Yuen & Adnan Boost Home Interest In PSA KL Open
by Howard Harding
27 March 2013 - Ivan Yuen and Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan added additional home interest in the main draw of the CIMB KL Open Squash Championship after surviving lengthy qualifying finals of the PSA World Tour International 50 event today in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
KL-based Yuen, ranked 73 in the world, battled the full distance to see off compatriot Elvinn Keo 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9 in 70 minutes.
It was only 24 hours earlier that Keo, ranked 127 in the world, pulled off a major upset by ousting Hong Kong's world No40 Leo Au in five games.
Keo clawed his way to nine-all in the decider Yuen. "Ivan got back the advantage to 10-9 - and ended a long rally with a cross court nick to take the match, advancing to the main draw," said event spokesman Andrew Cross. "Ivan pulled a tough draw taking on top seed Karim Darwish tomorrow."
Adnan, a quarter-finalist in the past two years, need 61 minutes to overcome Indian hope Harinder Pal Sandhu - winning 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9.
The 26-year-old world No39 will now face fourth-seeded Spaniard Borja Golan in a bid to make the last eight for the third year in a row.
Hong Kong's Max Lee earned his second successive appearance in the main draw after beating Welsh champion Peter Creed 11-3, 11-7, 11-4.
Alan Clyne from Scotland and Martin Knight from New Zealand played the final match of the evening - "and it was a brutal match," said Cross.
"The opening rally lasting six minutes 40 seconds - during which time New Zealand national coach Paul Hornsby could no longer hold his iPad and decided it was better off back in the bag!
"The opening game lasting 32 minutes with Martin taking it - but at what cost. In the second game it was tight to three all taking 12 minutes to get to that stage. At three-all, Alan got ahead to 9-4 now using more variation getting onto the ball better than Martin.
"Alan was now becoming more dominant, winning the next two games for the chance to play Egypt's Mohamed El Shorbagy, the recent World Championship runner-up."
RESULTS: PSA International 50 CIMB KL Open, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Qualifying finals:
Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Martin Knight (NZL) 10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (80m)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Elvinn Keo (MAS) 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9 (70m)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9 (61m)
Max Lee (HKG) bt Peter Creed (WAL) 11-3, 11-7, 11-4 (35m)
Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Ivan Yuen (MAS)
Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [Q] Max Lee (HKG)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS)
[3] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
[4] Borja Golan (ESP) v [Q] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)
Tarek Momen (EGY) v Saurav Ghosal (IND)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) v [Q] Alan Clyne (SCO)
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