KARACHI, Jan 24: Pakistan number one Mansoor Zaman faces an early exit in the Seikha Al Sa'ad Kuwait Open in Kuwait City on Sunday as he meets world number one Thierry Lincou of France in the opening round of the competition.

Mansoor, world number 21, has been unimpressive in recent international outings and is unlikely to pose much challenge to Lincou who became the first Frenchman to become world number one earlier this month.

Mansoor was actually placed in the qualifying rounds of the tournament but only moved in the main draw because of the withdrawal of Australia's Anthony Ricketts.

Ricketts pulled out of the Kuwait Open because of fitness problems.

The main rounds of the US$60,000 Kuwait Open will be played from Jan 25 to 28.

Former world number one Peter Nicol is the top seed in the tournament which has attracted almost all the top ranking players of the World Tour.

This is the first major international sporting event to be hosted by Kuwait.

The highlight of the five-day tournament will be the unveiling of a new, all-glass court specially imported from Boston, USA at Green Island where main draw action will take place.

Meanwhile, Pakistani challenger Farrukh Zaman lost in the first qualifying round of the competition on Friday.

Egypt's Hisham Mohammad Ashour defeated Farrukh Zaman 9/15, 15/5, 15/6, 15/11 in 52 minutes. Another Pakistani, Shamsul Islam Khan, also fell at the first hurdle losing to England's world junior champion James Willstrop in straight games.

In a generally good opening day in Kuwait for the English players with James Willstrop, Mark Chaloner and Nick Taylor all winning, Australia's Dan Jenson provided the upset in beating world number 11 Nick Matthew.

Qualifying round results:

Omar Elborolossy (Egy) bt Liam Kenny (Irl) 13/15, 15/6, 15/12, 15/11 (64m); James Willstrop (Eng) bt Shamsul Islam Khan (Pak) 1|, 15/6, 15/9 (31m); Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (Mas) bt Abdullah Al Muzayen (Kuw) 15/5, 17/15, 15/11 (41m); Renan Lavigne (Fra) bt Ali Al Ramzi (Kuk) 15/11, 15/9, 1| (39m) Hisham Moh'd Ashour (Egy) bt Farrukh Zaman (Pak) 9/15, 15/5, 15/6, 15/11 (52m); Mark Chaloner (Eng) bt Bader Al Hussaini (Kuw) 15/14, 15/6, 15/14 (52m); Nick Taylor (Eng) bt Jago Nardelli (Eng) 15/4, 15/13, 15/6 (35m) Dan Jenson (Aus) bt Nick Matthew (Eng) 15/12, 15/9, 15/13 (74m).-PPI