RESULTS: Motor City Squash Open, Detroit, USA
1st round:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-9, 11-7, 11-4
Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt [6] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 16-18, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8
[4] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Julian Wellings (ENG) 11-8, 7-11, 11-3, 11-6
[7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt [Q] Yasir Butt (PAK) 10-12, 6-11, 12-10, 20-18, 11-3
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt [5] Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-4, 11-9, 11-7
[3] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-2, 11-5, 11-6
[Q] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [8] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 12-10, 11-3, 11-2
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] Scott Arnold (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-6
Hopes of the first domestic success in the 12-year history of the Motor City Open were dashed when unseeded Englishman Chris Ryder upset five times US national champion Julian Illingworth in the opening round of the $40,000 PSA World Tour squash event at the Birmingham Athletic Club in Detroit, Michigan.
Ryder, the 29-year-old world No39 from Leamington Spa, defeated the fifth seed from New York - ranked nine places higher - 11-4, 11-9, 11-7 in one of three upsets on the opening day of the established Tour event.
Rising Egyptian star Mohd Ali Anwar Reda, who arrived in Detroit after winning the Pyramid International title in New York state at the beginning of the month, also suffered at the hands of a lower-ranked player.
An in-form Mark Krajcsak, the unseeded world No44 from Hungary, survived a match featuring four tie-break games to beat the 20-year-old sixth seed from Cairo 16-18, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8.
But Ryan Cuskelly became the only qualifier to claim a place in the last eight when he triumphed 12-10, 11-3, 11-2 in an all-Australian clash with eighth seed Aaron Frankcomb.
Meanwhile the top two seeds progressed to the quarter-finals without incident - Egyptian favourite Karim Darwish beating Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne 11-9, 11-7, 11-4, and Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed making his first Tour appearance of the New Year, despatching Australian qualifier Scott Arnold 11-5, 11-3, 11-6.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Mark Krajcsak (HUN)
[4] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)
[3] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v Chris Ryder (ENG)
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v [Q] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)