Players from eight different nations survived the opening round of the Goiania Powerade Open in Brazil, leaving top seed Rafael F Alarcon to carry home hopes exclusively into the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at the Flamboyant Shopping Centre in Goiania.
But the world No52 from Sao Paulo was taken the full distance by unseeded Maltese opponent Bradley Hindle before squeezing through 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 after 65 minutes.
Alarcon, seeded to win his 11th PSA Tour title on home soil, will now face Englishman Steven London, a qualifier from London who upset Mexican Fernando Lopez 12-10, 11-7, 11-6.
Argentina's Hernan D'Arcangelo became the second qualifier to earn a place in the last eight when he defeated Brazilian and fellow qualifier Ronivaldo Duarte 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 11-1.
D'Arcangelo, competing on the PSA Tour for only the second time, will now line up against second seed Campbell Grayson after the New Zealander knocked out Englishman Adam Murrills 11-2, 11-6, 11-9.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Goiania Powerade Open, Goiania, Brazil
1st round:
[1] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) bt Bradley Hindle (MLT) 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 (65m)
[Q] Steven London (ENG) bt Fernando Lopez (MEX) 12-10, 11-7, 11-6 (38m)
Esteban Casarino (PAR) bt Luke Butterworth (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 7-11, 13-11 (39m)
[3] Yann Perrin (FRA) bt Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-2 (36m)
[4] Kamran Khan (MAS) bt [Q] Vinicius Rodrigues (BRA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 (32m)
Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt Karim AGA Samy (EGY) 12-10, 13-11, 11-7 (36m)
[Q] Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG) bt [Q] Ronivaldo Duarte (BRA) 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 11-1 (55m)
[2] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Adam Murrills (ENG) 11-2, 11-6, 11-9 (42m)
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) v [Q] Steven London (ENG)
[3] Yann Perrin (FRA) v Esteban Casarino (PAR)
[4] Kamran Khan (MAS) v Clinton Leeuw (RSA)
[2] Campbell Grayson (NZL) v [Q] Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG)