Seeds Sweep Through in Victorian Open First Round

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All eight seeded players in the Victorian Open, PSA M10 tournament emerged unscathed from the opening day of main draw action with India’s Kush Kumar being the only seed to drop a game inside Melbourne’s Mulgrave Country Club.

Kumar, appearing at his first PSA World Tour event since March, lined up against South Korea’s Ko Youngjo in round one and quickly built up a two-game lead. Youngjo threatened a comeback after prevailing in the third, but an assured Kumar responded and the 20-year-old claimed victory in game four to wrap up an 11-4, 11-2, 7-11, 11-7 triumph.

Up next for Kumar is a meeting with compatriot Sandeep Ramachandran, the qualifier who overcame Rohan Toole.

Title favourite Joe Lee is also through to the second round after axing Switzerland’s Patrick Miescher in straight games to set up a fixture with Malaysia’s Elvinn Keo, who ousted Remo Handl.

World No.57 Rex Hedrick, the highest ranked Australian at the tournament, has also progressed to round two courtesy of a routine victory over Jong Myoung Park and he will take on Luke Jones, with Jones following up his qualifying win over 1991 World Champion Rodney Martin with victory against Macau’s Steven Liu.

Meanwhile, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu made his first appearance on the PSA World Tour since January’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions and he dispatched England’s Connor Sheen. Sandhu will lock horns with Lance Beddoes for a place in the last eight, with Beddoes seeing off Malaysia’s Mithran Selvaratnam to advance.

Results – First Round: Victorian Open 2016
[1] Joe Lee (ENG) bt Patrick Miescher (SUI) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (36m)
Elvinn Keo (MAS) bt Remo Handl (SUI) 3-1: 9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (29m)
Thomas Calvert (AUS) bt David Clegg (AUS) 3-1: 11-6, 10-12, 11-2, 11-5 (38m)
[6] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-3 (38m)
[7] Evan Williams (NZL) bt Courtney West (AUS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-3 (21m)
[Q] Vincent Droesbeke (FRA) bt Ravi Dixit (IND) 3-0: 12-10, 12-10, 11-8 (33m)
Lance Beddoes (NZL) bt Mithran Selvaratnam (MAS) 3-1: 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 (45m)
[3] Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (IND) bt [Q] Connor Sheen (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (26m)
[4] Reiko Peter (SUI) bt [Q] Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) 3-0: 13-11, 11-4, 11-0 ret. (25m)
Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt [WC] Jason Holmes (AUS) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 (23m)
[Q] Sandeep Ramachandran (IND) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 3-1: 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (36m)
[8] Kush Kumar (IND) bt Ko Youngjo (KOR) 3-1: 11-4, 11-2, 7-11, 11-7 (42m)
[5] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [Q] Darren Chan (MAS) 3-0: 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 (22m)
Ben Grindrod (NZL) bt [Q] Vivian Rhamanan (SIN) 3-1: 11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8 (37m)
[Q] Luke Jones (NZL) bt Steven Liu (MAC) 3-0: 11-2, 11-7, 11-7 (21m)
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Jong Myoung Park (KOR) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 (40m)

Draw – Second Round
[1] Joe Lee (ENG) v Elvinn Keo (MAS)
Thomas Calvert (AUS) v [6] Arthur Gaskin (IRL)
[7] Evan Williams (NZL) v [Q] Vincent Droesbeke (FRA)
Lance Beddoes (NZL) v [3] Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (IND)
[4] Reiko Peter (SUI) v [Q] Sandeep Ramachandran (IND)
[8] Kush Kumar (IND) v Rhys Dowling (AUS)
[Q] Sandeep Ramachandran (IND) v [8] Kush Kumar (IND)
[5] Joel Makin (WAL) v Ben Grindrod (NZL)
[Q] Luke Jones (NZL) v [2] Rex Hedrick (AUS)