RESULTS: Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, New Delhi, India
1st round (top half of draw):
[2] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 11-13, 11-5, 11-2, 11-9
[11] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 11-8, 12-10, 12-10
[6] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND) 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
[10] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Sandeep Jangra (IND) 11-2, 11-2, 11-7
[4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Joe Lee (ENG) 11-8, 11-2, 11-4
[13] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 13-11, 11-6, 11-3
[7] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [Q] Kamran Khan (MAS) 11-7, 11-4, 11-5
[14] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-6
There were no surprises on the opening day of action in the $192,500 Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, the tenth and final PSA Super Series squash championship of the year at the Sirifort CWG Block in the Indian capital city New Delhi.
England's James Willstrop led the day's action on the all-glass court where he won a Commonwealth Games silver medal in October. But the second seed was also playing his first match since finishing as runner-up in last week's Saudi PSA World Open in Saudi Arabia - where he played more than six hours of energy-sapping squash to reach his first world final.
The world No5 from Leeds faced rising Egyptian star Mohd Ali Anwar Reda, and dropped the first game to the highest-ranked unseeded player in the event. But an inevitably weary Willstrop battled back to win the match 11-13, 11-5, 11-2, 11-9 to earn his expected place in the last 16.
The Englishman's next opponent will be another Egyptian Omar Mosaad after the 11th seed from Cairo overcame Indian wildcard Harinder Pal Sandhu 11-8, 12-10, 12-10.
Sandhu was one of three local players who failed to progress on the first of two days of first round action. Australia's No10 seed Cameron Pilley - a Commonwealth Games doubles gold medallist on the same court two months ago - despatched Obra-born 'lucky loser' Sandeep Jangra 11-2, 11-2, 11-7 in one of the quickest matches of the day.
Sixth seed Wael El Hindi became one of three successful Egyptians on day one when he defeated Indian qualifier Siddharth Suchde 12-10, 11-5, 11-7.
Tour stalwarts Thierry Lincou and Olli Tuominen also confidently claimed their second round places after straight games victories. Fourth-seeded Frenchman Lincou defeated English qualifier Joe Lee 11-8, 11-2, 11-4, while Tuominen, the 13th seed from Finland, battled to a 13-11, 11-6, 11-3 win over New Zealander Campbell Grayson.
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