RESULTS: Kent Open, Maidstone, England


Quarter-finals:
[1] Alan Clyne (SCO) bt [5] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (35m)
[6] Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt [4] Joe Lee (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (43m)
[3] John Rooney (IRL) bt [8] Ben Ford (ENG) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (41m)
[Q] Jonathan Harford (ENG) bt [Q] Chris Truswell (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 12-10 (41m)


Top-seeded Scot Alan Clyne was too fast and too accurate for young Malaysian Ivan Yuen in the Kent Open, completing a clean sweep of straight-game results in the quarter-finals of the new $10,000 One Star PSA World Tour squash event taking place at The Mote Squash Club in Maidstone in the English county of Kent.

Clyne won 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 in 35 minutes to confirm his status as the tournament favourite. From 3-1 down in the opening game, the 23-year-old from Edinburgh dominated throughout, never allowing his opponent to put more than two points together as he controlled the scoreboard.

Clyne has one of the best counter-drops in the game and showed that as he nullified the Malaysian's touch play at the front of the court. The Scot now takes on tough Dutchman Piedro Schweertman, who produced a performance of power and precision to upset England's No4 seed Joe Lee.

Lee lost a tight first game and will be kicking himself for blowing a 6-2 lead in the second. Schweertman maintained his ice-cool composure to dominate the third game - but the 26-year-old from The Hague will need to repeat that form to trouble Clyne, who beat him in straight games in the recent final of the West of Ireland Open in Galway.

Jonathan Harford outplayed his Birmingham housemate Chris Truswell to reach the semi-finals. In the battle of two qualifiers, Harford was always the more consistent player, mixing accurate drops with tight, deep drives to clinch a deserved victory which gives him bragging rights in the Edgbaston suburb of Birmingham.

Harford meets John Rooney in the semi-finals after the Irish No3 seed also won in straight games in an identical match time of 41 minutes.

Ford, the Kent captain and county coach, began strongly and opened up an 8-3 lead before Rooney began to work his way into the match, amazingly winning eight points in a row to take the opening game 11-8.

Ford won the first two points of the second game but again Rooney countered strongly to lead 7-2. This time it was Ford's turn to fight back and a run of five points brought him level at 7-7. Again the score see-sawed and Rooney bagged the next three points to reach game ball. He clinched the game 11-8 and Ford was facing a tough challenge getting back into the match.

The third game was level pegging until 7-7 when Rooney won four of the next five points to clinch his place in the last four.

Semi-final line-up:
[1] Alan Clyne (SCO) v [6] Piedro Schweertman (NED)
[Q] Jonathan Harford (ENG) v [3] John Rooney (IRL)