Problems with the loop (looping within the loop)

Hello I am working with my own template, and also using the post-to-post plugin, I am doing the following,

<ul>
                <?php
                global $post;
                global $related;
                ?>
                <?php query_posts('post_type=client'); ?>
                <?php $the_query = new WP_Query( array('post_type' => 'casestudy', 'connected' => $post->ID)); ?>
                <?php $content = $post->post_content; $link = $post->guid; $id = $post->ID; ?>
                <?php if ( have_posts() ) : while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
                    <?php $client = get_post_custom($post->ID); ?>
                    <li>
                        <img src="<?php echo $client['upload_image2'][0]; ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>"/>
                    <?php while ($the_query->have_posts()) : $the_query->the_post(); ?>
                        <?php die("!"); ?>
                        <?php $related = get_post_custom($post->ID); ?>
                            <?php if(is_array($related)) : ?>
                                <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="case_study"><?php echo $content; ?></a>
                            <?php endif; ?>

                    <?php endwhile; ?>
                    </li>
                <?php endwhile; endif; ?>
                <?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>
            </ul>

However, I do not get into the second while, even though if I print_r $query_post it returns data. However If I then repeat the code again, it all works as I would expect, i.e the code goes into the second while loop, can anyone tell me why this would be happening?