This will be a bit brief as Chris is on next against Mohamed Nasr, then me v Reg.

Well that was an exciting interlude.

Chris was level with Walid Wahban for a bit up on lawn 1, but then won comfortably. I didn't see any of it as Hamish and I were banished to lawn 6, from which we couldn't really see Reg's game, but the crowd clapped loudly every move the players there made! I did get to be next door to the end of Duncan Dixon v Tarek Mamdouh. A bit on those matches...

Me v Hamish - I got a nice 4-0 lead in the first. Got a position after 9 at 6-3 up where Hamish had cleared me but ended up on the wire of hoop 3. Had yellow in front of the hoop, just needed to play red to where blue didn't have a double clearance. Played red to where blue had a double clearance. Blue hit double clearance - stupid. Won that hoop with a long angled shot after 15 minutes later. Phew.

Game 2 Despite a couple of longish goes at hoop 1, Hamish got a 2-0 lead. I then ran 3 into the jaws of hoop 4 to level things.

Didn't really do anything flash around hoop 5, and Hamish ran 5 to halfway up the lawn, then ran 6 with that ball after I'd surrounded the hoop 4-2

We traded points at 7 and 8, so went to hoop 9 with me *5-3 down

Bit of interaction at hoop 10, and I found a couple of powerful shots. Eventually Hamish failed 9 onto the wire with black, red was about 3 yards back, blue around there too, and yellow on the side boundary.

Yellow cleared black with a bit of a thrash and ended up a foot north-east of hoop 11. Bit an opportunity to do some catching up! (it was 5-4 by this stage, by the way - had run 9 to about halfway)

Blue shot back - missed. Red had a 3 yard jumpstroke to get things level and be all over hoop 11 - success!! 5-5 Absolute silence from the non-crowd who had applauded Reg's every breath!

Hamish had a go at yellow at hoop 11, but didn't move it much, and yellow went into the jaws, about 40% the way in.

Blue played down to halfway, red followed, Black had a shot at yellow - missed.

Yellow played down to decent position on hoop 12. Blue was still north of the peg, and couldn't see the hoop. Cleared yellow.

Red took position. black played in but not to great position, yellow had an almighty thrash at blue - ugly hack which missed by a long way to the middle of the north boundary. Blue cleared red. Red missed (This might not be entirely accurate, but it's close). Black took better position, but not blocking yellow.

Yellow shot from the north boundary at quite a big target - snicked black, ran hoop 12 ... JC wins 7-5 and into the last 16 :-)

Duncan Dixon v Tarek Mamdouh

I probably watched way too much of this lawn 5 game during my match.

Tarek won the first game comfortably, Duncan came back to take the next, and it was Tarek just a hoop in front for the third. Tarek got 5-3 up, but some good play by Duncan at hoop 10 leveled things.

A good battle ensued at hoop 11, but eventually Tarek had a go at the hoop and ran it well down towards 12. 6-5

That was quite a long hoop, and showed good control of his nerves. Balls were played down towards 12, Tarek cleared with the ball that ran 11, and Duncan missed. Another non-trivial hoop and the kiwi number 2 was out of the world champs!

You could see how much respect the Egyptians have for Duncan's ability as it was hugs all round after the match with delight that the dangerous 7-time NZ champion and former U21 world champion was out.

Reg v Hemi

I didn't see much of this. Reg won the first, but it was very competitive. Hemi took the second to massive local applause, then Hemi got a 5-4 lead in the decider.

I saw Reg miss about a 10 yarder from the side boundary with his ball dead in front of 10 to get the initiative at 11, but there were plenty of other clearances and the world champ took the last three hoops to win the match.

Chris has now headed down to lawn 6 to play Mohamed Nasr. I'm on next - will go and have a look at them now. All of the second round will be completed today. My understanding is that it's best-of-fives from the quarters onwards.