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Four New Zealanders have made the semi-finals at the Australian Open in Clare. |
New Zealand's top players are making their presence felt at the Clare Valley Australian Open Squash Championships in Clare, South Australia.
Campbell Grayson has continued his giant killing run in the men's draw, grabbing a spot in the semi-finals at the expense of second seeded Englishman Chris Ryder. The 22-year-old Aucklander downed the world number 38 in a marathon five game battle, winning 14/12 11/6 5/11 8/11 11/9, immediately describing the victory as the most important of his career.
Grayson said he played some of his best squash during the match. "The first game was really tight, but the second was probably the best game I have ever played," the kiwi number two said. "I think I put so much effort into the first two games I got a bit tired in the third and lost momentum heading into the fourth.
"In the fifth I just wanted to win so badly, and I got my length right and started to create more opportunities."
The world number 90 will face fellow kiwi Kashif Shuja in the semi-finals. The third seed advanced after bouncing back from a game down to beat fifth seeded Australian Scott Arnold 5/11 11/5 11/7 11/7. Shuja said he realised after the first game he needed to put some more pace on the ball and keep it low against the taller Australian. "He was volleying so well in the first - he had really good ball control on his backhand volleys so I knew I had to keep it low so he couldn't volley it," Shuja said.
In the women's draw, Waikato teenager Joelle King has also staged an upset, knocking fourth seeded Christina Mak from Hong Kong out of the tournament. The sixth seeded kiwi claimed a spot in the semi-finals with a 5/11 11/6 11/5 1/7 victory in 34 minutes. King said her nerves almost got the better of her on court. "I played Christine a couple of months ago in a tournament in New Zealand and I lost so I was pretty nervous," the 19-year-old said.
"I don't think I stopped feeling nervous until the fourth game.
"I knew if I won here I would be in the semi-finals, so it was a huge motivation for me to do well."
King will play top seed Kasey Brown in the semi-finals, after the Australian celebrated her 23rd birthday in style with a tough 11/7 11/8 11/6 win over fellow Aussie Amelia Pittock.
Meanwhile, second seeded kiwi Jaclyn Hawkes continues to look ominous, cruising into the semi-finals with an 11/5 11/6 11/2 demolition of Australian sixth seed Lisa Camilleri. However, Hawkes is playing down the ease of her victory. "It wasn't as easy as it looked, the rallies were quite hard," Hawkes said. "Even though I won most of the points, I had to work really hard to do so."
The world number 19 will play Hong Kong's Annie Au in the last four. The 19-year-old seventh seed is through to the semi after an 11/5 6/11 11/6 11/3 upset of third seeded Australian Donna Urquhart.
Results...
Men's quarterfinals
1. David Palmer (AUS) def 8. Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11/9 11/4 11/8 (23 mins)
Robbie Temple (ENG) def 4. Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11/8 11/6 11/8 (52 mins)
3. Kashif Shuja (NZL) def 5. Scott Arnold (AUS) 5/11 11/5 11/7 11/7 (45 mins)
Q. Campbell Grayson (NZL) def 2. Chris Ryder (ENG) 14/12 11/6 5/11 8/11 11/9
Women's quarterfinals
1. Kasey Brown (AUS) def 5. Amelia Pittock (AUS) 11/7 11/8 11/6 (41 mins)
8. Joelle King (NZL) def 4. Christina Mak (HKG) 5/11 11/6 11/5 11/7 (34 mins)
7. Annie Au (HKG) def 3. Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11/5 6/11 11/6 11/3 (30 mins)
2. Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) def 6. Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 11/5 11/6 11/2 (18 mins)
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