Squash: Horner wins in just 150 seconds

SUZANNE HORNER won one of the most bizarre and almost certainly the shortest encounter in World Open history as she began her attempt on the title here yesterday.

The world No 2, from Yorkshire, required only two and a half minutes to reach the second round, winning 10 rallies on the trot before her opponent, Adriana Moura, failed to appear for the second game.

Horner returned to the court after the regulation 90- second interval and informed the referee, Jill Wood, 'She's not coming back'. However, the official refused to award the match to the British champion until the Brazilian confirmed that it was all over. Moura had apparently strained a ligament in her knee.

'I don't know whether I frightened her or not but I could do with six more matches like that,' said Horner, who has one of the toughest draws in the tournament - a likely quarter-final with the fifth-seeded Australian, Sarah Fitz-Gerald, and a possible semi-final on Saturday with the defending world champion, Michelle Martin.

Horner today plays Samantha Langley, the England No 11 whose game is improving steadily after having a baby 18 months ago. Langley won 9-2, 9-2, 9-4 against the world No 34 Misha Grewal of India.

Roger Eady, who helped turn the men's world circuit into a genuine global tour, is to quit. The Englishman, the chief executive of the Professional Squash Association, did much to increase prize-money and to take tournaments to more than 100 countries.

Results, Sporting Digest, page 31