Lee Sets Up Surprise All-English Semi In Iran
1st round:
[1] Tom Richards (ENG) bt Chris Truswell (ENG) 14-12, 11-9, 11-7 (34m)
Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt [7] James Snell (ENG) 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6 (51m)
[4] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) bt [Q] Alireza Sanaei (IRI) 11-2, 11-6, 11-6 (15m)
[6] Joe Lee (ENG) bt [Q] Ahmed Hawas (EGY) 11-1, 11-9, 11-2 (24m)
Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [8] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 3-11, 12-10 (35m)
[3] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [Q] Farhan Zaman (PAK) 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (29m)
[Q] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt [5] Shaun le Roux (ENG) 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 (29m)
[2] Dylan Bennett (NED) bt Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour (IRI) 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 (17m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Tom Richards (ENG) bt Gary Wheadon (RSA) 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (27m)
[6] Joe Lee (ENG) bt [4] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11 (48m)
[3] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7
[2] Dylan Bennett (NED) bt [Q] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 6-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10 (72m)
Joe Lee, the sixth seed from Surrey, set up a surprise all-English semi-final in the Kish Persian Gulf Cup when he upset fourth-seeded Pakistani Khawaja Adil Maqbool in the quarter-finals of the $10,000 PSA Tour squash event at the Kish Olympic Squash Centre in Kish Island, Iran.
The London-born 19-year-old battled for 48 minutes to overcome Maqbool, ranked 37 places higher in the world, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11 in the third men's Tour event to be staged in Iran this year.
Lee will now face St George's Hill club-mate Tom Richards, the event favourite who despatched unseeded South African Gary Wheadon 11-4, 11-6, 11-4.
The other semi-final will feature South African Stephen Coppinger and Dutchman Dylan Bennett. Third seed Coppinger recovered from a game down to beat Austrian Aqeel Rehman 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7, while second seed Bennett was taken the full distance before overcoming Egyptian qualifier Mazen Gamal 6-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10 in 72 minutes.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Tom Richards (ENG) v [6] Joe Lee (ENG)
[2] Dylan Bennett (NED) v [3] Stephen Coppinger (RSA)