NICOL David began her bid to regain the British Open title with a commanding win over Ireland's Madeline Perry while Azlan Iskandar beat a hobbling Ramy Ashour, the men's second seed, in Liverpool on Friday.

Nicol's 9-0, 9-4, 9-4 victory in 37 minutes set up an enticing quarter-final clash between the World No 1 and New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen, who famously stunned the Malaysian in last year's World Open. The match was being played late yesterday.

But Nicol, 25, has remained undefeated since that loss in October and she extended her winning run on the Wispa Tour to 19 matches with a polished display against Madeline, her fifth straight win over the Irish player.

"It was a good performance, she (Nicol) was solid from the start," Nicol's coach Liz Irving said on the tournament's website. "Madeline played well, taking the opportunities she had but to be honest she wasn't given many."

Shelley, who has climbed to a career high sixth in the world rankings, did her part with a 8-10, 9-3, 9-4, 9-2 win over former world champion Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands.
"Shelley's improving all the time so it's probably a question of who gets the better length on the court," Liz added.

World No 13 Azlan handed Egypt's Ashour a 11-1, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8 beating, his first over the World No 4 in three meetings on the PSA Tour, as the Malaysian advanced to his first ever British Open quarter-final against former World No 1 Thierry Lincou of France. That match was also being played late yesterday.

Ashour, who has been beset by hamstring and ankle injuries, was clearly restricted in his movement on court as Azlan took full advantage.

"When he appeared like that I didn't know what to expect," Azlan told AFP.

"You have to make the best of the situation. It's a bit intimidating. It was really psychological. You force it a little bit because you think he is injured and then he suddenly hits the ball well.

"But a win is a win -- I know that six or seven months ago I would have bottled it."

Ashour, 20, was in tears trying to explain his stunning exit to 11th seed Azlan, saying only: "I feel I am abusing myself, abusing my body. I have to revise myself and stop myself and see what I am doing," he went on.

National No 1 Ong Beng Hee fell 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 to fourth seed James Willstrop of England in his second round match.

"The first two games went to 9-9, I was playing well and attacking as much as I could," said World No 10 Beng Hee. "I was even ahead in the second but did not manage to win it. He played a lot better at the crucial points but I'm getting back slowly."