WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open Squash Championships, Green Island, Kuwait

Men's qualifying finals:
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 (38m)
Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Bradley Ball (ENG) 10-11 (1-3), 11-4, 11-9, 11-7 (67m)
Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt Peter Barker (ENG) 11-3, 5-1 ret.
Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 5-11, 11-7, 11-10 (3-1), 11-4 (53m)
    Women's qualifying finals:
Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 4-9, 9-6, 9-5, 4-9, 9-5 (77m)
Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 9-0, 5-9, 9-5, 9-6 (48m)
Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 9-2, 9-3, 9-1 (26m)
Alison Waters (ENG) bt Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-3, 9-2, 3-9, 9-3 (41m)

English Collapse In Men's Kuwait Qualifiers - But Survive In Women's

England failed to get a single player through today's (Tuesday) men's qualifying finals of the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open Squash Championships, though all three contenders in the women's event survived to make the first round proper in Green Island, Kuwait.

Joey Barrington, runner-up in last week's COAS International in Pakistan, went down 11-8 11-6 11-6 to Mohammed Abbas.  The Egyptian is rewarded with a first round clash against seventh seed Anthony Ricketts, the Australian winner of last month's Tournament of Champions in New York.

After taking the first game against Italian Davide Bianchetti, Bradley Ball battled for 67 minutes but was beaten 10-11 11-4 11-9 11-7 by the world No34 from Brescia.  Bianchetti will now face second seed Lee Beachill.

Sickness prevented Peter Barker lasting the complete match against Pakistan's Mansoor Zaman.  The Peshawar left-hander raced to an 11-3 5-1 lead before Barker threw in the towel to let Zaman into the main draw - where he will meet fellow left-hander Peter Nicol, the defending champion from England.

The final men's qualifying place went to Egypt's Wael El Hindi, whose 5-11 11-7 11-10 11-4 victory over Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema rewarded him with a match against fellow Egyptian Amr Shabana, the fifth seed.

It was an all-British line-up after the women's final qualifiers - with Scotland's Pamela Nimmo joined by English players Laura-Jane Lengthorn, Tania Bailey and Alison Waters.

Waters avenged two defeats by Madeline Perry last year to beat the Irish champion 9-3 9-2 3-9 9-3 in 41 minutes.  Her opponent in the first round is compatriot Linda Elriani, the fifth seed from Eastbourne who beat Waters in last month's British National Championship final to win the title for the first time.

Updated Men's 1st round draw:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Joseph Kneipp (AUS)
[8] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Adrian Grant (ENG)
[4] Peter Nicol (ENG) v [Q] Mansoor Zaman (PAK)
[7] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v [Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[6] James Willstrop (ENG) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
[3] David Palmer (AUS) v Abdullah Almezayen (KUW)
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [Q] Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[2] Lee Beachill (ENG) v [Q] Davide Bianchetti (ITA)

Updated Women's 1st round draw:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Vicky Botwright (ENG)
[5] Linda Elriani (ENG) v [Q] Alison Waters (ENG)
[4] Nicol David (MAS) v Shelley Kitchen (NZL)
[7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v [Q] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG)
[6] Natalie Grainger (USA) v [Q] Tania Bailey (ENG)
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) v Fiona Geaves (ENG)
[8] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) v Jenny Duncalf (ENG)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v [Q] Pamela Nimmo (SCO)