Alister Walker Through In Hong Kong by Howard Harding 30 May 2013
- Top seed Alister Walker secured his place in the quarter-finals of
the Hong Kong Football Club PSA International 25 after subduing
Australian qualifier Rex Hedrick in the opening round of the PSA
International 25 squash event in its second year at the Hong Kong
Football Club in Hong Kong.
Hedrick arrived in Hong Kong fresh from two successive Tour titles on
home soil. But 24-year-old world No65 from Melbourne had no answers for
the experienced play of world No14 Walker as the 30-year-old from
Botswana rallied to an 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 victory after 43 minutes.
"Hedrick put up a very good fight against Walker but succumbed in
three," said event spokesman Julian Harniess. "However, he can
certainly walk tall, playing with aplomb against the number one seed."
Walker will now have home opposition to deal with as he takes on the
Hong Kong number one Max Lee for a place in the last four. The
25-year-old world No32 despatched Malaysian qualifier Muhd Asyraf Azan
11-0, 11-7, 11-1.
There was an upset in the same half of the draw where Egyptian
qualifier Mohamed Abouelghar removed rising Finnish star Henrik
Mustonen 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7 after 61 minutes.
"The young Egyptian played some outstanding squash and was the first of
the young qualifying guns to win through to the second round of the
main competition," explained Harniess.
Abouelghar, 19, from Cairo, now faces fellow countryman Karim Abdel
Gawad, the No4 seed also from Cairo, who needed 67 minutes to quash
Pakistan qualifier Nasir Iqbal 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 12-10.
Former US national champion Julian Illingworth also claimed a notable
scalp when he beat higher-ranked Egyptian teenager Marwan Elshorbagy
11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6 in 45 minutes. The 29-year-old from New York is
enjoying a good spell on the PSA World Tour and arrived in Hong Kong
less than 24 hours after clinching the Sekisui Open title in
Switzerland.
World No55 Illingworth now faces Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, the No2
seed ranked almost 40 places higher who defeated Egypt's Karim Ali
Fathi 11-5, 11-9, 12-10.
RESULTS: Hong Kong Football Club PSA International 25, Happy Valley, Hong Kong China
1st round:
[1] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [Q] Rex Hedrick (AUS) 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 (43m)
Max Lee (HKG) bt [Q] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 11-0, 11-7, 11-1 (35m)
[Q] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7 (61m)
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt [Q] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 12-10 (67m)
[3] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [WC] Cheuk Yan Tang (HKG) 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 (26m)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Leo Au (HKG) 11-4, 12-10, 11-13, 11-9 (75m)
Julian Illingworth (USA) bt Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) 11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6 (45m)
[2] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) 11-5, 11-9, 12-10
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Alister Walker (BOT) v Max Lee (HKG)
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [Q] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
[3] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)
[2] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Julian Illingworth (USA)
