BERMUDA, Nov 28: World number one Amr Shabana suffered a scare against Stewart Boswell at the World Open on Tuesday but held his nerve to reach the quarter-finals. The Egyptian was taken the distance by 10th seeded Australian Boswell and only established control in the last eight points of the final game.

“I let my guard down a little and I was casual, and he went for it and got a lead,” said Shabana after his taxing 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4 win.

“When you play a lot of matches, you don’t always stay focused, but to win you must be calm and I felt calm in the fifth.”

Shabana said playing four tournaments almost without a break before the World Open had taken its toll.

“The body is fine, but the mind isn’t. I’m not mentally fresh,” he added.

The Egyptian will face Frenchman Thierry Lincou in the next round after the former world number one beat English qualifier Jonathan Kemp 12-10, 11-5, 11-5.

Bermuda-based Australian David Palmer came through a tough opening game to beat England’s Peter Barker 12-10, 11-7, 11-9.

“This was one of the toughest second-round draws out there,” said Palmer. “I’m glad to get through for he’s a top 10 player of the future for sure.”

Palmer now plays the tournament’s oldest player, 36-year-old Alex Gough after the Welshman overcame ninth-seeded Egyptian Wael el Hindi 11-1, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7.—Reuters