Top men's singles seed Tsz Fung Yip of Hong Kong safely progressed to the second round as the World University Squash Championship began ©FISU

Top men's singles seed Tsz Fung Yip of Hong Kong safely progressed to the second round as the World University Squash Championship began in Birmingham.

Yip was in confident form as he needed just 20 minutes to get past Singapore's Benedict Chan 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 at the University of Birmingham.

Dewarld Van Niekerk of South Africa, who battled to a 4-11, 12-10, 14-12, 9-11, 12-10 win over Switzerland's Robin Gadola, awaits for Yip in the next round.

Second seed Joshua Masters, representing hosts Britain, is also through after he defeated Van Niekerk's compatriot Adam Erni Shean 11-3, 11-3, 11-1.

Masters' team-mate Grace Gear, the top seed in the women's event, is due to be in action tomorrow.

Action began following an Opening Ceremony to officially start the tournament.

An Opening Ceremony took place before the tournament began ©FISU
An Opening Ceremony took place before the tournament began ©FISU

Officials and athletes from 19 nations were welcomed into the all-glass show court at the Ceremony.

"International University Sports Federation (FISU) Championships offer a superb opportunity for a large number of university students, managers and coaches to exchange opinions and ideas and of course to achieve your best performance on the field of play," said FISU Executive Committee member Coleen Dufresne. 

"I encourage you to reach out to each other over the course of the tournament, learn about each other’s cultures and make our world a little closer and friendlier."

The competition is scheduled to conclude with the finals on Sunday (September 9).