RESULTS: Wolverhampton Squash Open, Wolverhampton, England
1st round:
[1] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Kashif Shuja (NZL) 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (45m)
[5] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [Q] Yasir Butt (PAK) 6-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4 (79m)
[Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [3] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 (51m)
[6] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Simon Rosner (GER) 11-7, 11-7, 11-2 (24m)
[8] Chris Ryder (ENG) bt [Q] Amr Swelim (ITA) 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5 (49m)
[4] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 13-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 (54m)
[7] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (40m)
[2] Alister Walker (ENG) bt [Q] John Rooney (IRL) 11-7, 11-1, 13-11 (44m)
Kiwi qualifier Campbell Grayson pulled off a stunning upset on the opening day of the Wolverhampton Open when he battled to a four-game win over third seed Aamir Atlas Khan – ranked almost 40 places higher in the world – to claim a surprise place in the quarter-finals of the $20,000 PSA World Tour squash event in its fourth year at Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club in Wolverhampton, England.
The 23-year-old from Auckland upstaged Khan, sending the world number 14 out of the tournament with an 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 victory in 51 minutes. The triumph marks Grayson's first ever Tour win over a top 20 player.
The world number 53 will now face sixth-seeded Englishman Jonathan Kemp, the Wolverhampton-born world number 28 who beat Germany's highest-ranked player Simon Rosner 11-7, 11-7, 11-2.
Laurens Jan Anjema, the top seed from the Netherlands who was runner-up last year, had to work hard to overcome New Zealand’s Kashif Shuja before earning his place in the next round with an 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 win.
The world No13 will face England's Joey Barrington after the fifth seed survived a physical encounter against Yasir Butt, finally beating the Pakistan qualifier 6-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4 after 79 minutes.
Indeed, there will be domestic interest in all four quarter-finals after second seed Alister Walker and eighth seed Chris Ryder also prevailed. Walker, who is celebrating a career-high world No12 ranking, eased through with a resounding 11-7, 11-1, 13-11 win over Irish qualifier John Rooney.
Walker will now face Davide Bianchetti following the Italian's straightforward 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 win over Englishman Jaymie Haycocks.
Chris Ryder marked his return to the club where he used to be the squash pro with an 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5 victory over Italian qualifier Amr Swelim. The 29-year-old from Leamington Spa will now take on Malaysian Ong Beng Hee for a place in the semi-finals.
The fourth seed from Penang despatched Egypt's Omar Abdel Aziz 13-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 in an enthralling and entertaining 54-minute victory.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v [5] Joey Barrington (ENG)
[Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) v [6] Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[4] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v [8] Chris Ryder (ENG)
[2] Alister Walker (ENG) v [7] Davide Bianchetti (ITA)