"FIRST game blues", after a long period without competitive action, always gets to most players.
And national back-up player Adam Agan Aziz is pleased for passing a tricky first round test at the Ohana National Squash Championships.
The 19-year-old defeated Andrew Lee 11-3, 8-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7 in 74 minutes to reach the second round of the men's Premier division at the National Squash Centre, Bukit Jalil yesterday.
"I was a little nervous as this was my first competitive match in six months," said Adam yesterday.
"I used too much energy in the first game, forgetting that there were more games to come, and I got slower and made mistakes in the second and third.
"But I am still happy to get the win because Andrew plays like a national player, and he used all his experience against me."
The reward for Adam is a clash with teammate and joint fifth-eighth seed Ong Sai Hung, who received a first-round bye, in the next round.
There were also shaky starts for the older national players of Hafiz Zhafri and Danial Nurhaqiem as they scored hard-fought wins over younger opponents.
Hafiz had to battle to an 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11 win over 16-year-old C. Ameeshenraj while Danial edged another 16-year-old Andrik Lim 11-6, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8.
Former national player Asyraf Azan, seeded joint fifth-eight, also laboured before beating junior Shamiel Haeyzad Sharulhisam 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 13-11.
RESULTS — 1st rd, Men: Wee Ming Hock bt Valentino Bong 12-10, 12-10, 11-1; Hi Jia Rong bt Suddesh Kannah 11-7, 12-10, 11-4; Darryl Gan bt Aqif Ampandi 11-7, 11-4, 11-9; Asyraf Azan bt Shamiel Haeyzad Sharulhisam 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 13-11; Siow Yee Xian bt Loshman Veerakumar 13-11, 11-1, 11-3; Danial Nurhaqiem bt Andrik Lim 11-6, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8, Hafiz Zhafri bt C. Ameeshenraj 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11; Adan Agan Aziz bt Andrew Lee 11-3, 8-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7; Amir Amirul Azhar bt Fayyad Wajdi Hashim 11-2, 11-4, 11-3.