Local hero Saurav Ghosal delighted the packed crowd at the Sirifort CWG Block in the Indian capital New Delhi when he beat English qualifier Adrian Waller to reach the second round of the $192,500 Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, the tenth and final PSA Super Series squash championship of the year.
Fresh from his success in last week’s Indian National Championship in Mumbai, where he won the title for the sixth time, 15th seed Ghosal beat Waller 11-7, 12-10, 11-6 in 40 minutes to become India’s sole representative in the last 16.
And the Calcutta-born 24-year-old world No22 will have his work cut out to make the quarter-finals: Ghosal now faces Egypt’s third seed Amr Shabana, the former world number one and winner of the title in 2006.
Shabana, the world No6 from Giza, needed only 28 minutes to despatch South African qualifier Stephen Coppinger 11-7, 11-6, 11-4.
England’s new world champion Nick Matthew also had a straightforward passage through to the second round. The 30-year-old from Sheffield, who became England’s first winner of the world title last week in Saudi Arabia, defeated Hong Kong qualifier Dick Lau 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 in 26 minutes.
Matthew, looking to reclaim his world number one ranking with PSA World Tour success in New Delhi, now faces fellow countryman Jonathan Kemp.
The 16th seed from Halifax, making a Tour comeback after hip surgery in July, claimed his first second round appearance in a Super Series event this year when he beat compatriot Tom Richards 11-3, 1-11, 11-3, 11-9.
Another all-England second round clash already ensures English presence in the semi-finals. Life-long friends Peter Barkerand Daryl Selby, both from Essex, line up in the last 16 after both achieved 48-minute first round wins. Fifth seed Barker beat Egypt’s Omar Abdel Aziz 12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, while England team-mate Selby, the No9 seed, removed compatriot Joey Barrington 11-6, 12-10, 11-9.
1st round (lower half of draw):
[12] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 11-9 (45m)
[8] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-9, 15-13, 3-11, 11-7 (52m)
[15] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [Q] Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-7, 12-10, 11-6 (40m)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [Q] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4 (28m)
[9] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-6, 12-10, 11-9 (48m)
[5] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 11-2 (48m)
[16] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-3, 1-11, 11-3, 11-9 (37m)
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Dick Lau (HKG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (26m)
Seeds Safely Through In New Delhi
There were no surprises on the opening day of action in the $192,500 Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, the tenth and final PSA Super Series squash championship of the year at the Sirifort CWG Block in the Indian capital city New Delhi.
England’s James Willstrop led the day’s action on the all-glass court where he won a Commonwealth Games silver medal in October. But the second seed was also playing his first match since finishing as runner-up in last week’s Saudi PSAWorld Open in Saudi Arabia – where he played more than six hours of energy-sapping squash to reach his first world final.
The world No5 from Leeds faced rising Egyptian star Mohd Ali Anwar Reda, and dropped the first game to the highest-ranked unseeded player in the event. But an inevitably weary Willstrop battled back to win the match 11-13, 11-5, 11-2, 11-9 to earn his expected place in the last 16.
The Englishman’s next opponent will be another Egyptian Omar Mosaad after the 11th seed from Cairo overcame Indian wildcard Harinder Pal Sandhu 11-8, 12-10, 12-10.
Sandhu was one of three local players who failed to progress on the first of two days of first round action. Australia’s No10 seed Cameron Pilley – a Commonwealth Games doubles gold medallist on the same court two months ago – despatched Obra-born ‘lucky loser’ Sandeep Jangra 11-2, 11-2, 11-7 in one of the quickest matches of the day.
Sixth seed Wael El Hindi became one of three successful Egyptians on day one when he defeated Indian qualifierSiddharth Suchde 12-10, 11-5, 11-7.
Tour stalwarts Thierry Lincou and Olli Tuominen also confidently claimed their second round places after straight games victories. Fourth-seeded Frenchman Lincou defeated English qualifier Joe Lee 11-8, 11-2, 11-4, while Tuominen, the 13th seed from Finland, battled to a 13-11, 11-6, 11-3 win over New Zealander Campbell Grayson.
1st round (top half of draw):
[2] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 11-13, 11-5, 11-2, 11-9
[11] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 11-8, 12-10, 12-10
[6] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND) 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
[10] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Sandeep Jangra (IND) 11-2, 11-2, 11-7
[4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Joe Lee (ENG) 11-8, 11-2, 11-4
[13] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 13-11, 11-6, 11-3
[7] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [Q] Kamran Khan (MAS) 11-7, 11-4, 11-5
[14] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-6
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