Cardiff’s Emyr Evans underlined his squash potential with a fiercely competitive performance against fourth seed Mahesh Mangaonkar in the Rhiwbina PSA $10,000 tournament.

This was a tough test for qualifier Evans against a former World top 50 player, but he covered the court with athleticism, retrieved balls which looked beyond him and at times played magnificent winners.

The last 16 clash lasted 78 minutes Evans fought with a furious intensity which had Mangaonkar hanging on at times.

Welshman Evans was played a third match in three days, having had to qualify for the main draw, while his opponent was in action at Rhiwbina SRC for the first time and able to go on court fresh and fully prepared.

Mangaonkar, ranked 75 in the World, is originally from Mumbai, India, while he now lives in Belgium.

Evans, 20-years-old, gave everything he had and twice fought back from a game down.

Mangaonkar was irritated when refereeing calls went against him, but Evans stayed composed and focused. At one stage the Welsh player lost a shoe in mid court and asked for a let, but played on quickly when the referee called no let.

The 23-year-old Mangaonkar, who helped India won gold at the Asian Games, emerged the winner 11-8, 10-12, 11-1, 10-12, 11-6 after an hour and 18 minutes. Evans was bitterly disappointed, but he had impressed partisan spectators at Cardiff club Rhiwbina with his tenacity and skill.

Teenager Ahsan Ayaz, who helped Pakistan win the World Junior Team title last year, won against fifth seed Kristian Frost after five games and 66 minutes. Ayaz, aged 18 and from Peshawar, won the deciding fifth 11-9.

Four of the eight seeds were beaten in the first round, but top two Joshua Masters and Peter Creed both made solid progress.

Masters (England), who is ranked at 60 in the World, won 3-1 against Lyell Fuller, while Caerphilly-born Creed, who plays out of Rhiwbina, dropped only nine points in a straight games victory against Brian Byrne.

Creed, who is at 63 in the World, now plays Ammar Altamimi from Kuwait, who defeated Scot Dougie Kempsell in four games.

The Rhiwbina PSA event continues over the next three days and the sessions, particularly semi-finals and final, are expected to attract capacity attendances.

Rhiwbina PSA $10,000 tournament, main draw:

Quarter-final results, seedings in brackets:

(1) Joshua Masters (England) beat Lyell Fuller (England) 10-12, 11-4. 11-6, 11-8

Ahsan Ayaz (Pakistan) beat (5) Kristian Frost (Denmark) 7-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9

(Qualifier) George Parker (England) beat (6) Jan Van Den Herrenwegen (Belgium) 11-4, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8

(4) Mahesh Mangaonkar (India) beat (Qu) Emyr Evans (Wales) 11-8, 10-12, 11-1, 10-12, 11-6.

(3) Carlos Cornes (Spain) beat (wildcard) Sam Fenwick (Wales) 11-6, 11-9, 11-6

(Qu) Mark Fuller (England) beat (8) Patrick Rooney (England) 14-12, 11-4, 11-6

Ammar Altamimi (Kuwait) beat (7) Dougie Kempsell (Scotland) 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10

(2) Peter Creed (Wales) beat (Qu) Brian Byrne (Ireland) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3

Friday, quarter-final draw:

6.45pm Masters v Ayaz, court 3; Parker v Mangaonkar, court 4.

7.30pm Cornes v Rooney, court 3; Altamimi v Creed, court 4.

The Rhiwbina tournament continues on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Quarter-final matches are played on Friday (two courts, 6.45pm and 7.30pm), while the semi-finals are on Saturday (3pm and 4pm).

The final is on Sunday (3pm).