Upsets Awash At PSA Royal Lake
by Howard Harding
4 October 2012 - The quarter-finals of the Royal Lake Club Open will feature two qualifiers and a lucky loser after a series of dramatic upsets in today's opening round of the inaugural PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at The Royal Lake Club in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Local teenager Sanjay Singh went down in Wednesday's final qualifying round - but bounced back as a lucky loser when Pakistan's Muhammad Saqib Yousaf was forced to withdraw from the event.
Undaunted by his Kuwaiti opponent ranked almost 150 places higher, Singh stemmed a late fight-back by Bader Al Hussaini to beat the experienced 28-year-old 12-10, 11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-6.
The 18-year-old from Sarawak now takes on Indian Harinder Pal Sandhu after the fourth seed beat Taiwan's James Huang 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 2-11, 11-9.
And qualifier Ravi Dixit will provide additional unexpected Indian interest in the last eight after despatching Canadian Fred Reid, ranked 70 places higher, 11-6, 11-4, 11-2.
Meanwhile, Englishman Nathan Lake reduced home interest in the last eight by upsetting KL-based Elvinn Keo, the highest-ranked unseeded player in the draw, 11-2, 13-11, 7-11, 11-3.
The qualifier from Cheltenham will now meet his second Malaysian in the event when he takes on third seed Kamran Khan. The London-born 22-year-old from KL needed five games to overcome Pakistani qualifier Khawaja Adil Maqbool 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Royal Lake Club Open, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1st round:
[1] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) bt Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7
[Q] Ravi Dixit (IND) bt Fred Reid (CAN) 11-6, 11-4, 11-2
Sanjay Singh (MAS) bt Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 12-10, 11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-6
[4] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt James Huang (TPE) 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 2-11, 11-9
[3] Kamran Khan (MAS) bt [Q] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5
[Q] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Elvinn Keo (MAS) 11-2, 13-11, 7-11, 11-3
Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt David Letourneau (CAN) 11-5, 13-11, 11-6
[2] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt [Q] Kam Hing Choong (MAS) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) v [Q] Ravi Dixit (IND)
[4] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) v Sanjay Singh (MAS)
[3] Kamran Khan (MAS) v [Q] Nathan Lake (ENG)
[2] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) v Nasir Iqbal (PAK)
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