Shabana & David In Bids For Hong Kong Hat-Tricks

Amr Shabana and Nicol David, from Egypt and Malaysia, respectively, are both seeded to win their third successive titles in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Squash Championships in Hong Kong - where the long-established Tour event celebrates its 23rd consecutive year of sponsorship by the country's world-renowned airline.

Shabana will make his 11th successive appearance in the $145,000 PSA Super Series Platinum event and will face compatriot Omar Mosaad in tomorrow's first round en-route to an anticipated place in the final on Sunday.

Two former men's champions are also in the men's draw - France's 2004 winner Thierry Lincou is seeded to reach the quarter-finals for the fifth time, and David Palmer, the fifth seed from Australia, is looking for his sixth successive semi-final berth since winning the trophy in 2001.

Lincou's first round opponent is India's Saurav Ghosal - one of three Asians to make it through today's qualifying finals - while Palmer takes on Chris Ryder, one of two Englishmen to qualify.

Nicol David is only making her fourth appearance in the women's $104,000 WISPA World Tour Platinum championship. With 11 successive Tour titles under her belt since November 2007, David has notched up 48 WISPA matches without defeat - and will be looking to chalk up her half-century in the second round. The 25-year-old from Penang faces New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes in the opening round.

But David will face stiff opposition from a number of quarters - led by the Australian-born sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham, seeded two and three, respectively, and Natalie Grainger, the fourth seed from the USA.

Hong Kong celebrated two notable victories in the women's qualifying finals when Joey Chan beat top qualifying seed Latasha Khan 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-3, and Elise Ng battled to a 56-minute 11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11, 18-16 win over New Zealander Kylie Lindsay.

Chan and Ng join Annie Au, Christina Mak and 13th seed Rebecca Chiu to provide the biggest ever local main draw entry in the history of the women's event.

Men's qualifying finals:
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-3, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7 (50m)
Julian Illingworth (USA) bt Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5 (67m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Simon Rosner (GER) 11-9, 11-5, 2-11, 11-3 (38m)
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (54m)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Yasir Butt (PAK) 12-10, 11-5, 11-4 (34m)
Scott Arnold (AUS) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) w/o
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 10-12, 11-2, 11-7, 11-3 (45m)
Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (43m)

Women's qualifying finals:
Joey Chan (HKG) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-3 (49m)
Elise Ng (HKG) bt Kylie Lindsay (NZL) 11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11, 18-16 (56m)
Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt Liu Tsz Ling (HKG) 11-5, 11-7, 14-16, 11-2 (32m)
Delia Arnold (MAS) bt Joelle King (NZL) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) bt Song Sun-Mi (KOR) 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 (26m)
Lauren Selby (ENG) bt Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3 (33m)
Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9 (33m)
Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Mami Nishio (JPN) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (18m)