WORLD SQUASH NEWS

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

1st round:
[7] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Safeerullah Khan (PAK) 15-13, 15-11, 15-9 (35m)
[29] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Lee Drew (ENG) 15-8, 15-8, 15-8 (28m)
[21] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Cameron White (AUS) 15-11, 15-5, 15-9 (38m)
[3] David Palmer (AUS) bt Moh'd Essam Hafiz (EGY) 15-12, 15-5, 15-12 (45m)
[9] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Bradley Ball (ENG) 15-14, 15-11, 17-16 (39m)
Peter Genever (ENG) bt [22] Adrian Grant (ENG) 17-16, 15-13, 4-15, 15-5 (65m)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 15-8, 15-5, 15-11 (35m)
[31] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Alister Walker (ENG) 15-9, 15-12, 15-12 (45m)
[15] Simon Parke (ENG) bt Ben Garner (ENG) 15-13, 17-16, 15-14 (50m)
[20] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Viktor Berg (CAN) 15-7, 15-11, 9-15, 15-13 (43m)

Champion Palmer Overcomes First Hurdle In Lahore

Australia's defending champion David Palmer comfortably overcame his first hurdle in the opening day of first round action in the $170,000 Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship today (Sunday) in Lahore, Pakistan.

The third seed beat Egypt's Mohammed Essam Hafiz 15-12 15-5 15-12 in 45 minutes to ease into Tuesday's second round at the Punjab Squash Complex.  Palmer, the 27-year-old world No3 from Lithgow in New South Wales, won the world title for the first time 12 months ago in his adopted home town of Antwerp in Belgium.

England's world junior champion James Willstrop, making his debut in the senior event, also progressed through to the second round in straight games.  The 29th seed from Pontefract in Yorkshire defeated compatriot Lee Drew 15-8 15-8 15-8 in just 28 minutes and now meets Egypt's former world junior champion Karim Darwish, who beat Pakistani qualifier Safeerullah Khan 15-13 15-11 15-9 in 35 minutes.

Unseeded Englishman Peter Genever caused the only upset on the opening day when he overcame compatriot Adrian Grant in four games.  Seeded 22, Grant failed to reproduce the same form which earlier this month took him to the quarter-finals of the Qatar Classic, when he went down 17-16 15-13 4-15 15-5 in 65 minutes to his Chichester-based opponent.