KUALA LUMPUR: Returning after an absence of two years, the Ohana Malaysian Open squash tournament was robbed some of its gloss after losing its top two men's seeds on Wednesday.
Second seed Nafiizwan Adnan pulled out before the start of first round play due to an injured knee suffered in an accident when his motorcycle collided with a taxi in Sri Petaling on Tuesday night.
Then, to close out the night, Scottish top seed Alan Clyne blew a two-game lead to be packed off by Egyptian Mazen Hesham.
But Nafiizwan's absence was the biggest blow to a tournament being held for the first time since 2014 as he withdrew from his scheduled first round match against fellow Malaysian Ng Eain Yow at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil.
However, there was good news elsewhere for the home players as Sanjay Singh and Aifa Azman both produced upsets to advance to the quarter-finals while there were also wins for national men's champion Ivan Yuen, women's second seed Rachel Arnold, and 2017 Sea Games individual gold medalists S. Sivasangari and Eain Yow.
Eain Yow, the 2016 world junior champion, made the most of his good fortune when he beat lucky loser Addeen Idrakie Bahtiar 11-9, 11-13, 13-11, 11-2 to set up a last-eight meeting with Egypt's Mazen Gamal, who ousted fellow Egyptian Shehab Essam 8-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7.
It is Ivan, however, who stands to benefit the most from Nafiizwan's absence as the third seed downed England's Jaymie Haycocks 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 to set up a showdown with giant-killer Sanjay.
Clyne's exit could also help Ivan become the first Malaysian to win the men's title since Azlan Iskandar in 2010.
Sanjay, on the comeback trail from a succession of injuries after winning Sea Games individual gold in 2015, stunned seventh seed Peter Creed of Wales 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 after coming through the qualifying rounds.
"I went in as the underdog and had nothing to lose, I just gave it my best and focused point by point," said World No 159 Sanjay, who won mixed doubles gold at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games in August.
"I'll use the same plan when I play Ivan, go point by point, and see how it goes. Obviously there is a gap between Nafiizwan and Ivan and the rest of us, but I hope I'm getting closer."
Aifa, who at 15 is the youngest player in the main draw, upset seventh seed Sachika Ingale 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 in a repeat of her win over the Indian at the Asian Championships in April.
"I was confident because I beat her at the Asian Championships in India in five games," said World No 145 Aifa, who needed a wild card to play in the main draw.
"That time I was nervous but this time I had the confidence and I played well. I'm very happy to play at the Malaysian Open against the seniors from home and abroad. I am the youngest in the main draw and there is no pressure on me. I just hope to gain experience."
Aifa faces a real test in Thursday's quarter-finals where she is up against fourth seed Sivasangari, who came through unscathed against fellow national junior Ooi Kah Yan 11-4, 11-7, 11-6.
"Sangari is one of the top players in the country," said two-time British Junior Open winner Aifa. "I hope to play my best and maybe I can beat her. I played her last month but I was still carrying an ankle injury and lost."
RESULTS -
Men's 1st rd: Mazen Hesham (Egy) bt Alan Clyne (Sco) 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7; Joshua Masters (Eng) bt Wong Chi Him (HK) 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8; Christopher Gordon (US) bt Karim El Hammamy (Egy) 11-7, 11-4, 13-11; Leo Au (HK) bt Syafiq Kamal (Mas) 11-8, 11-7, 11-4; Ivan Yuen (Mas) bt Jaymie Haycocks (Eng) 11-4, 11-9, 11-6; Sanjay Singh (Mas) bt Peter Creed (Wal) 11-9, 11-5, 11-4; Mazen Gamal (Egy) bt Shehab Essam (EGY) 8-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7; Ng Eain Yow (Mas) bt Addeen Idrakie Bahtiar (Mas) 11-9, 11-13, 13-11, 11-2.
Women's 1st rd: Zeina Mickawy (Egy) v Jessica Keng (Mas) 11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4; Alison Thomson (Sco) bt Janet Vidhi (Ind) 11-4, 11-3, 11-3; Milnay Louw (Rsa) bt Lai Wen Li (Mas) 11-6, 11-1, rtd; Lee Ka Yi (HK) bt Alexandra Fuller (Rsa) 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9; S. Sivasangari (Mas) bt Ooi Kah Yan (Mas) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6; Aifa Azman (Mas) bt Sachika Ingale (Ind) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6; Satomi Watanabe (Jpn) bt Wong Heng Wai (Mas) 11-4, 11-7, 11-3; Rachel Arnold (Mas) bt Aika Azman (Mas) 11-4, 11-6, 11-7.