Upsets Pace Round Three

by Howard Harding
All content © 2003 Squashtalk

Dec 17, 2003

Kneipp over White, Palmer out, Bianchetti Advances

[complete third round results]      [also read: Round three matchups]

In a remarkable further day of shocks today (Thursday) in the $170,000 Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship in Lahore, Pakistan, a new world champion is assured after Australia's title-holder and third seed David Palmer crashed out to ninth-seeded Egyptian Amr Shabana. Furthermore, second-seeded Scot John White's hopes of taking over the world No1 ranking next month took a knock when he too failed to survive his last sixteen clash with Australian Joseph Kneipp.

Davide Bianchetti reaches the quarters (photo © 2003 Davide Bianchetti)

Friday's quarter-finals will feature six players who have never reached this stage before and, following the first round exit of England's favourite Peter Nicol, will also be the first in the event's history not to include the top three seeds. In addition, France's fourth seed Thierry Lincou now has the chance to claim the January 2004 world No1 ranking - ahead of White - simply by reaching Sunday's final.

The third round session began with Italy's 30th seed Davide Bianchetti maintaining the giant-killing run which saw him oust Nicol in the previous round. The 26-year-old world No35 from Brescia stemmed a comeback by France's Gregory Gaultier to upset the highly-rated tenth seed 15-12 15-14 5-15 5-15 15-7 in 105 minutes.

In his first appearance in a World Open quarter-final, the in-form Italian will now take on Egypt's seventh seed Karim Darwish, whose match against Finland's Olli Tuominen followed a similar pattern to Bianchetti's, before the world No7 from Cairo clinched a 15-8 15-8 5-15 7-15 15-10 win in 75 minutes.

Amr Shabana ousts Defending Champ David Palmer (photo © 2003 Fritz Borchert)

Against former compatriot Joseph Kneipp, world No2 John White was unable to reproduce the second round form which saw him beat Irishman John Rooney in straight games to ensure a new ranking position above his long-term rival Peter Nicol. Amsterdam-based Kneipp, the 11th seed, put aside his loss to White in February's Swedish Open semi-finals with a clinical 15-11 17-14 15-3 victory in 43 minutes.

It was a major upset for White, who was runner-up in the 2002 World Open in Belgium, and reached the final of the Qatar Classic in Doha earlier this month.

Kneipp now meets England's Qatar Classic champion Lee Beachill, the eighth seed who eased to his second successive straight games win, beating compatriot Nick Taylor 15-7 15-7 15-6 in 30 minutes.

Nursing a thigh injury, defending champion David Palmer twice fought back from behind against ninth seed Amr Shabana, but the 24-year-old Egyptian pressed on to claim his shock 15-10 8-15 15-5 14-17 15-2 victory in 68 minutes. Shabana will face fifth-seeded Australian Anthony Ricketts in the last eight.

Whilst much of the day's attention was being focussed on Palmer and White, Thierry Lincou secured his third successive straight games win in a 15-11 15-8 15-13 victory over unseeded Dutchman Tommy Berden. Just two wins away from a historic world No1 ranking, Lincou now meets 19th seed Nick Matthew after the Englishman beat another Frenchman Renan Lavigne 15-11 15-8 15-13.

WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship, Lahore, Pakistan

3rd round:
[30] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt [10] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 15-12, 15-14, 5-15, 5-15, 15-7 (105m)
[7] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [21] Olli Tuominen (FIN) 15-8, 15-8, 5-15, 7-15, 15-10 (75m)
[9] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [3] David Palmer (AUS) 15-10, 8-15, 15-5, 14-17, 15-2 (68m)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [20] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 15-11, 15-13, 11-15, 15-8 (59m)
[19] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [25] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 15-11, 15-8, 15-13 (46m)
[4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Tommy Berden (NED) 17-16, 15-13, 15-12 (44m)
[8] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [23] Nick Taylor (ENG) 15-7, 15-7, 15-6 (30m)
[11] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt [2] John White (SCO) 15-11, 17-14, 15-3 (43m)