KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 29 Rachel Arnold cruised into the second round of the Hong Kong Open today.
Rachel defeated Spain's Marta Dominguez 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 in the 51-minute battle at Hong Kong Squash Centre.
She will play United States' Amanda Sobhy for a place in the third round tomorrow.
National champion Aira Azman and newly crowned Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) Open winner S. Sivasangari both cleared their first-round matches.
Aira bounced back from a first-game blemish to edge Egypt's Fayrouz Aboelkheir 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8. She will face world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini of Egypt next.
Sivasangari needed just 17 minutes to beat England's Millie Tomlinson 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 and faces Egypt's Hana Ramadan in the next round.
Compatriot Aifa Azman, who received a first-round bye, will face Egypt's Nadine Shahin in the second round.
In the men's competition, national No. 1 Ng Eain Yow also reached the second round by beating Todd Harrity of the US 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.
The Asian champion, who lost in the final of the HKFC Open on Saturday, will take on sixth seed Mazen Hesham of Egypt in the next round.