Zaman & Beng Hee Blown Away In Windy City

England's Adrian Grant and Egyptian Mohammed Abbas claimed unexpected places in the second round of the SSA Global Windy City Open in Chicago after upsetting seeds on the first day of first round action in the richest PSA Tour event in North America.

Grant, a 25-year-old left-hander from London, brushed aside Pakistan's 16th seed Shahid Zaman 11-9 11-6 11-8 in just 26 minutes to secure his first PSA Tour win in four events since November.

Abbas continued the momentum which took him into the quarter-finals of last week's Canadian Classic in Toronto to overcome Malaysia's 14th seed Ong Beng Hee 11-5 8-11 11-9 11-9 in 63 minutes.

Canada's fifth seed Jonathon Power also cruised into the last sixteen. The world No1 from Montreal, who has shocked the squash world by announcing that he will not be defending his Commonwealth Games title in Melbourne in March, beat Irish qualifier Liam Kenny 11-4 11-4 11-6.

The event's top seeds Thierry Lincou and James Willstrop also began their 2006 campaigns on the PSA Tour in fine style: French favourite Lincou dismissed English qualifier Mark Chaloner 11-5 11-6 11-9, while Willstrop, the second-seeded Englishman, defeated Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema 11-8 11-10 11-4.

1st round:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Mark Chaloner (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (45m)
[6] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 (38m)
Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [16] Shahid Zaman (PAK) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 (26m)
[5] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [Q] Liam Kenny (IRL) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (41m)
[9] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Borja Golan (ESP) 11-4, 3-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-0 (57m)
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [14] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9 (63m)
[4] David Palmer (AUS) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 (38m)
[2] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (40m)