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Egyptians Soar in Spain
Egyptians Crowd Spanish Open Final Eight [draw/results]
By Howard Harding © 2003; all rights of reproduction reserved.
June 28, 2003 

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RICKETTS OUSTED BY SHABANA

Three Egyptians crowded the final eight spots in Seville as the dust cleared following dramatic first round action. With none of the three forced to face each other in today's quarter finals, the possibility is there for three Egyptians to reach the semi finals of the 2003 Spanish Open.

Australia's second seed Anthony Ricketts was the biggest casualty on the opening day of the Seville Spanish Open Squash Championship as four of the eight seeds failed to overcome first round opposition.

The $45,000 Spanish Open, staged on an all-glass court in the main town square in Seville, marks a welcome return after more than a decade of one of the most popular events on the PSA Tour. Once a famed site of Jahangir - Jansher battles in the past, the Spanish Open again showed itself to be a willing site to squash heroics.

Ricketts, the world No7 from Brisbane who has progressed to the quarter-finals or beyond in his last nine appearances on the Tour, crashed out to unseeded Egyptian Amr Shabana 15-9 10-15 15-13 15-10.

The 23-year-old world No20 from Cairo now faces Malaysian qualifier Mohammed Azlan Iskandar after the former Asian Junior Champion produced one of the best wins of his career to upset England's sixth seed Simon Parke 15-18 12-15 15-13 6-15 15-11. The loss will be a big disappointment to the Nottingham-based Englishman who only last week triumphed over world No1 Peter Nicol in straight games in the final of a non-ranking event in England.

Iskandar's compatriot Ong Beng Hee became the only seed to survive in the lower half of the draw when he squeezed through a close encounter with Canadian qualifier Shahier Razik, winning 15-10 16-17 16-17 15-9 15-12.

The sixth seed now takes on unseeded Mohammed Abbas after the Egyptian claimed victory when England's 7th seed Mark Chaloner retired with a groin strain at 15-13 15-10 down.

English qualifier James Willstrop maintained his excellent form on the senior circuit since winning the World Junior title last December by beating eighth-seeded compatriot Nick Taylor 15-12 14-17 15-9 15-3 - a repeat of the teenager's victory over his higher-ranked Manchester club team-mate in the British National Championships in February.

Willstrop's next opponent will be third seed Karim Darwish who beat England's Stephen Meads 15-8 15-10 15-13. The 21-year-old Egyptian, Willstrop's predecessor as World Junior Champion, caused one of the biggest upsets of the year in May when he defeated Canada's world No4 Jonathon Power, yet lost to Willstrop in their most recent meeting in the first round of the Tournament of Champions in New York in February.

Event favourite Peter Nicol despatched fellow Englishman and qualifier Ben Garner 15-6 15-7 17-15 to set up a quarter-final clash with fifth seed Joseph Kneipp. The Australian dashed local hopes when he beat rising Spanish star Borja Golan 15-6 15-9 15-6.

RESULTS: Seville Spanish Open Squash Championship, Seville, Spain

1st round:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [Q] Ben Garner (ENG) 15-6, 15-7, 17-15
[5] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 15-6, 15-9, 15-6
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Stephen Meads (ENG) 15-8, 15-10, 15-13
[Q] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [8] Nick Taylor (ENG) 15-12, 14-17, 15-9, 15-3
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [7] Mark Chaloner (ENG) 15-13, 15-10, ret.
[4] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [Q] Shahier Razik (CAN) 15-10, 16-17, 16-17, 15-9, 15-12
[Q] Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [6] Simon Parke (ENG) 15-8, 12-15, 15-13, 6-15, 15-11
Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [2] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 15-9, 10-15, 15-13, 15-10

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