Defending champion Campbell Grayson led the top eight seeds in the Victorian Open safely through to the second round of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event today at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
The top-seeded New Zealander - who won a 110-minute classic against Malaysia's Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan to win the title in 2012 - survived a tough opening match against Australian Nathan Stevenson 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-3.
Grayson, the world No41 from Auckland, now takes on South Australia's Justin Beard in the second round.
Domestic interest is being led by Zac Alexander, the Brisbane-born No3 seed.
2010 champion Alexander, the 24-year-old world No51, eased to an 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 win in 33 minutes over Malaysian qualifier Mithran Selvaratnam.
Other winning seeds included second-seeded New Zealander Martin Knight, who beat Hong Kong's Cheuk Yan Tang 11-4, 11-3, 11-6, and 2009 champion Mike Corren, who defeated former PSA Tour player Cameron White - a five times winner of the title between 2001 and 2007 - 11-9, 11-9, 12-10.
But there were upsets in the lower order: Qualifier Jaakko Vahamaa provided unexpected Finnish interest in the last 16 round when he beat higher-ranked Australian Tim Cowell 11-7, 10-12, 12-10, 11-8 in 40 minutes.
And qualifier Chris Lloyd boosted Kiwi interest in the next round after dismissing Hong Kong's Hon Fung Wong 15-13, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5 in 41 minutes.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Victorian Open, Melbourne, Australia
1st round:
[1] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Nathan Stevenson (AUS) 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-3 (36m)
Justin Beard (AUS) bt [WC] Sam Ejtemai (AUS) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 (37m)
Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt [LL] Thomas Calvert (AUS) 11-6, 11-1, 11-3 (15m)
[6] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [Q] Cameron White (AUS) 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 (40m)
[5] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Jong Myoung Park (KOR) 4-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-2 (59m)
[Q] Jaakko Vahamaa (FIN) bt Tim Cowell (AUS) 11-7, 10-12, 12-10, 11-8 (40m)
Paul Coll (NZL) bt Andrew Fraser (AUS) 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 (24m)
[4] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt Lance James Beddoes (NZL) 11-5, 11-8, 3-11, 11-4 (50m)
[3] Zac Alexander (AUS) bt [Q] Mithran Selvaratnam (MAS) 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (33m)
Evan Williams (NZL) bt [Q] Adrian Leanza (USA) 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 (45m)
Joshua Larkin (AUS) bt [Q] Ben Grindrod (NZL) 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (31m)
[7] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Sunil Seth (GUY) 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4 (43m)
[8] Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt Kashif Shuja (NZL) 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 (39m)
[Q] Chris Lloyd (NZL) bt Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 15-13, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5 (41m)
Luke Sims (AUS) bt [Q] Steve Salter (AUS) 11-6, 11-9, 12-10 (40m)
[2] Martin Knight (NZL) bt Cheuk Yan Tang (HKG) 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (30m)
