 11-7 in 86 minutes - the longest match of the day.

The only upset on the first day's play in Budapest was achieved by Finland's Olli Tuominen, who fought back after losing the first game against Joseph Kneipp to beat the fourth-seeded Australian 6-11 11-10 11-2 11-4. Both players have enjoyed good form in recent months - Tuominen reaching the final of the Motor City Open two weeks ago in Detroit unseeded, and Kneipp claiming final berths in both the Super Series Finals and the St Louis Open over the past five months.

1st round:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [Q] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8 (58m)
[8] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [Q] Peter Barker (ENG) 10-11 (3-5), 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (86m)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Mark Chaloner (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 11-2 (47m)
[5] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 (49m)
[6] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [Q] Shahier Razik (CAN) 11-6, 11-8, 11-1 (29m)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [4] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 6-11, 11-10, 11-2, 11-4
[7] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [Q] Ben Garner (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5 (35m)
[2] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt Marton Szaboky (HUN) 11-3, 11-2, 11-2 (15m)