Yorkshire rivals progress comfortably in Kuwait

With the top 16 players handed byes into Thursday’s second round, world champion Matthew, from Sheffield, took just 29 minutes to see off the challenge of Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller 11-6, 11-3, 11-1.

Leeds’s Willstrop, 28, continued the good form from his recent long-awaited title success at the Hong Kong Open, by making it through to the last 16 with an 11-0, 11-8, 11-9 victory over fellow Englishman Chris Simpson in just 27 minutes.

Matthew will now face Australia’s Cameron Pilley, who beat England’s Chris Ryder, while Willstrop will take on former England team-mate Alister Walker, now representing Botswana, the country where he was born.

Walker, the 16th seed who used to play for Chapel Allerton in the Premier Squash League, made it through to the third round after defeating France’s Mathieu Castagnet 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8 in an 85-minute marathon.

The biggest shock of the day came with the surprise exit of former world No 1 Amr Shabana.

The Egyptian star - fourth seed for the event - was sent packing by German qualifier Simon Rosner who eased to a 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 victory in just 22 minutes.