RESULTS: Saudi Squash International, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia
1st round:
[Q] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [2] Amr Shabana (EGY) 11-8, 4-2 ret. (16m)
[15] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (30m)
[8] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Amr Swelim (ITA) 11-8, 11-5, 11-2 (31m)
[14] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt [Q] Stephane Galifi (ITA) 11-5, 11-0, 11-5 (18m)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 11-6, 11-2, 8-11, 11-2 (45m)
[9] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (26m)
[7] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-4, 10-12, 10-10 (disqualified) (58m)
[Q] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt [11] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 11-3 (40m)
[10] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [Q] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (31m)
[6] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 5-2 ret. (42m)
[16] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5 (45m)
[4] David Palmer (AUS) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-5, 10-12, 3-11, 11-1, 11-3 (54m)
[13] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 (20m)
[5] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Naif Abureqah (KSA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 (28m)
[12] Alister Walker (ENG) bt [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (31m)
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (27m)
Amr Shabana became the third player from the world's top three to exit the Saudi International as a result of injury when the Egyptian retired midway through his first round match in the $250,000 PSA World Tour Super Series squash championship in Saudi Arabia - the final major event of the year at Sunset Beach in Al-Khobar.
It was on the eve of the second richest tournament of 2009 that France's world No2 Gregory Gaultier and Egypt's world number one Karim Darwish announced their withdrawals - with thigh and back injuries, respectively. Success in Saudi could have led any one of the trio to the top of the PSA world rankings in January.
It was in the last match of the day that second seed Amr Shabana, the Saudi champion in 2006 and 2007, called it a day at a game and 2-4 down to Joey Barrington, having failed to recover from the hamstring injury he picked up at the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters in India last week.
The unexpected victory takes the English qualifier through to a last sixteen clash with Pakistan's Aamir Atlas Khan. The 19-year-old 15th seed from Peshawar ended Indian interest in the event when he dismissed qualifier Saurav Ghosal 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 in 30 minutes.
Another Englishman earned a surprise place in the second round when Jonathan Kemp beat Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, the 11th seed, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 11-3. The 28-year-old qualifier from Halifax now lines up against Wael El Hindi, the No7 seed from Egypt.
El Hindi faced fiery Italian Davide Bianchetti who, after several altercations with officials, was awarded a conduct game against him towards the end of the third game - immediately followed by a conduct match - which gave the 29-year-old from Cairo a place in the last 16 with the score standing at 11-4, 10-12, 10-10.
Top seed Ramy Ashour, the 22-year-old Egyptian who arrived in Saudi fresh from his PSA Masters victory in Mumbai, overcame the same first round opponent he encountered in India - his older brother Hisham Mohd Ashour.
"He was fast, focused and there every time, he was just better than me today but I should have played better and at least made it last longer," Hisham told the official website www.atcosquash.com after his 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 defeat in 27 minutes.
"But he's my brother - I'll support him through the rest of the tournament now. If he wins this one he'll be world number one which is something we've dreamed of and worked towards for a long time now."
Third seed Nick Matthew, runner-up in Mumbai, also progressed to the next round - but needed four games to overcome Egyptian qualifier Omar Mosaad 11-6, 11-2, 8-11, 11-2 in 45 minutes.
The England number one will now face national rival James Willstrop after the ninth seed enjoyed a straightforward 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 win in 26 minutes over unseeded Finn Olli Tuominen.
2nd round line-up:
[Q] Joey Barrington (ENG) v [15] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)
[8] Adrian Grant (ENG) v [14] Farhan Mehboob (PAK)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [9] James Willstrop (ENG)
[7] Wael El Hindi (EGY) v [Q] Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[6] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v [10] Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
[4] David Palmer (AUS) v [16] Stewart Boswell (AUS)
[5] Peter Barker (ENG) v [13] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [12] Alister Walker (ENG)
For up-to-the-minute information, visit the official website www.atcosquash.com