World University Championships Boast World Class Fields

Home successes are predicted in the 6th World University Championships which are underway at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt - boasting the strongest fields in the squash event's 12-year history.

Players from a record 20 countries - representing all five continents - are competing in the individual events which will reach their finals on Monday (25 August), followed by the team event from 26-28 August.

Ramy Ashour, the world number four and a record two-time winner of the Men's World Junior title, is top seed in the men's individual event. The 20-year-old from Cairo beat Switzerland's Kevin Villiger 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 in the second round - and will now face Great Britain's Joel Hinds for a place in the quarter-finals.

Hinds, a 9/16 seed representing Birmingham University, beat German Markus Voit 11-3, 11-4, 12-10.

In Monday's final, Ashour is expected to face fellow countryman Omar Mosaad, the 20-year-old world No23 who is also from the country's capital. Second seed Mosaad began his World University Championship campaign with an 11-6, 11-4, 11-2 second round win over South Korea's Se Hyun Lee.

Chiu Ho Fai (Hong Kong), Markus Schwartz (Germany) and Colin West (Canada) produced notable upsets in the men's second round with victories over 9/16 seeds Ondrej Ertl (Czech Republic), Nathan Turnbull (Australia) and Pavel Sladecek (Czech Republic), respectively.

A former world junior champion is also favourite to win the women's crown for the first time. Cairo-based Omneya Abdel Kawy, ranked 10 in the world, won the world U19 title in 2003. The 23-year-old is expected to face reigning World Junior Champion Raneem El Weleily, the second seed, in another all-Egyptian final.

But 19-year-old El Weleily, from Alexandria, may first have to beat the reigning World University Champion Lim Yoke Wah, a 22-year-old 5/8 seed from Malaysia who is in El Weleily's quarter of the draw.

While all three players received byes into the second round, Switzerland's Gaby Schmohl claimed an unexpected place in the women's last sixteen following an 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 victory over Melissa Meulenbelt, a 9/16 seed from the Netherlands.

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Kevin Villiger (SUI) 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 (17m)
[9/16] Joel Hinds (GBR) bt Markus Voit (GER) 11-3, 11-4, 12-10 (32m)
[5/8] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Lee Rosen (USA) 11-8, 11-4, 15-17, 13-11 (47m)
[9/16] Devon Hendrikse (RSA) bt Moritz Dahmen (GER) 8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 5-11, 11-9 (40m)
[3/4] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Graeme Schnell (CAN) 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7 (43m)
[9/16] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Alexander Charles George (USA) 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-3 (42m)
[5/8] Nafzahizam Adnan (MAS) bt Yvain Baden (SUI) 13-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (42m)
Chiu Ho Fai (HKG) bt [9/16] Ondrej Ertl (CZE) 11-9, 6-11, 13-11, 11-8 (47m)
Markus Schwartz (GER) bt [9/16] Nathan Turnbull (AUS) w/o
[5/8] Alan Clyne (GBR) bt Richard Colburn (RSA) 11-7, 13-11, 11-4 (40m)
Colin West (CAN) bt [9/16] Pavel Sladecek (CZE) 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1 (50m)
[3/4] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt John Fulham (USA) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 (35m)
Fred Reid (CAN) bt [9/16] Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (26m)
[5/8] Jethro Binns (GBR) bt Jaroslav Cech (CZE) 11-9, 13-11, 11-5 (24m)
[9/16] Benjamin Fischer (SUI) bt Shahril Shahidan (MAS) 11-7, 12-10, 11-1 (20m)
[2] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Se Hyun Lee (KOR) 11-6, 11-4, 11-2 (17m)

Women's 1st round:
Sarah Bowles (GBR) bt Eliza Kargioti (GRE) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 (25m)
Kristen Lange (USA) bt Ka Kei Chiu (HKG) 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8 (35m)
[9/16] Melody Francis (AUS) bt Senade Haupt (RSA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-6 (15m)
[9/16] Olivia Hauser (SUI) bt Amanda Siebert (USA) 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (30m)
[9/16] Kathrin Rohrmueller (GER) bt Lisa Kho (NED) 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (13m)
[9/16] Olga Ertlova (CZE) bt Mary-Ann Boden (RSA) 11-7, 11-0, 11-8 (15m)
Gaby Schmohl (SUI) bt [9/16] Melissa Meulenbelt (NED) 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (16m)