New Zealand's Kashif Shuja has provided the biggest upset in the opening round of the prestigious British Open Squash Championships in Manchester.
The kiwi qualifier has knocked 13th seed Mohamed El Shorbagy out of the tournament, beating the 18-year-old Egyptian 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 2-11, 11-7 in just under an hour. Shuja will face second seeded Frenchman Gregory Galtier in the last 16.
However, the dream run has ended for fellow kiwi qualifiers Martin Knight and Campbell Grayson. After showing unbelievable endurance to battle their way through to the main draw, both Knight and Grayson have been beaten in straight games in the first round.
Knight kept world number seven Thierry Lincou on court for 31 minutes, before succumbing to the Frenchman 11-7, 11-2, 11-7 while Grayson lasted 39 minutes against English 10th seed James Willstrop in an 11-4, 11-5, 11-7 defeat.
Jaclyn Hawkes gets her campaign underway with the first round of the women's event tomorrow. The unseeded kiwi takes on English third seed Alison Waters for a place in the quarterfinals.
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© Squash NZ
