RESULTS: KIG Squash Open, Los Angeles, USA
1st round:
[1] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [Q] Ido Avron (ISR) 11-2, 11-5, 11-7 (21m)
[8] Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8 (52m)
[3] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt [Q] James Snell (ENG) 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (36m)
[6] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt [Q] John Rooney (IRL) 4-11, 12-14, 11-9, 11-9, 11-1 (107m)
Yasir Butt (PAK) bt [5] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) 12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 12-14, 11-5 (74m)
[4] Tom Richards (ENG) bt [Q] Neil Hitchens (ENG) 11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5 (42m)
Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) bt [7] Martin Knight (NZL) 11-8, 11-7, 11-2 (38m)
[2] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Stephane Galifi (ITA) 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 12-10 (52m)
The Los Angeles Athletic Club crowd got the result it wanted on the opening night of the inaugural KIG Open as club pro and local favourite Stefan Casteleyn upset the seeding to advance to the quarter-finals of the $28,000 PSA World Tour squash event in Los Angeles.
Casteleyn, a former world number seven from Belgium, beat seventh-seeded New Zealander Martin Knight in 11-8, 11-7, 11-2. The 35-year-old now meets Omar Mosaad, the No2 seed from Egypt who survived an entertaining encounter with Stephane Galifi, beating the France-based Italian 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 12-10.
Top seed Tarek Momen looked in good form as he despatched Israeli qualifier Ido Avron to set up a meeting with Chris Simpson, one of two Englishmen to reach the quarters.
In contrast to Momen's quick win, Australia's sixth seed Aaron Frankcomb needed 107 minutes to overcome the challenge of qualifier John Rooney. The Irishman was two games and 7-4 up before Frankcomb mounted a remarkable recovery to win 4-11, 12-14, 11-9, 11-9, 11-1.
The 24-year-old from Hobart's next opponent is Shahier Razik, the Canadian third seed who has a reputation for long matches, but who beat English qualifier James Snell in quick time.
Completing the quarter-final line-up are England's Tom Richards and Pakistani Yasir Butt, who prevailed in a see-saw encounter with fifth-seeded Rafael Alarcon.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [8] Chris Simpson (ENG)
[3] Shahier Razik (CAN) v [6] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS)
[4] Tom Richards (ENG) v Yasir Butt (PAK)
[2] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Stefan Casteleyn (BEL)