Two of the three New Zealanders in qualifying action have made it through to the main draw at the rich Australian Open Squash Championships in Canberra.
Campbell Grayson and Kashif Shuja both came out on top of gruelling five game battles in the qualifying finals, to earn spots in the first round of the $US142,500 event.
Grayson locked horns with Scotsman Alan Clyne, who twice fought back from a game down to force the match into a fifth game decider. However, the world number 42 ranked kiwi held his nerve to win 14-12, 8-11, 16-14, 9-11, 11-5.
An exhausted Grayson was thrilled with his victory, against one of the fittest players on tour.
"I really wanted to win and that's what got me through," he said.
"He gets a lot back and he gets to the front really fast - I knew I had to be smart, and I knew it was going to be painful for both of us."
Grayson will now face fourth seeded Egyptian Karim Darwish in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Shuja also had a tight tussle with Italian Amr Swelim, having to bounce back from an 11-2 thrashing in the opening game. However, the world number 62, still feeling the effects of a five game battle in the previous round, gradually found his rhythm and forced his way to a 2-1 lead. Swelim was not done yet though, taking the fourth game 11-8 setting up the match for a thrilling finish. The two players did not disappoint, with Shuja edging home 11-8 to secure a first round match against eighth seeded Englishman Peter Barker.
Shuja, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up, is relieved to have survived two tough days in a row.
"I tried my best not to go to five but Amr's a very good player and he's had the edge over me in the last couple of matches," he said.
I knew it was going to be a hard one. My body was a bit tired from yesterday and it took a while for me to warm up.
"I knew I was strong enough to push through. I was really feeling the pressure, but so was he."
Martin Knight was the only kiwi to come up short in the qualifying finals, going down in an 89 minute five game battle against Malaysian Muhd Asyraf Azan. Knight clawed his way back from two games down to force the match into a fifth game decider, but ran out of steam as he was beaten 17-15, 12-10, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8.
Results...
Qualifying finals:
Julian Illingworth (USA) def Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-6, 9-11, 13-11, 11-13, 11-5 (101 mins)
Max Lee (HKG) def Gilly Lane (USA) 11-7, 12-10, 11-6 (44 mins)
Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) def Martin Knight (NZL) 17-15, 12-10, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8 (89 mins)
Kashif Shuja (NZL) def Amr Swelim (ITA) 2-11, 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (66 mins)
Scott Arnold (AUS) def Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 15-13, 11-9, 11-7 (38 mins)
Campbell Grayson (NZL) def Alan Clyne (SCO) 14-12, 8-11, 16-14, 9-11, 11-5 (85 mins)
Matthew Karwalski (AUS) def Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6 (80 mins)
Zac Alexander (AUS) def Kamran Khan (MAS) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 (40 mins)
For full draws/results, click on the link below.
Photo: SQUASHSITE
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