World squash champion Nick Matthew admitted he had to run risks to reach the British Open quarter-finals, which he did on Wednesday but only after a five-game scare in Hull.
Matthew overcame England teammate Daryl Selby 11-7 10-12 11-3 5-11 11-4 and cold conditions which made patient rallying and fluid movement - two of Matthew's greatest strengths - difficult to employ.
Adapting, Matthew pitched the ball in short more often than normal, bringing a greater likelihood of unforced errors.
"It was risk-and-reward squash," said Matthew.
"You can get the reward but run the risk of counter-attack.
"But if you are not positive, you can get punished for that too, so these were very tough conditions."
For a few minutes while world No.10 Selby was progressed rapidly in the fourth game, it seemed the favourite might be in trouble.
Instead he was helped early in the fifth game by some misfiring ambition from Selby, who put a drop, a drive and a cut-off volley down, restoring some of Matthew's faith. But he still looked relieved when he did.
"Daryl is a dangerous, intelligent opponent whom I've lost to before. I knew it would be even more dangerous having to play him as early as the second round," said Matthew.
He is seeded to play in the last eight against Egypt Karim Darwish, the former world No.8, or Fares Dessouki, an improving Egyptian qualifier.
Women's top seed Nicol David will not play her first match on the all-glass showcourt until her second-round match on Thursday against Sarah-Jane Perry, the English world No.17.
Main rival Laura Massaro, who has succeeded David as World and British Open champion, scored the most comfortable of her seven victories over Annie Au, the world No.9 from Hong Kong, winning 11-7 11-4 11-6.
This was a solid achievement by Massaro, who had lost four of the previous six encounters against Au.
"To say I'm chuffed to get through is an understatement. I'd really like to win this again," the Englishwoman said.
Massaro next plays Sarah Kippax, the unseeded local who lost two tiebreaks and missed three successive match points before beating Nicolette Fernandes, the top 20 Guyanese.
Kippax also came from 6-7 down in the decider of a 15-17 11-4 11-13 11-3 12-10 win which, lasting 84 minutes, was the longest women's match of the day.
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