WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship, Lahore, Pakistan

2nd round:
[30] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt [1] Peter Nicol (ENG) 11-15, 12-15, 15-7, 15-4, 15-10 (67m)
[10] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [26] Rodney Durbach (RSA) 15-10, 5-15, 15-11, 10-15, 15-11 (87m)
[7] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [29] James Willstrop (ENG) 15-11, 15-13, 8-15, 7-15, 15-9 (70m)
[21] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [13] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 11-15, 15-10, 15-8, 17-15 (44m)
[3] David Palmer (AUS) bt [28] Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 15-8, 15-9, 15-11 (33m)
[9] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Peter Genever (ENG) 15-6, 15-9, 11-15, 15-7 (54m)
[5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [31] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 15-5, 15-6, 15-10 (30m)
[20] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [15] Simon Parke (ENG) 5-15, 15-7, 15-7, 15-5 (46m)

World No1 Nicol Suffers Shock World Open Defeat

England's world No1 Peter Nicol suffered a shock defeat in today's (Tuesday) second round of the $170,000 Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship in Lahore, Pakistan, when he was beaten in five games by Italian Davide Bianchetti in an upset which is likely to result in the end of Nicol's unbroken two-year reign at the top of the world rankings.

Nicol, the top seed and world champion in 1999, took the first two games but quickly capitulated to the world No35 from Brescia as Bianchetti, the 30th seed, marched on to his career-best 11-15 12-15 15-7 15-4 15-10 win in 67 minutes.

Nicol, a three-times World Open finalist who has not failed to reach the semi-finals since 1996, has been troubled by a stomach upset and admitted to feeling weak throughout the match.  Victory by No2 seed John White in his second round match tomorrow will move the Scot ahead of Nicol in the January world rankings - to a possible pole position for the first time in his career.

The upset is a major boost to Australia's defending champion David Palmer, who earlier in the day beat Malaysia's Mohammed Azlan Iskandar 15-8 15-9 15-11 en-route to a projected semi-final meeting with favourite Nicol.  Palmer will now face ninth seed Amr Shabana in the third round after the Egyptian beat England's Peter Genever 15-6 15-9 11-15 15-7 in 54 minutes.

Bianchetti's third round opponent is Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, the tenth seed who was taken the full distance by South Africa's Rodney Durbach before winning 15-10 5-15 15-11 10-15 15-11 in 87 minutes.

It was a dismal day for English players, all four of whom playing on the first day of second round action failed to progress.  Egypt's Mohammed Abbas upset 15th seed Simon Parke 5-15 15-7 15-7 15-5 in 46 minutes, while fellow Egyptian and 7th seed Karim Darwish, a former world junior champion, needed 70 minutes to overcome England's reigning world junior champion James Willstrop 15-11 15-13 8-15 7-15 15-9.

Pakistan's flag-bearer Mansoor Zaman also failed to achieve his seeded position in the event, which is being staged in his home country for the first time since 1996, when he fell 11-15 15-10 15-8 17-15 to the lower-seeded Finn Olli Tuominen in 44 minutes.