Top seed James Willstrop made a lightning start in the Davenport North American Open, beating rising Swiss star Nicolas Mueller in straight games in the first round of the second PSA World Series event of the year at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia.
Mueller is a hugely talented prospect, but the Englishman imposed his own style on the game to win 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 in 38 minutes.
Willstrop now meets French veteran Thierry Lincou in the second round.
Reigning champion Nick Matthew survived a first round scare in the first round of the Davenport North American Open before beating Colombian outsider Miguel Angel Rodriguez to progress in the second PSA World Series squash event of the year.
World champion Matthew squeezed home 14-12, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5 in a 92-minute marathon.
The 31-year-old world number one from Sheffield faces Finland’s Olli Tuominen.
There was a major shock when world No11 Hisham Mohamed Ashour collapsed to England’s Adrian Grant. The left-handed Londoner played fast, direct squash and moved superbly to work his Egyptian opponent out of position to win 11-7, 11-6, 11-3 in 30 minutes.
Grant now meets fellow left-hander Shabana.
RESULTS:
1st round (top half of draw):
1 James Willstrop (ENG) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (38m)
Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 (30m)
Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Hisham Mohamed Ashour (EGY) 11-7, 11-6, 11-3 (30m)
6 Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (32m)
8 Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (45m)
[Q] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (55m)
Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 13-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6 (72m)
3 Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Olivier Pett (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (32m)
1st round (lower half of draw):
4 Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-8, 11-1, 11-8 (23m)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [Q] Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 (60m)
[Q] Zac Alexander (AUS) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-6, 11-3, 11-8 (40m)
5 Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5 (59m)
Alister Walker (BOT) bt 7 Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 12-10 (70m)
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Chris Ryder (ENG) 5-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (57m)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Julian Illingworth (USA) 8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 15-13 (55m)
2 Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 14-12, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5 (92m)
2nd round line-up:
1 James Willstrop (ENG) v Thierry Lincou (FRA)
6 Amr Shabana (EGY) v Adrian Grant (ENG)
8 Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v [Q] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
3 Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Shahier Razik (CAN)
4 Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
5 Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Zac Alexander (AUS)
Alister Walker (BOT) v Simon Rosner (GER)
2 Nick Matthew (ENG) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
