Home Heroes Swim Into Royal Lake Club Quarters

There will be Malaysian interest in all but one of the quarter-finals of the Royal Lake Club Open after a good day for local players in today's opening round of the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event in its second year at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur.

The top two seeds are on course to meet in an all-Malaysian final. Experienced event favourite Ong Beng Hee dropped a game to compatriot Sanjay Singh but needed only 38 minutes to despatch the event wildcard 11-7, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5.

But second seed Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan had to fight for 71 minutes before prevailing 12-10, 13-15, 11-4, 11-5 over Welshman Peter Creed.

Beng Hee, the 33-year-old former world No7 from Penang, now faces a second Malaysian Elvinn Keo, a 25-year-old from KL who beat India's Ravi Dixit 11-2, 11-8, 12-10.

There were impressive performances from two teenaged qualifiers. Local 19-year-old Addeen Idrakie showed great courage in stretching experienced Pakistani Aamir Atlas Khan to five games.

But the fourth seed from Peshawar ultimately survived 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 11-6 after 65 minutes to secure his anticipated place in the last eight.

Pakistani Tayyab Aslam, however, produced the day's biggest upset. The 17-year-old from Lahore ditched fellow countryman Khawaja Adil Maqbool - ranked 25 places higher - 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 in just 29 minutes.

Aslam, the world No 133 making his Tour debut in Malaysia, now faces third seed Ivan Yuen. The world No67 from Malaysia defeated compatriot Mohd Syafiq Kamal, a qualifier and also 17, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6.

Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v Elvinn Keo (MAS)
[4] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) v Paul Coll (NZL)
[3] Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [Q] Tayyab Aslam (PAK)
[2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v Aqeel Rehman (AUT)