December 19, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 24, 1424

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LAHORE, Dec 18: It was a day of major upsets, as leading contenders for the world title including defending champion, Australian David Palmer, John White of Scotland and Frenchman Gregory Gualtier were all defeated by low-ranked players in the pre-quarterfinals of the World Open Squash championship on Thursday.

Egyptian, Amr Shabana, ranked world no 11, stunned reigning champion, world No 3 Palmer, in a gruelling five-game match lasting 68 minutes to cause the biggest upset of the day.

Shabana won with a scoreline 15-10, 8-15, 15-5, 14-17, 15-2. Shabana kept Palmer at bay, who playing with stiff thigh muscles could only succeed in stretching Shabana to five games.

“I was preparing myself rigorously for this tournament for the last three weeks while Palmer was nursing his muscular pain and that was the main difference between me and him”, Shabana said after making it to the last eight.

“Yeah, he could not play his true game and I also tried to keep him away from front area and so he made unforced errors,” Shabana said.

Palmer said that his muscular pain troubled him but Shabana also played well. There was somewhat rough play. Shabana and Palmer hit each other on various occasions.

Shabana, 2-1 up, could have wrapped up the match in the fourth game but he missed the chance when he was only one point away (14-10). Three tins and at one time sending the ball out at the crucial stage, Shabana, helped Palmer to match him at 14-all.

Shabana called for three points but again hit the board thrice to lose the game which also restored the parity 2-2.

Unexpectedly, there was no fight in the fifth game as Palmer was totally off colour due to his injury and fatigue.

Leading comprehensively 12-2, Shabana was given three winners by Palmer when he hit the board twice to concede 14-2 lead and in the end referee Jack Allen awarded Shabana another stroke to win.

White failed to show glimpses of his brilliance as Joseph Kniepp (Australia), ranked 14th, proved too good to win in a straight 15-11, 17-14, 15-3 to cause the second upset of the day. Kniepp battled for only 43 minutes.

Having taken 6-1 lead in the first game, White was caught up by Kniepp at 8-8. With consecutive three nick shots, Kniepp increased the lead to 11-8. Kniepp dropped three points before folding up the first game with two more nick shots and couple of strokes.

A gruelling fight for each point was witnessed in the third game till 6-6. From thereon White looked in top form and forged ahead 12-7 with a couple of forehand shots and nick.

Kniepp did not give up the chase and came back roaring to hold White at the same score (12-12) with three nicks shot in the left corner and some blistering forehands.

Kniepp further increased the lead twice 13-12 and 14-13 and he missed a chance when he totally misjudged a full length shot from White that restored the score 14-all.

After calling for set-III, Kniepp made no mistakes as with two nick shots and in the last with a wall-side forehand he won the game to gain 2-0 lead.

White lost his control on the ball as Kniepp romped home after winning the third game, dropping only three points.

World No 35, David Bianchetti (Italy) also caused a big stir when he sent world No 10 Gregory Gualtier of France packing 3-2 in the longest match of the day lasting 105 minutes.

Bianchetti, who had earlier dismissed world No 1, Peter Nicol in the second round went the full distance to beat Gualtier 15-12, 15-14, 5-15, 5-15, 15-7.

Bianchetti 2-1 up, was behind 8-11 in the fourth game but lost four points for misconduct on two occasions in a row as Gualtier made it 2-2 leaving the result to the fifth game.

Gualtier appeared tired while Bianchetti was full of confidence. After competing each other at 5-5, Bianchetti grabbed point after point to win at 15-7 as Gualtier conceded four points after hitting the board and three by conceding the strokes due to rough play.

World No 5, Thiery Lincou of France, however, did not allow the spirited Tomy Berden of Netherlands to cause yet another upset of the day when he, took 44 minutes to oust Berden 17-16, 15-13, 15-12.

Lincou is now a front-runner for the title.

Results: David Bianchetti (Italy) bt Gregory Gualtier (France) 15-12, 15- 14, 5-15, 5-15, 15-7; Karim Darwish (Egypt) bt Ollituomin (Finland) 15-8, 15-8, 5-15, 7-15, 15-10; Thiery Lincou (France) bt Tomy Berden (Netherlands) 17-16, 15-13, 15-12; Joseph Kniepp (Australia) bt John White (Scotland) 15-11, 17-14, 15-3;Amr Shabana (Egypt) bt David Palmer (Australia) 15-10, 8 -15, 15-5, 14-17, 15-2.; Anthony Rickets (Australia) bt Mohamed Abbas (Egypt) 15-11,15-13, 11-15, 15-8; Lee Beachil (England) bt Nick Taylor (England 15-7, 15-7, 15-6; Nick Matthew (England) bt Renan Lavigne (France) 15-11, 15-8, 15-13.