Eyles defeated in opening match

Cairo, Sept 10: Australian Rodney Eyles, champion only two years ago, was toppled in the opening match of the World Open Squash championship today. The 32-year-old was beaten 15-9, 13-15, 15-8, 15-13 by the left-handed Egyptian teenager, Amr Shabana, ranked 35 in the world.

Eyles, who has not won a tournament since he became World champion in Kuala Lumpur in 1997, was seeded 15.

Another suprise defeat was that of England8217;s Chris Walker, ranked 17, beaten by the strong and powerful South African Rodney Durbeck in a marathon lasting 84 minutes and five games. Amjad Khan, the 13-seeded nephew of former champion Jansher Khan, was kept on court for 64 minutes by Mohamed Abdul Hafiz, a qualifier from Egypt.