WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Qatar Squash Classic, Doha, Qatar

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [11] Amr Shabana (EGY) 15-11, 17-14, 14-15, 15-10 (70m)
[9] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 15-9, 15-7, 15-3 (40m)
[3] David Palmer (AUS) bt [12] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 15-11, 15-8, 15-12 (51m)
Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Olli Tuominen (FIN) 10-15, 15-9, 15-3, 15-13 (71m)
Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Mark Chaloner (ENG) 13-15, 15-10, 15-10, 15-9 (110m)
[4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] James Willstrop (ENG) 15-13, 15-13, 15-6 (49m)
Omar Elborolossy (EGY) bt [Q] Dan Jenson (AUS) 15-12, 17-15, 15-2 (49m)
[2] John White (SCO) bt [Q] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 15-5, 17-15, 8-15, 15-14 (60m)

Women's 2nd round:
[1] Carol Owens (NZL) bt [12] Stephanie Brind (ENG) 9-0, 9-1, 9-5 (28m)
[13] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt [8] Tania Bailey (ENG) 10-8, 4-9, 3-9, 9-6, 9-3 (66m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [15] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-4, 9-0, 9-1 (25m)
[6] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [9] Rebecca Macree (ENG) 9-6, 9-7, 9-1 (36m)
[7] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Nicol David (MAS) 9-2, 7-9, 9-0, 9-4 (50m)
[4] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [16] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-4, 8-10, 9-0, 4-9, 10-8 (58m)
Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [14] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 10-8, 9-3, 9-7 (36m)
[2] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [11] Vicky Botwright (ENG) 9-1, 9-6, 9-1 (28m)

Top Seeds On Course In Qatar

While the top four seeds in both the men's and women's events in the Qatar Squash Classic came through their second round opposition relatively trouble-free, their next opponents in the richest event of the year at the Khalifa Squash Complex in Doha are largely unexpected.

Australia's world champion David Palmer, the third seed, beat compatriot Joseph Kneipp 15-11 15-8 15-12 in 51 minutes - but now faces England's unseeded Nick Matthew, the world No21 from Sheffield who dismissed in-form Finn Olli Tuominen 10-15 15-9 15-3 15-13 in 71 minutes. 

The Yorkshireman claimed his second round place after a first round clash with fifth seed Jonathon Power, in which the Canadian broke a finger on his left hand.  Tuominen, too, was thought to be carrying an injury.  "Next time, I could meet someone who's fit," joked the 23-year-old Englishman on the eve of his first appearance in the quarter-finals of a PSA Super Series event.

France's fourth seed Thierry Lincou needed 49 minutes to overcome English qualifier James Willstrop 15-13 15-13 15-6, and now meets another unlikely Englishman Adrian Grant.  The unseeded 23-year-old Londoner - who removed seventh-seeded Malaysian Ong Beng Hee in the first round - took 110 minutes to contain compatriot Mark Chaloner, ranked one place higher in the world, 13-15 15-10 15-10 15-9.

John White, the No2 seed from Scotland, beat his Nottingham club team-mate Renan Lavigne, the world No30 from France, 15-5 17-15 8-15 15-14 - and goes on to meet Egypt's unseeded Omar Elborolossy, the 15-12 17-15 15-2 victor over Australian qualifier Dan Jenson.

In the women's second round, England's world No2 Cassie Jackman was fully extended by in-form compatriot Jenny Duncalf, the new world No12 from Harrogate in Yorkshire.  Duncalf had a match ball at 8-4 in the fifth game, but the experienced Jackman regained the initiative and claimed the match in a single hand 9-4 8-10 9-0 4-9 10-8 in 58 minutes.

Isabelle Stoehr became the only unseeded player to make the last eight when she pulled off her second upset to beat 14th seed Omneya Abdel Kawy, the reigning World Junior Champion from Egypt, 10-8 9-3 9-7. 

England's Fiona Geaves, three days away from her 36th birthday, showed that she is still a WISPA World Tour force to be reckoned when she upset eighth-seeded compatriot Tania Bailey 10-8 4-9 3-9 9-6 9-3 in 66 minutes.