Mighty Matthew Punishes Power In US Revenge

Eight days after losing to the Canadian world number two in Detroit, England's Nick Matthew gained his revenge over top seed Jonathon Power in the quarter-finals of the US Open Squash Championships at the Murr Center at Harvard University in Boston.

Matthew will meet compatriot Lee Beachill in a semi-final which will give the pair another chance to clarify supremacy in English squash - whilst the other semi-final will also provide an eagerly-awaited domestic duel when fellow Australians David Palmer and Anthony Ricketts go head-to-head for a place in the final.

Sixth seed Matthew twice came from behind against the favourite, who was 2/1 in games and 3-0 ahead in the fourth when he pulled a calf muscle.  The 31-year-old from Montreal seemed to have worked through the setback as he moved further ahead to 8-4.  But Matthew regrouped and levelled the match.

Midway through the decider, Power suddenly became overcome by severe cramp in his right hand and was forced to concede the match after 77 minutes with the score at 6-11 11-10 3-11 11-9 6-2 in Matthew's favour.

By contrast, third seed Beachill took just 26 minutes to brush aside fellow Englishman Bradley Ball 11-6 11-4 11-2 to set his first PSA Tour meeting with his England team-mate since Matthew registered his first win over the England No1 in the English Open in August.

All the top four seeds safely came through the quarter-finals of the women's event – though England's rejuvenated Fiona Geaves, the 37-year-old world No16 who is now based in New York, took the opening game against Shelley Kitchen before the fourth seed from New Zealand recovered to win the match 2-9 9-5 9-6 9-5 in 49 minutes.

RESULTS:        US Open Squash Championships, Murr Centre, Harvard University, Boston, USA

Men's quarter-finals:
[6] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [1] Jonathon Power (CAN)           6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 3-11, 11-9, 6-2 ret. (77m)
[3] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Bradley Ball (ENG)                        11-6, 11-4, 11-2 (26m)
[4] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [7] Graham Ryding (CAN)       11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (36m)
[2] David Palmer (AUS) bt [5] John White (SCO)                  11-4, 11-8, 11-9 (46m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[2] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [6] Sharon Wee (MAS)             9-2, 9-2, 9-4 (28m)
[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Melissa Martin (AUS)        9-1, 9-3, 10-8 (28m)
[4] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [5] Fiona Geaves (ENG)             2-9, 9-5, 9-6, 9-5 (49m)
[1] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Engy Kheirallah (EGY)              9-7, 9-3, 9-1 (48m)