RESULTS: Comfort Inn Squash Open, Vancouver, Canada
Quarter-finals:
[1] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [7] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2 (54m)
[5] Martin Knight (NZL) bt [3] Tom Richards (ENG) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 (42m)
[8] Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt [4] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) 11-5, 12-10, 12-10 (60m)
[6] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [2] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7 (60m)
New Zealanders Martin Knight and Campbell Grayson pulled off impressive upsets in the quarter-finals of the Comfort Inn Open to earn unexpected places in the last four of the $20,000 PSA World Tour squash event at Evergreen Squash Club in Vancouver, Canada.
Knight, the fifth seed from Wellington, battled for 42 minutes to overcome England's third seed Tom Richards 11-9, 11-8, 11-8.
"Richards seemed distracted by decisions that went against him early on and never seemed to shake off the ill effect," said tournament spokesman Paul Marley. "Martin stayed focused and was relentless on the attack to secure his impressive victory."
Later, close compatriot Campbell Grayson, the sixth seed from Auckland, removed the event's No2 seed. After dropping the first game, Colombia's highest-ever ranked player Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the world No27, took the second to draw level.
But 23-year-old Grayson, ranked 22 places lower, kept his focus and went on to beat Rodriguez 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7 in exactly one hour.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [5] Martin Knight (NZL)
[6] Campbell Grayson (NZL) v [8] Arturo Salazar (MEX)