Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Squash 2006 on SquashTalk HK, China

[PSA Draw/Results ] [WISPA Draw/Results ]

Second Round: Lincou, Beachill, Ricketts, Matthew All Out!

The second round of the Cathay Pacific – Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Squash Open continue to see seeds fall. The hot and bouncy side courts have been claiming victim after victim in this major tournament. Egypt’s current and ex-world junior champions scored upsets to book their berth in tomorrow’s quarter-finals. Ramy Ashour, who shot to the top of the men’s game in no time, scored the win of his career when he ousted one of the most consistent players on the tour, Thierry Lincou in four games. Omneya Abdul Kawy meanwhile, ousted England’s Jenny Duncalf, who herself was the losing finalist in the World Junior’s.Karim Darwish, the mercurial Egyptian, knocked fifth seed Anthony Ricketts out of the Hong Kong open in early second round action today.

In even more unexpected developments, Ramy Ashour, the world Jr. Champion from Egypt, knocked out Thierry Lincou, the third seed.

He is the double world junior champion and won his maiden PSA title in his maiden PSA tournament. He made it into the top twenty in only his xx month of being on the PSA tour. What better start can one ask for? Yesterday, he took out hard hitting John White and today he proved that was no fluke, as he sent Therry Lincou packing in four games. the 19-year-old's 61-minute dismissal of Lincou, the world No3, in an 11-8, 2-11, 11-7, 11-10 (5-3) scoreline, marks Ashour's first top five scalp.The defeat for Lincou, one of the most consistent players on the PSA Tour, ends a remarkable 30-event Super Series run since March 2002 in which he has reached at least the quarter-finals!

Ashour has Peter Barker for company next Ashour now faces another unseeded player after the left-handed Peter Barker recorded his first ever win over senior England team-mate Lee Beachill. Barker, the 23-year-old world No23 from Essex, beat the eighth seed 11-9, 11-10 (2-0), 11-7 in 47 minutes to earn his first appearance in a Super Series quarter-final.

Australia's 12th seed Stewart Boswell also pulled off a notable upset. Fresh from his title success in last month's St Louis Open in the USA, the 28-year-old from Canberra removed England's British Open champion Nick Matthew, the seventh seed, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9 in 78 minutes.

Boswell now faces compatriot David Palmer, the No2 seed, for a place in the last four.

EGYPTIAN MIXED FORTUNES
Amr Shabana and Karim Darwish both who scored impressive victories to join their young pretege in the quarters. Shabana overcame his training partner Mohd.Abbas in four entertaining games and Darwish upset the books, beating world number five Anthony Ricketts.

Shabana plays Gregory Gaultier next, who beat Adrian Grant in a marathon 146-minute showdown.

One of the bravest performances in the men's event was displayed by England's 16th seed Adrian Grant. The left-hander from London fought back from 2/0 down against Gregory Gaultier to draw level with the rising star from France. But, despite an injury break which took the players off court for almost an hour, sixth seed Gaultier was finally back on court and limped home to victory, clinching an 11-10 (2-0), 11-3, 3-11, 7-11, 11-10 (3-1) victory some 146 minutes after the match started!

Darwish has James Willstrop for company in a battle of the world junior champions. Willstrop overcame an impressive Alistair Walker, who played well to grab a game. In his previous two trips to Hong Kong, Walker has never qualified to the main event, so this has been a great tournament for him.

Shortest match of the day

Nicol David continues to impress with a quick 18-minute win over Annelize Naude, whom she shares the Amsterdam training base with. In total, David has spent just forty minutes on court, having won her match yesterday in 22-minutes. David was a class above Naude looked more and more frustrated as the match progressed, having run out of ideas. There was clearly nothing wrong with her, just that the Malaysian was playing so well. She is clearly the overwhelming favourite to lift her maiden Hong Kong Open title by the end of the week.

Her closes rivals, Vanessa Atkinson, Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grinham all struggled through their matches today. Atkinson had to save a few match balls against Laura Lengthorn before sneaking through in five. Like the Grinham sisters both had to win in the rubber games, with younger Grinham’s match lasting over 100 minutes! Elder sister Rachael had the up and coming Engy Kheirallah and it went just over 100-minutes, while Natalie edged a very determined Alison Waters, the WISPA Young Player of the Year.

Home interest ended
Rebecca Chiu’s run in her home tournament came to an end, but she all to cheer about with her performance against Vicky Botwright. Chiu came back from a slow start in the first game to mount a serious challenge in the second. Matching the English lady rally for rally, she saved a few game balls to force the deuce, but fell short to draw level. Cheered by a passionate home crowd, Chiu gave her best but Botwright had the final say

David will now face Ireland's eighth seed Madeline Perry, who claimed a convincing 9-2, 9-0, 9-3 win over England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter to reach the quarter-finals.

Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy secured the only upset in the women's event. The No9 seed beat England's sixth seed Jenny Duncalf 9-3, 9-5, 9-5 in 40 minutes – and will now face Egypt-based Rachael Grinham, the third seed from Australia who was extended for 83 minutes by fast-rising young Egyptian Engy Kheirallah before winning 4-9, 9-2, 9-6, 6-9, 9-2

RESULTS: Cathay Pacific Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Open Squash Championships, Hong Kong

Men's Round of 16:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-5 10-11(0-2) 11-5 11-6 (37m)
[6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [16] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-10(2-0) 11-3 3-11 7-11 11-10(3-1)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [Q] Alister Walker (ENG) 11-10(3-1) 11-6 11-7 (41m)
[9] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 9-11 11-5 11-9 11-8 (54m)
Peter Barker (ENG) bt [8] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-9 11-10(2-0) 11-7
Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [3] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-8 2-11 11-7 11-10(5-3)
[12] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v [7] Nick Matthew (ENG) 9-11 11-3 11-9 9-11 11-9 (78m)
[2] David Palmer (AUS)bt [15] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 2-11 11-9 11-4 11-10(3-1)

Women's Round of 16:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [15] Annelize Naude (NED) 9-2 9-3 9-0 (15m)
[8] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [16] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 9-2 9-0 9-3
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [14] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 4-9 9-2 9-6 6-9 9-2 (75m)
[9] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [6] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-3 9-5 9-5 (36m)
[5] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [13] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-3 10-8 9-4 (41m)
[4] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [10] Alison Waters (ENG) 6-9 9-4 6-9 9-7 9-3 (90m)
[7] Tania Bailey (ENG) v [12] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-6 9-2 9-2 (37m)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v [11] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 7-9 5-9 10-8 9-7 9-2 (68m)

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