In probably the most testing match of his career, England's Scott Handley faced - and beat - Pakistan squash legend Jansher Khan in the first round of the Anscombe & Ringland London Open at the Cumberland Club in London.

Jansher Khan, the former world number one and record eight times world champion, was making a much-touted comeback - playing in his first event in London since winning the Super Series Finals in March 1998, the last of his 99 career PSA Tour titles.

Khan showed signs of his former brilliance as he took the opening game, much to the delight of the capacity crowd.

But the lack of match fitness soon began to show on the 38-year-old who retired shortly after losing the 1998 British Open final to British rival Peter Nicol. 

Third seed Handley, the world No54 from Oxfordshire with eight PSA titles to his name, soon regained the upper hand and ultimately clinched a 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-0 victory.

“I am very happy with the way I played, but three weeks is not enough training,” Jansher told www.squashtalk.com.  "I need two or three months."

Handley summed up his feeling afterwards succinctly:  “Relieved,” said the 32-year-old, who now becomes the highest seed in the event following the surprise exits of the top two seeds.

There were further English successes in the men's event when Kent qualifier Ben Ford beat India's No4 seed Ritwik Bhattacharya 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-10 (7-5) and Gloucestershire's unseeded Alex Stait defeated fifth-seeded Pakistani Khawaja Adil Maqbool 11-7, 11-6, 11-10 (4-2).

Dominique Lloyd-Walter leads home interest in the women's event.  The top seed from Harrow beat Bedfordshire qualifier Victoria Lust 9-4, 9-0, 9-4 and will now face India's fifth seed Joshna Chinappa for a place in the semi-finals.

RESULTS:  Anscombe & Ringland London Squash Open, London, England

Men's 1st round:
[Q] Majid Khan (PAK) bt [1] Bradley Ball (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
[6] Tom Hoevenaars (NED) bt [Q] Tom Pashley (ENG) 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3
[3] Scott Handley (ENG) bt Jansher Khan (PAK) 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-0
[7] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [Q] Joe Lee (ENG) 11-10 (6-4), 11-7, 11-2
Jesse Engelbrecht (RSA) bt [8] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-9, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0)
[Q] Ben Ford (ENG) bt [4] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-10 (7-5)
Alex Stait (ENG) bt [5] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-7, 11-6, 11-10 (4-2)
John Rooney (IRL) bt [2] Shahid Zaman (PAK) 11-5, 11-5, 11-6

Men's quarter-final line-up:
[Q] Majid Khan (PAK) v [6] Tom Hoevenaars (NED)
[3] Scott Handley (ENG) v [7] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[Q] Ben Ford (ENG) v Jesse Engelbrecht (RSA)
John Rooney (IRL) v Alex Stait (ENG)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [Q] Victoria Lust (ENG) 9-4, 9-0, 9-4
[5] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [Q] Rachel Willmott (ENG) 9-7, 9-3, 9-4
[3] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [Q] Celia Allamargot (FRA) 9-3, 9-0, 9-1
[7] Carla Khan (PAK) bt Adel Weir (RSA) 9-1, 9-0, 9-3
Deon Saffery (ENG) bt Kerri Shields (IRL) 4-9, 6-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-4
Camille Serme (FRA) bt [4] Tenille Swartz (RSA) 9-5, 9-2, 9-1
[6] Laura Mylotte (IRL) bt Soraya Renai (FRA) 9-3, 9-5, 9-1
[2] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) 6-9, 9-2, 9-3, 9-0

Women's quarter-final line-up:
[1] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) v [5] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
[3] Sarah Kippax (ENG) v [7] Carla Khan (PAK)
Camille Serme (FRA) v Deon Saffery (ENG)
[2] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) v [6] Laura Mylotte (IRL)