Adnan Tested In PSA Victorian Opener
by Howard Harding

4 July 2012 - Top seed Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan moved into the second round of the Victorian Open in Australia - but the world No33 from Malaysia was taken the full distance by Korean qualifier JaeJin Yoo in today's opening round of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre in Melbourne.

Twice the 26-year-old from Terengganu led, but twice underdog Yoo - ranked more than 300 places lower - pulled back to draw level.

But the 18-year-old Korean was only able to muster a further two points in the decider as experienced Malaysian Adnan closed out the match 11-8, 10-12, 11-3, 14-16, 11-2 after 75 minutes.

Adnan will now face rising New Zealander Evan Williams. The 22-year-old from Wellington also survived a five-game marathon - overcoming Canadian qualifier Andrew McDougall 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-5 in 82 minutes, the longest match of the day.

Local star Cameron White wound back the years to claim an unlikely place in the last sixteen. The 35-year-old qualifier - a former world No48 who retired from the PSA Tour at the end of 2007 - despatched fellow countryman Ben Takamizawa Harris 11-7, 11-3, 11-3 in just 26 minutes.

White is joined by two further qualifiers in the second round: Scotsman Greg Lobban denied Victoria-born Jamie McErvale further action at the Melbourne centre after beating the higher-ranked 21-year-old 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.

And in an all-English clash, qualifier Chris Tasker-Grindley defeated Alex Phillips 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 and will now take on seventh-seeded Austrian Aqeel Rehman for a place in the quarter-finals.

RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Victorian Open, Melbourne, Australia

1st round:
[1] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt [Q] JaeJin Yoo (KOR) 11-8, 10-12, 11-3, 14-16, 11-2 (75m)
Evan Williams (NZL) bt [Q] Andrew McDougall (CAN) 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-5 (82m)
Patrick Miescher (SUI) bt [Q] Dan Busby (ENG) 6-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 (32m)
[8] Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) bt Tsukue Shinnosuke (JPN) 11-9, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8 (65m)
[7] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [Q] Tarek Salah Shehata (EGY) 12-10, 11-5, 11-2 (32m)
[Q] Chris Tasker-Grindley (ENG) bt Alex Phillips (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (23m)
[Q] Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Jamie McErvale (AUS) 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (35m)
[4] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt Justin Beard (AUS) 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 14-12 (58m)
[3] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt James Huang (TPE) 13-15, 11-3, 13-11, 4-11, 11-6 (57m)
Nathan Stevenson (AUS) bt James Earles (ENG) 4-11, 11-9, 11-2, 5-11, 11-6 (46m)
Paul Coll (NZL) bt [Q] Arthur Moineau (FRA) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (23m)
[6] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Chris Lloyd (NZL) 11-4, 11-7, 11-9 (33m)
[5] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Luke Sims (AUS) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (27m)
[Q] Cameron White (AUS) bt Ben Takamizawa Harris (JPN) 11-7, 11-3, 11-3 (26m)
Florent Pontiere (FRA) bt Kevin Moran (SCO) 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (46m)
[2] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 11-1, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)

2nd round line-up:
[1] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v Evan Williams (NZL)
[8] Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) v Patrick Miescher (SUI)
[7] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) v [Q] Chris Tasker-Grindley (ENG)
[4] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) v [Q] Greg Lobban (SCO)
[3] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) v Nathan Stevenson (AUS)
[6] Kashif Shuja (NZL) v Paul Coll (NZL)
[5] Rex Hedrick (AUS) v [Q] Cameron White (AUS)
[2] Campbell Grayson (NZL) v Florent Pontiere (FRA)

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