LONDON, May 15: Three of the Egyptian front-runners, Amr Shabana, the four-times former world champion, Ramy Ashour, another former world champion, and Mohamed El Shorbagy, the former world junior champion, all came through after hard first round tussles in the men’s event of the British Open on Monday.

Shabana, who attributes his revitalised attitude and desire to delay retirement to his three- and four-year-old daughters, fought back with guts and discipline to win 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6 against his brilliantly fast-moving compatriot Tarek Momen.

Ashour claimed he “had learned about me” during the long drawn out recovery from injury which continued with a 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 16-14 win over Daryl Selby, the former British national champion. He had to save four game points to avoid a deciding game.

Similarly El Shorbagy came back from 3-8 and 7-9 down in the fourth game to avoid being taken to a decider against the athletic French qualifier Mathieu Castagnet in a 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10 victory.

Later the top-seeded James Willstrop joined the Egyptian trio in the second round. The world number one from England overcame Simon Rosner, the top 20 German, by 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 to earn a meeting with his former England colleague Alister Walker, now representing Botswana.

Walker eased into the meeting with Willstrop with a 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 victory over Englishman Chris Simpson,

Results:

First round:

Men’s: Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY x7) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10; Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-5; Amr Shabana (EGY x5) bt Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6; Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 11-6, 12-10, 11-6; Borja Golan (ESP) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 12-10, 12-10, 11-4; Ramy Ashour (EGY x4) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 16-14; Alister Walker (BOT) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7; James Willstrop (ENG x1) bt Simon Rosner (ENG) 11-3, 11-5, 11-7.

Women’s: Alison Waters (ENG) bt Low Wee Wern (MAS x13) 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7; Annie Au (HKG x7) bt Gaby Huber (SUI) 6-11, 11-6, 11-1, 14-12.—AFP