Hedrick Sole Seed Survivor In Phoenix
by Howard Harding

8 November 2013 - In a remarkable opening round of the Phoenix Open - in which all four qualifiers prevailed - Australia's Rex Hedrick emerged as the only seed to reach the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at Life Time Fitness in Tempe in the US state of Arizona.

And even top seed Hedrick, the world No 67 from Melbourne, had to fight back from 2/1 down to overcome Pakistan's Muhammad Saqib Yousaf 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4.

The biggest upset was provided by 19-year-old qualifier Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari who despatched second seed and fellow Pakistani Farhan Zaman - ranked more than 50 places higher - 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6.

Tayyab Aslam and Aqib Hanif - both unseeded - provided further unexpected Pakistani success. Aslam, a 17-year-old from Lahore, prevailed when South Africa's No 3 seed Clinton Leeuw was forced to retire after just one game, suffering a with a groin strain.

Hanif, also from Lahore, upset Canada's fourth seed Andrew Schnell 11-7, 13-11, 11-9.

RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Phoenix Open, Tempe, USA

1st round:
[1] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4
[WC] Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) bt Joe Chapman (IVB) 11-7 ret.
[Q] Shahjahan Khan (PAK) bt David Letourneau (CAN) 11-7, 3-11, 11-8, 11-7
Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt [3] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 11-5 ret.
Aqib Hanif (PAK) bt [4] Andrew Schnell (CAN) 11-7, 13-11, 11-9
[Q] Nicholas Sachvie (CAN) bt Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG) 11-6, 12-10, 11-7
[Q] Robert Downer (ENG) bt Reuben Phillips (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8
[Q] Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (PAK) bt [2] Farhan Zaman (PAK) 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6

Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Rex Hedrick (AUS) v [WC] Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY)
[Q] Shahjahan Khan (PAK) v Tayyab Aslam (PAK)
[Q] Nicholas Sachvie (CAN) v Aqib Hanif (PAK)
[Q] Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (PAK) v [Q] Robert Downer (ENG)