Palmer Survives Saudi Marathon

British Open champion David Palmer survived a fight-back by ninth seed Wael El Hindi in the second round of the Saudi International before taking his anticipated place in the quarter-finals of the $250,000 PSA Tour Super Series Platinum championship - the richest event in squash history - in the Saudi city of Al-Khobar.

Palmer, the 32-year-old former world number one from Australia, is competing in his 15th year on the PSA Tour - and this month celebrated his 100th successive month in the world's top ten.

And the fifth seed opened up a two-game lead over his Egyptian opponent, before El Hindi, the world No8 from Giza, battled back to take the match into a fifth game decider.

But Palmer dug deep to restore his supremacy, coming though to win 11-6, 11-7, 3-11, 12-14, 11-2 in 80 minutes.

"I played really well for two games, then got a poor start to the third," Palmer explained to the official website www.atcosquash.com . "As the match went on it got colder and the ball became deader, which suits him more. In the third and fourth I tried to keep the rallies longer but it was difficult. He surprised me how strongly he came back, all credit to him for that."

The US-based Aussie now faces English rival James Willstrop, the world No5 whom he beat in the final of the British Open in May. The pair met later in the World Open quarter-finals in October - with Palmer winning his fourth successive five-game marathon over the Yorkshireman.

Third seed Willstrop earned his place in the last eight in just 39 minutes - beating compatriot Daryl Selby, a qualifier, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7.

"It's been a long wait for both of us, after quick first round wins and a rest day, we both needed to get on court," said the 25-year-old afterwards. "I was a bit slow to start, a little 'rabbit in the headlights', but from mid-game I put some good spurts in, took the first and got a good lead in the second and there was no looking back after that."

The other quarter-final clash set up on the second day of second round Saudi action sees the third Tour meeting this year between Frenchmen Gregory Gaultier and Thierry Lincou.

Gaultier, the second seed, ended unseeded Cameron Pilley's run by beating the Australian 11-4, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5, while sixth seed Lincou, a former world number one, despatched Englishman Lee Beachill - also a former world number one - 11-8, 11-3, 11-9.

"It's very cold on there now and the ball's quite dead, so it was tough," said Lincou after his victory. "You're tempted to go short too early and you can get punished for it.

"As usual I'm looking forward to playing Greg. He's been beating me for two years now and he's the second seed, so he's the favourite!"

2nd round (lower half of draw):
[5] David Palmer (AUS) bt [9] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 11-6, 11-7, 3-11, 12-14, 11-2 (80m)
[3] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (39m)
[6] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [13] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 (25m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-4, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5 (52m)