(updated 5-feb-10 16:04 )  

Pilley Punishes El Shorbagy In Swedish Open Opener

Australia's Cameron Pilley pulled off the only upset on the opening day of the Case Swedish Open when he beat Egypt's No7 seed Mohamed El Shorbagy in the first round of the $60,000 PSA World Tour squash event in its seventh year at Linköping Sporthall in Linköping, Sweden

It was only three months ago in the second round of the World Open in Kuwait that the 27-year-old from New South Wales battled to a five-game win over the sport's rising teenage star.

And again, Pilley was taken the full distance before emerging an 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7 winner over 19-year-old El Shorbagy, ranked three places higher.

The world No17, making his debut in the sport's biggest event in Scandinavia, will now line up against Gregory Gaultier, the former world number one from France.  Third seed Gaultier, returning to Linköping for the first time since 2004, defeated English qualifier Robbie Temple 11-3, 11-5, 11-5.

Three former champions eased into the quarter-finals - though title-holder Nick Matthew, the top seed from England, needed four games to overcome UK-based Indian number one Saurav Ghosal 11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 11-5.

James Willstrop, the 2008 champion from England, dismissed compatriot Joey Barrington 11-4, 11-9, 14-12, while Australia's 2003 champion Stewart Boswell dashed local hopes of success by beating wild card player Christian Drakenberg, a former world No70 now ranked 368.

"Before the match, I knew it would be difficult to win because Christian is better than his ranking," said Boswell, the world No16 from Canberra after his 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 win.  "He could easily be on the top 100 or even top 50 in world rankings if he played more PSA tournaments.  Christian played very well and there was no easy victory."

Despite his defeat, Drakenberg clearly enjoyed the clash:  "It was a good match that was very fun to play, but Stewart Boswell is clearly a few steps ahead of me in his game.  The biggest differences were greater speed and precision of the strokes," said the 34-year-old.

 

CASE SWEDISH OPEN, LINKOPING, RESULTS

1st round:
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 11-5
[8] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Christian Drakenberg (SWE) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Robbie Temple (ENG) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [7] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7
[6] Alister Walker (ENG) bt [Q] John Rooney (IRL) 11-4, 11-4, 15-13
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-4, 11-9, 14-12
[5] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [Q] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-4
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [Q] Simon Rosner (GER) 11-2, 11-3, 11-7

WISPA ZACK SWEDISH OPEN
1st round:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [Q] Saara Valtola (FIN) 11-2 11-4 11-1
Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt [6] Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) 11-2 12-10 11-4
[4] Lucie Fialova (CZE) bt Josefa Bertilsson (SWE) 11-7 9-11 11-2 11-3
[7] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt Veronika Koukalova (CZE) 11-3 11-6 11-7
[8] Maud Duplomb (FRA) bt Carrie Ramsey (ENG) 7-11 11-3 11-2 10-12 11-9
[3] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Lovisa Forstadius (SWE) 11-1 11-1 11-0
Sina Wall (GER) bt [5] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) 10- 12 11-7 11-9 11-9
[2] Annelize Naude (NED) bt [Q] Emily Whitlock (ENG) 6-11 11-8 11-5 11-8

MENS Qualifying finals:
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Steve Finitsis (AUS) 13-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-7
John Rooney (IRL) bt Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 11-5, 11-8, 2-11, 11-8
Robbie Temple (ENG) bt Kashif Shuja (NZL) 12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 11-9, 11-7, 11-9

1st qualifying round:
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Foad Hammouni (SWE) 12-10, 11-6, 11-2
Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt Andre Wikstrom (SWE) 11-3, 11-2, 12-14, 11-8
John Rooney (IRL) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 11-6
Henrik Mustonen (FIN) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-5, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5
Robbie Temple (ENG) bt Rasmus Hult (SWE) 11-7, 11-8, 11-7
Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Carl-Johan Lofvenborg (SWE) 11-8, 11-3, 11-8
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Yann Perrin (FRA) 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Dylan Bennett (NED) 11-8, 11-6, 11-4

Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [8] Stewart Boswell (AUS)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) v [6] Alister Walker (ENG)
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [5] Adrian Grant (ENG)