Jan Koukal successfully began the defence of his title in the Cerdil Open in Brazil - but the top seed from the Czech Republic was taken the full distance before surviving the opening round of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at the Shopping Avenida Center in Dourados.
The world No50 had to fight back from 2/1 down to overcome unseeded Mexican Fernando Lopez 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-3 in 48 minutes.
Koukal, winner of the inaugural event in 2010, will now face Peter Creed after the 24-year-old Welshman beat Brazilian legend Ronivaldo Santos, the 38-year-old former world No95 from Sao Paulo, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9.
But local interest in the event is being maintained by Rafael F Alarcon. The No2 seed from Sao Paulo defeated Argentina's Juan Pablo Roude 11-6, 11-4, 11-3.
Alarcon will now take on another Argentinean Hernan D'Arcangelo, who prevailed 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 in an all-qualifier clash with England's Luke Butterworth.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Cerdil Open, Dourados, Brazil
1st round:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Fernando Lopez (MEX) 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-3 (48m)
Peter Creed (WAL) bt Ronivaldo Santos (BRA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (31m)
Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) bt [Q] Julio Caseiro (BRA) 11-9, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6 (45m)
[3] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [Q] Steven London (ENG) 11-2, 11-7, 11-7 (34m)
[4] Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Vinicius Rodrigues (BRA) 11-1, 11-4, 11-9 (19m)
Yann Perrin (FRA) bt Adam Murrills (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (38m)
[Q] Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG) bt [Q] Luke Butterworth (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (30m)
[2] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) bt Juan Pablo Roude (ARG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (33m)
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) v Peter Creed (WAL)
[3] Campbell Grayson (NZL) v Gonzalo Miranda (ARG)
[4] Adrian Waller (ENG) v Yann Perrin (FRA)
[2] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) v [Q] Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG)