AL KHOBAR (Saudi Arabia), Dec 3: Amr Shabana began the defence of his World Open title with a familiar clean sweep in three games and a clean pate for the first time in his life.

The four-time champion from Egypt was content with his performance during a well-paced 11-7, 12-10, 11-8 win over Chris Simpson, a qualifier from Guernsey, but less so with the stark outcome of a hairdressing session on the morning of the match. The close shave was applied at his request by Wael El Hindi, a fellow top 20 Egyptian, but Shabana will be seeking to avoid anything like that in his next encounter with a compatriot, in the second round on Saturday with the improving Ali Anwar Reda. Shabana sometimes played like someone of fewer years, moving lightly, accelerating well at 5-7 in the second game against Simpson, and playing brilliantly in the last three points of the contest.

Shabana probably has enough youth and skill to win the title again if he is fully fit and healthy – but at this stage only he knows whether he is.

Pakistan’s Farhan Mahboob, meanwhile, overcame Malaysia’s Muhammad Asyraf Azan 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 to confirm his place in the second round. Farhan, the 29th seed from Peshawar, took 41 minutes to claim victory over his rival. Two other squash greats also started well in their first-round ties.

David Palmer, the two-time former world champion from Australia, recovered from 6-9 down in the third game to win 11-3, 11-2, 12-10 against Stephane Galifi, an Italian qualifier. And Thierry Lincou, the only Frenchman to win the World Open, came from 6-7 down in the third to win 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 against Kashif Shuja, a New Zealand qualifier. Palmer next plays Jonathan Kemp, the left-handed Englishman who has spent much of the last five years just outside the top 20.

Lincou next faces Omar Mosaad, the 22-year-old Egyptian who broke the top 20 for the first time last month.Later another Frenchman, Gregory Gaultier, also made a sound start, overcoming Mohammed Taher Al-Saif, a wild card from Saudi Arabia, 11-3, 11-5, 11-8.

The former world number one from Aix-en-Provence was followed into the second round by Nick Matthew, the top seeded Commonwealth champion from England. Matthew got past Ryan Cuskelly, an improving young Australian, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6. Results:

First round: Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Joe Lee (ENG) 12-10, 11-7, 11-6; Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8; Hisham Ashour (EGY) bt Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-4, 11-5, 12-10; Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-7, 5-11, 11-4, 11-5; Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4; Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6; Mohammed Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 11-1, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4; Farhan Mahboob (PAK) bt Muhammad Asyraf Azan (MAS) 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5; Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Rafael Alarcon (BRA) 11-2, 11-5, 11-9; Mohammed Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt Jan Koukal (CZE) – walkover; Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) – walkover; Amr Shabana (EGY x3) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-7, 12-10, 11-8; Gregory Gaultier (FRA x5) bt Mohammed Taher Al-Saif (KSA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-8; Nick Matthew (ENG x1) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-4, 11-5, 11-6.—AFP