RESULTS: Bluenose Squash Classic, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Quarter-finals:
[1] Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt [Q] Keith Pritchard (CAN) 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 (26m)
[4] Andras Torok (HUN) bt Rob Sutherland (WAL) 11-9, 10-11 (0-2), 11-2, 11-8 (48m)
Martin Knight (NZL) bt [Q] Kristen Johnson (SCO) 10-11 (0-2), 11-1, 7-11, 11-5, 11-10 (3-1) (81m)
[2] Bernardo Samper (COL) bt [6] Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) 11-10 (7-5), 11-4 ret. (26m)
Knight Survives Surprise Bluenose Semi-Final In Nova Scotia
New Zealander Martin Knight and Scot Kristen Johnson, neither of whom were expected to be battling for a place in the semi-finals, produced a marathon 81-minute quarter-final encounter in the Bluenose Squash Classic in Canada – which ended with unseeded Knight taking his place in the last four of the new PSA Tour event in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Both had played exceptionally well to advance through tough opening round draws and picked up where they left off. Extra points in the fifth game is always a good sign for the crowd and it only got better from 10-6 match ball for Knight. Johnson, a 20-year-old qualifier, went for a backhand cross court nick at the start of that rally and played through three more to begin the comeback to 10-10.
What had looked inevitable was now back even on a Knight error. Needing to win by two points, both players took time out, almost by unspoken agreement, to do the equivalent of a backhand drill down the wall for about 30 hits. It was the calm before the storm when Knight took advantage to 11-10 before Johnson sent him the wrong way and levelled it again at 11-11. An unlucky front wall nick popped the ball out to the middle, a stroke was awarded to Knight and he finally finished it in style to record a 10-11 (0-2), 11-1, 7-11, 11-5, 11-10 (3-1) victory.
The 22-year-old from Auckland will now face Colombia's second seed Bernard Samper, who beat regional rival Jose Angel Becerril 11-10 (7-5), 11-4 when the Mexican retired injured after 26 minutes with a muscle pull in the upper leg.
Top seed Shawn Delierre will lead local interest in the other semi-final after overcoming qualifier Keith Pritchard, also from Canada, 11-2 11-8 11-4 in 26 minutes. The 23-year-old from Montreal will face Hungarian Andras Torok after the fourth seed defeated unseeded Welshman Rob Sutherland 11-9, 10-11 (0-2), 11-2, 11-8 in 48 minutes.