MUMBAI: Reigning World Open champion Amr Shabana of Egypt opened his campaign in the $152,500 PSA Masters squash with a commanding first-round win on Saturday.
Shabana, 30, who won his fourth world title in Kuwait City last month, beat unseeded Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 at the Bombay Gymkhana here.
Shabana next meets India s Saurav Ghosal, who stunned world number 15 Cameron Pilley of Australia in four games 11-8, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8.
The 32-man tournament is India s biggest squash event and marks the return of the Masters on the Professional Squash Association calendar for the first time since 2006 when Shabana won the title in Bermuda.
Sixth-seed James Willstrop of England advanced to the next round with a 11-5, 6-11, 11-3, 11-5 win over compatriot Jonathan Kemp.
Former world number one David Palmer of Australia, seeded fifth here, disposed of England s Tom Richards 11-9, 11-6, 11-7.
Palmer s second round opponent will be Egyptian Omar Mossad who came from behind to upset his 11th-seeded countryman Wael El-Hindi 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10.
Gregory Gaultier of France, the tournament s top seed after world number one Karim Darwish of Egypt withdrew with a back injury, will open against Daryl Selby of England on Sunday. -AFP
