KHOBAR: Amr Shabana began the defense of his World Open title with a familiar clean sweep in three games. The four-time champion from Egypt was content with his performance during a well-paced 11-7, 12-10, 11-8 win over Chris Simpson, a qualifier from Guernsey. Two other squash greats also started well in their first round ties. David Palmer, the two-time former world champion from Australia, recovered from 6-9 down in the third game to win 11-3, 11-2, 12-10 against Stephane Galifi, an Italian qualifier. And Thierry Lincou, the only Frenchman to win the World Open, came from 6-7 down in the third to win 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 against Kashif Shuja, a New Zealand qualifier. Both are 34-year-olds and both showed the ability to apply subtle extra pressure when it mattered. Palmer next plays Jonathan Kemp, the left-handed Englishman who has spent much of the last five years just outside the top 20. Lincou next faces Omar Mosaad, the 22-year-old Egyptian who broke into the top 20 for the first time last month. Later another Frenchman, Gregory Gaultier, also made a sound start, overcoming Mohammed Taher Al-Saif, a wild card from Saudi Arabia, 11-3, 11-5, 11-8. The former world No. 1 was followed into the second round by Nick Matthew, the top seeded Commonwealth champion from England. Matthew arrived late on a snow-delayed flight from Manchester, but still got past Ryan Cuskelly, an improving young Australian, by 11-4, 11-5, 11-6. – Agence France
