English Dominate In KL World Open

Ten English players - more than half the remaining field - surged through to the second round of the KL Women's World Open Championship in Malaysia after a series of upsets in today's opening round matches at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

Unseeded youngsters Alison Waters and Laura-Jane Lengthorn knocked out Egypt's World Junior Champion Omneya Abdel Kawy and French No1 Isabelle Stoehr, respectively, to book places in the second round. Waters, from Southgate in London, came back from 0-2 down to defeat ninth seed Kawy 2-9 6-9 9-4 9-3 9-5 in 56 minutes, while Lancashire lass Lengthorn was a game down against Stoehr, the 14th seed, before prevailing 6-9 9-4 9-7 9-7 in 63 minutes.

Unseeded Tania Bailey also secured a notable win - but the victim was fellow English player Fiona Geaves, the seventh seed who celebrated her 37th birthday on the eve of the tournament. The 25-year-old former world junior champion from Lincolnshire won 9-1 10-9 9-4 in 38 minutes.

Cassie Jackman, despite playing her first competitive game since being forced to retire in her semi-final match in last week's Qatar Classic, was far too good for her younger English opponent Dominique Lloyd-Walter, winning 9-1 9-1 9-5 in 28 minutes. In the longest match of the day, Rebecca Macree forced her way into the second round with a physical encounter against her Beaconsfield-based training partner Carla Khan, from Pakistan, winning 9-7 9-3 7-9 9-7 in 83 minutes.

Malaysia's in-form Nicol David, the sixth seed, and Australia's world number one Rachael Grinham both wrapped up their first round victories in just 21 minutes, the quickest matches of the evening - David beating Welsh qualifier Tegwen Malik 9-3 9-0 9-3 and top seed Grinham overcoming fellow Australian Melissa Martin 9-0 9-4 9-2.

1st round:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Melissa Martin (AUS) 9-0, 9-4, 9-2 (21m)
[16] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-4, 9-2, 9-5 (44m)
Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [7] Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9-1, 10-9, 9-4 (38m)
[10] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) bt [Q] Kasey Brown (AUS) 9-4, 9-0, 9-0 (29m)
[3] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Pamela Nimmo (SCO) 9-2, 5-9, 9-2, 9-7 (35m)
[11] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [Q] Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) 9-7, 10-8, 8-10, 9-3 (55m)
[5] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [Q] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 9-3, 9-4, 9-1 (33m)
[13] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 9-3, 9-6, 9-3 (30m)
Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt [14] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 6-9, 9-4, 9-7, 9-7 (63m)
[8] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt Carla Khan (PAK) 9-7, 9-3, 7-9, 9-7 (83m)
[15] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt [Q] Runa Reta (CAN) 9-4, 2-9, 7-9, 9-5, 9-4 (67m)
[4] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Annelize Naude (NED) 10-8, 9-1, 9-4 (44m)
Alison Waters (ENG) bt [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 2-9, 6-9, 9-4, 9-3, 9-5 (56m)
[6] Nicol David (MAS) bt [Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) 9-3, 9-0, 9-3 (21m)
[12] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [Q] Amelia Pittock (AUS) 9-4, 6-9, 9-1, 9-5 (51m)
[2] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [Q] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 9-1, 9-1, 9-5 (28m)