KARACHI, Dec 2: Pakistan’s Carla Khan falls with grace in the women’s first round of Qatar Squash Classic on Tuesday against world No 15 New Zealander Shelley Kitchen at Doha.

According to information made available here, Carla fought bravely against strong rival in the 50 minutes encounter and gave tough time to her opponent throughout the match which ended after four sets. Carla went down fighting 7-9, 9-2.

In a day beset with upsets, all but two of the second day’s schedule of men’s first round matches went against the seedings as world top twenty players like Egyptian Karim Darwish, Malaysian Ong Beng Hee, Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, Scot Martin Heath, Pakistani Mansoor Zaman and Englishman Simon Parke fell by the wayside to lower-ranked opponents.

Experienced Egyptian Omar El Borolossy engineered perhaps the most significant of upsets when he beat compatriot Karim Darwish, the World No8, 17-14 12-15 17-14 17-15 in 74 minutes of finely-balanced and high-pressure squash.

Darwish, 22, recently succeeded 28-year-old El Borolossy as the Egyptian No1 and led an Egypt squad in October’s World Team Championships from which his predecessor had been excluded. El Borolossy delivered the perfect riposte to the nation’s selectors when he later ejected world No1 Peter Nicol in the first round of the Canadian Classic.

Unseeded Mark Chaloner also had a belated message for the selectors who left him out of the England squad in the Vienna championships. The Lincolnshire lad toiled for 98 minutes to achieve a morale-boosting 15-13 15-8 13-15 12-15 15-6 victory over tenth seed Gregory Gaultier, the Frenchman who was responsible for England’s unexpected semifinal exit from the tournament.

Power finger injury

Meanwhile, Canada’s world No4 Jonathon Power has been admitted to a hospital here after breaking his finger in a clash with opponent Nick Matthew in the first round.

Power, fifth seed, took the opening game, but unseeded Englishman caught up to claim the second. At 5-8 down in the third, Power collided with Matthew and fell to the floor, injuring his left hand.

Power was admitted to a local hospital for surgery on little finger of his left hand, and duly conceded the match to Matthew.

Men’s first round results:

Mark Chaloner (ENG) bt [10] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 15-13, 15-8, 13-15, 12-15, 15-6; Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [7] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 6-15, 15-6, 15-10,11-15, 15-12; [Q] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [16] Graham Ryding (CAN) 15-11, 15-6, 15-7; [4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] David Evans (WAL) 15-12, 15-6, 15-10; [Q] Dan Jenson (AUS) bt [13] Martin Heath (SCO) 15-9, 15-12, 5-15,15-Omar Elborolossy (EGY) bt [8] Karim Darwish (EGY) 17-14, 12-15, 17-14, 17-15; [Q] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [15] Simon Parke (ENG) 15-7, 15-9, 15-7; [2] John White (SCO) bt [Q] Peter Barker (ENG) 15-4, 15-7, 15-10.

Women’s First Round Results: [1] Carol Owens (NZL) bt [Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) w/o; [12] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 6-9, 9-3, 9-2, 9-2; [8] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [Q] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-1, 9-6, 9-4; [13] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt Pamela Nimmo (SCO) 5-9, 9-5, 9-1, 9-4; [3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 9-1, 9-2, 9-2; [15] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [Q] Carla Khan (PAK) 9-7, 9-2, 8-10, 9-7. —PPI