WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: AirAsia Asian Squash Championships, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Men's 3rd round:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [9/16] Siddarth Suchde (IND) 9-4, 9-3, 9-0
[5/8] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) bt [9/16] Timothy Arnold (MAS) 9-7, 9-0, 9-3
Abdul Khalid Mazayin (KUW) bt [5/8] Wong Wai Hang (HKG) 9-6, 9-0, 9-2
[3/4] Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [9/16] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 9-2, 9-4, 9-1
[3/4] Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt [9/16] Vincent Cheung (HKG) 9-3, 9-4, 9-0
[5/8] Farrukh Zaman (PAK) bt [9/16] Kenneth Low (MAS) 9-7, 9-6, 9-1
[5/8] Majid Khan (PAK) bt [9/16] Faheem Khan (HKG) 9-4, 9-6, 9-0
[2] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt [9/16] Manish Chotprani (IND) 9-0, 9-6, 9-2
Quarter-finals:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [5/8] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 9-5, 9-0, 9-5
[3/4] Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt Abdul Khalid Mazayin (KUW) 9-2, 9-3, 9-0
[3/4] Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt [5/8] Farrukh Zaman (PAK) 9-6, 9-7, 9-1
[2] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt [5/8] Majid Khan (PAK) 9-7, 9-3, 9-4

Women's 2nd round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Annie Au (HKG) 9-2, 9-0, 9-3
[5/8] Mami Nishio (JPN) bt Chinatsu Matsui (JPN) 10-8, 6-9, 9-0, 9-2
[5/8] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Joannah Yue (SIN) 7-9, 9-5, 9-4, 9-0
[3/4] Lee Hye Kyoung (KOR) bt Sachiko Shinta (JPN) 9-1, 9-0, 9-1
[3/4] Sharon Wee (MAS) bt Moon Hee Young (KOR) 9-1, 9-1, 9-2
[5/8] Christina Mak (HKG) bt Park Eun Ok (KOR) 9-4, 9-1, 6-9, 9-3
[5/8] Tricia Chuah (MAS) bt Mekhela Subedar (IND) 9-2, 9-0, 10-9
[2] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt Sally Looi (MAS) 9-3, 9-0, 9-0
Quarter-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [5/8] Mami Nishio (JPN) 9-4, 9-4, 9-0
[5/8] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [3/4] Lee Hye Kyoung (KOR) 2-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-3
[3/4] Sharon Wee (MAS) bt [5/8] Christina Mak (HKG) 6-9, 9-1, 9-0, 9-5
[2] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt [5/8] Tricia Chuah (MAS) 9-4, 9-0, 9-0

Home Favourites On Course For Asian Victories

Home favourites Ong Beng Hee and Nicol David are on course to retain their titles in the AirAsia Asian Squash Championships after straightforward straight games victories in the quarter-finals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Ong Beng Hee, seeded to win the biennial title for a third successive time, defeated India's Ritwik Bhattacharya, a 5/8 seed, 9-5 9-0 9-5 and now faces rapidly-improving compatriot Mohammed Azlan Iskandar for a place in the final.  Iskandar, the world No27 who is now only seven positions behind his rival in the PSA World Rankings, ended Abdul Khalid Mazayin's giant-killing run in the event, beating the unseeded Kuwaiti 9-2 9-3 9-0.

The other men's semi-final will be an all-Pakistani affair between cousins Mansoor Zaman and Shahid Zaman after both defeated compatriots in the last eight.  Mansoor, the No2 seed who is expected to face Ong Beng Hee in the final for a third successive time, beat Majid Khan 9-7 9-3 9-4, while Shahid overcame the third squash-playing Zaman cousin Farrukh Zaman 9-6 9-7 9-1.

Twice former world junior champion Nicol David is bidding to win the women's title for a fourth time:  the world No8 from Penang swept to a 9-4 9-4 9-0 win over Japan's Mami Nishio and will now meet India's 5/8 seed Joshna Chinappa who upset higher-seeded Korean Lee Hye Kyoung 2-9 9-5 9-3 9-3.

Hoping to reach her third successive final from the other semi-final will be Hong Kong's Asian Games champion and No2 seed Rebecca Chiu, who faces Malaysia's 3/4 seed Sharon Wee.