RESULTS: Qatar Classic, Doha, Qatar
1st round (lower half of draw):
[11] David Palmer (AUS) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 (31m)
[7] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 6-11, 11-5, 16-14, 11-9 (57m)
[16] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [Q] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 (42m)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 (20m)
[14] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [Q] Borja Golan (ESP) 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 (55m)
[8] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 (66m)
[15] Alister Walker (ENG) bt [Q] Tom Richards (ENG) 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 (64m)
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Ahmad Mohd Al-Tamimi (QAT) 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 (21m)
England's Daryl Selby survived the toughest test on the second day of first round action in the $147,500 Qatar Classic as all eight seeds progressed to the last 16 round of the ninth and penultimate 2010 PSA Super Series squash championship at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
The eighth seed from Essex twice stemmed fight backs by Olli Tuominen before beating the experienced Finn 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 in 66 minutes.
"It was an emotional rollercoaster," the 28-year-old world No13 told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "Olli played an excellent squash today - he is always at his best on that kind of court.
"I had to dig in, play scrappy squash sometimes. I was on the back foot all the time, and at the end, it came down to a toss of a coin."
Selby will now face Cameron Pilley, the 14th seed from Australia who defeated qualifier Borja Golan, the former world No10 from Spain making a comeback after knee surgery, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3.
There were further Australian successes from David Palmer and Stewart Boswell. Palmer, the 11th seed playing in his first Tour event since sustaining an elbow injury in the Commonwealth Games, despatched unseeded Englishman Jonathan Kemp 11-5, 11-9, 11-6, while 16th seed Boswell beat Egyptian qualifier Omar Abdel Aziz 11-6, 11-9, 11-5.
"I haven't been able to hit the ball much obviously, but the main purpose today was to win the match, and 3/0 is a good result against Joey on that court," explained four times runner-up Palmer later.
In what will be their 21st Tour clash since May 1999, Palmer will face French rival and fellow 34-year-old Thierry Lincou. The former world champion from Marseille beat Egypt's Hisham Mohd Ashour 6-11, 11-5, 16-14, 11-9.
Event favourite Nick Matthew ended local interest in the event with an 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 win over Qatari wild card player Ahmad Mohd Al-Tamimi.
The world No2 from Sheffield now plays close friend Alister Walker, the 15th seed who fought off determined resistance from qualifier Tom Richards before beating his fellow Englishman 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 in 64 minutes.
"I have a lot of admiration for Tom, I see him as I was two years ago, a top qualifier, and knowing that if he has a good draw, he can go through to the last 16," said Leeds-based Walker.
2nd round line-up:
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [13] Adrian Grant (ENG)
[5] James Willstrop (ENG) v [12] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) v [9] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
[7] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v [11] David Palmer (AUS)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [16] Stewart Boswell (AUS)
[8] Daryl Selby (ENG) v [14] Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [15] Alister Walker (ENG)