Top Seeds Untroubled In Hurghada

There were no surprises in the quarter-finals of the Hurghada International on the first day of action in the men's and women's Tour event in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada on an all-glass squash court at the Sinbad Beach Resort.

Top seed Karim Darwish, the world number one from Cairo, delighted the partisan crowd by cruising to an 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 win over Pakistan teenager Aamir Atlas Khan, the fifth seed, in the men's $61,000 PSA World Tour event.

A Pakistani fell in the other men's quarter-final match when Frenchman Gregory Gaultier brushed aside sixth seed Farhan Mehboob 11-7, 11-8, 11-4.

Darwish will now face Gaultier for a place in the final - hoping for his first win in his third meeting with the world No4 this year.

There was Egyptian success too in the women's $26,000 WISPA World Tour event: Third seed Omneya Abdel Kawy needed just 21 minutes to quash compatriot Heba El Torky, an 18-year-old qualifier from Alexandria, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7.

Later, England's second seed Jenny Duncalf claimed her anticipated place in the last four when she beat Hong Kong qualifier Joey Chan 11-7, 11-8, 11-7.

Duncalf and Abdel Kawy will go head-to-head for a place in the final for the first time since the 26-year-old from Harrogate in Yorkshire lost to her lower-ranked rival in the final of the Women's World Team Championship in Cairo in December.

Men's quarter-finals (top half of draw):
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [5] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 (30m)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [6] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 (35m)

Women's quarter-finals (lower half of draw):
[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (21m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [Q] Joey Chan (HKG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 (31m)