Selby & Iskandar Earn First-Time Appearances In Hong Kong Quarters

Unseeded Daryl Selby and Mohd Azlan Iskandar captured notable scalps in today's second round of the Cathay Pacific Gale Well Hong Kong Open to earn their first appearances in the quarter-finals of the men's $145,000 PSA Tour Super Series Platinum squash event, which was established in 1985.

Malaysian Mohd Azlan Iskandar claimed the biggest scalp, beating 2001 champion David Palmer - the fifth seed from Australia who has not failed to reach the event's last eight since winning the title in 2001.

The world No20 from Kuala Lumpur recovered from a game down, then stemmed a fourth game fightback by former world champion Palmer to win 6-11, 12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4 in 72 minutes.

"I've always admired David, he is my role model, and will be for still a very long time," Iskandar told www.squashsite.co.uk after his first ever win over the Australian. "I was moving a bit better than David, and I think that made the difference. I don't think he was playing at his best today.

"I was leading pretty much every game, I played deep in the corners, good length to then take it short. I'm also working at keeping and controlling my emotions better, not to get over excited. So, I'm happy with the win, obviously - but I have to stay humble, because I really don't think David was at his best."

Englishman Selby faced Essex county colleague and good friend Peter Barker, the seventh seed. The 26-year-old world No21 was in sparkling form, despatching world No9 Barker 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 to register the first Tour win over his Essex rival in six meetings since February 2006.

"I played very well - it was some of the best squash I've ever played," conceded Selby later.

The two non-seeds now face the event's biggest names: Iskandar takes on top seed Karim Darwish, the world number one who defeated Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, while Selby also faces an Egyptian, defending champion Amr Shabana - who took 55 minutes to overcome up-and-coming fellow countryman Mohamed El Shorbagy 12-10, 11-5, 11-9.

The last sixteen matches in the women's $74,000 women's WISPA Gold event all went with seeding - except for the bottom match in the draw which was unplayed after second seed Natalie Grinham was taken ill during the previous night and too weak to take part.

"I'm really disappointed as I have been playing well and was really prepared for this week," said the Dutch world number two. "It's a title I haven't won but I have been hit hard by this overnight so I guess I will have to wait another year to try again."

France's 14th seed Camille Serme was the lucky recipient of the walkover. The 20-year-old from Creteil will take on Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy after the sixth seed beat France's Isabelle Stoehr 10-12, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9.

Malaysia's world number one Nicol David moved another step towards her fourth successive title after ending Hong Kong interest in the event by beating Asian rival Rebecca Chiu 11-3, 11-6, 11-3.

Top seed David will now face England's Jenny Duncalf in a repeat of their recent World Open quarter-final in Amsterdam. Duncalf, the fifth seed from Harrogate in Yorkshire, defeated unseeded Egyptian Engy Kheirallah 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-5.

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [11] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 (53m)
Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [5] David Palmer (AUS) 6-11, 12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4 (72m)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [14] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 12-10, 11-5, 11-9 (55m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [7] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 (40m)
[8] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [13] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 11-9, 17-15, 11-5 (49m)
[4] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [10] Alister Walker (ENG) 11-1, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7 (44m)
[6] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [12] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-7, 2-11, 11-2, 11-2 (39m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [9] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-5, 16-14, 7-3 ret. (87m)

Women's 2nd round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [13] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (26m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-5 (47m)
[4] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [16] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (31m)
[8] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [15] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 14-12 (42m)
[7] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (28m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [9] Kasey Brown (AUS) 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6 (35m)
[6] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [10] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 10-12, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 (43m)
[14] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [2] Natalie Grinham (NED) w/o