Darwish was more mobile and probably more motivated than his compatriot Amr Shabana during a 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 win which contained some eye-pleasing moments without ever suggesting it would involve much passion.
They say that Darwish wins a lot of the matches with his team mates in practice and this contest had the feeling of that kind of encounter - perhaps because Shabana, who has only just recovered from a knee injury, was not willing to test it again to its full extent after four hard days.
The man who went 33 months as world number one, and who now says he has the appetite to win it back, didn't 
show that much here, drifting a little dreamily in and out of contention after an incident while he was leading 8-6 in the first game.
It happened after Shabana had played a cunningly redirected kill down the middle of the court, instead of down the wall or across court, and whic appeared to have caught Darwish out.
The number one ended up trying to play a backhand volley on the forehand side of his body, in a sort of flapping contortion, mishit it, and yet was able to convince the referees that he had been slightly impeded.
Shabana, employing a knowing grin with which he had already ingratiated himself a couple of times with the spectators, produced it again, and then slipped quickly and cheekily out of the court to draw their attention to the slowmo replay on the overhead screen.
That seemed to support his contention that he had indeed made a clever winning shot, and, almost as if this point offered him the most available satisfaction, began to slip out of the match after that.
Darwish took the next five points to win the first game, and then three more quickly to establish a firm foothold on the second game. It helped him to play with more relaxation and feeling, and the backhand counter drop which he made to reach 9-5 was a masterpiece of control, balance and touch, after a very rapid movement.
Shabana got back to 8-9 and might have rekindled some desire had he not then put a backhand boast into the tin, accompanied an exasperated growl. However his only reaction was one of resignation when, on game point at 10-9, Darwish got a slightly fortunate drive nick which Shabana could do nothing about.
The third game was most notable for Shabana's attempt to make a totally unorthodox backhand paddle shot which started and finished on the left side of his body, and for the smiles of both men.
After winning the final point Darwish slammed the ball with a flip gesture against the back wall, as if to say it was time to bring on the main fare. The hors d'oeuvre had been pleasant and light, but only briefly something to savour.
By: Richard Eaton