Beachill Bursts Into Kuwait Quarters

England's Lee Beachill caused a major upset in the second round of the 2008 Kuwait Open when he beat Australia's fifth seed David Palmer in straight games to claim an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the $200,000 PSA Super Series Platinum championship - the richest squash event of the year to date - at the KSF Squash Complex in Kuwait City.

The tenth seed from Yorkshire despatched 2005 champion Palmer, a two times world champion, 11-7, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9 in 55 minutes. It was not only Beachill's first win over the Australian since November 2005, but his first in straight games under the current PAR scoring system to 11 points!

"I don't think I played that well today," conceded the former world number one from Pontefract. "It's been a while since I've beaten a top ten guy - I had a few hard 3/2s, but I didn't have such a win, and you wouldn't believe the confidence you get from a victory like that!

"I guess a win like that was on the cards for a little while now as I've been hitting the ball very well recently, just not getting the win. I'm very happy to be in the quarters of one the biggest events in history."

Beachill now faces Ramy Ashour, the 20-year-old title-holder from Egypt who ended teenage qualifier Tarek Momen's run - beating his fellow countryman 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.

Beachill's Pontefract club-mate James Willstrop also made it through to the last eight - but it took the fourth seed 105 minutes to get the better of his long-time rival and England team-mate Peter Barker 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 10-11 (1-3), 11-8, 11-9.

"I created a lot of belief in myself with my recent results, and I've got to believe that I can get through those matches," said Willstrop, winner of the last three Tour events he entered. "But it's like treading water on there, it's so much hard work, especially on that court, which is like a leveller - although playing Peter on any court would have been as hard as it was today.

"Pete has improved so much recently, it's getting more and more difficult to beat him, and he is definitely going in the right direction."

Willstrop now takes on Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the sixth seed who was also taken to five games before seeing off his opponent Mohd Azlan Iskandar, the 15th seed from Malaysia, 11-10 (2-0), 5-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-3.

Malaysian Ong Beng Hee avenged his defeat by Cameron Pilley in last year's Malaysian Open by beating the unseeded Australian 11-2, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 in a 108-minute marathon. The 14th seed now faces favourite Amr Shabana, the world number one from Egypt who recovered from a game down to beat England's 12th seed Adrian Grant 10-11 (0-2), 11-2, 11-2, 11-5.

2nd round:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [12] Adrian Grant (ENG) 10-11 (0-2), 11-2, 11-2, 11-5 (45m)
[14] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-2, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 (108m)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [13] Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (30m)
[7] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [16] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (58m)
[6] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [15] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 11-10 (2-0), 5-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-3 (77m)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [9] Peter Barker (ENG) 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 10-11 (1-3), 11-8, 11-9 (105m)
[10] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [5] David Palmer (AUS) 11-7, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9 (55m)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (32m)