WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Tech Valley Squash Open, Albany, NY, USA

1st round:
[1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt Paul Davis (AUS) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8
[6] Ian Power (CAN) bt Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) 11-8, 11-2, 11-8
Sam Miller (ENG) bt [3] Lars Harms (SUI) 5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8
Morten W Sorensen (DEN) bt [7] Nicholas Kyme (BER) 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5
[8] Laurent Elriani (FRA) bt Ben Howell (ENG) 11-0, 11-9, 11-2
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt [4] Callum O'Brien (NZL) 6-11, 11-6, 11-10 (4-2), 11-3
[5] Shawn De Lierre (CAN) bt Mark Andrew Burke (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0)
[2] Mark Heather (ENG) bt Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) 11-7, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9

De Lierre Survives First Totally Tie-Break Tussle

Canadian Shawn De Lierre made his mark in squash history when he won his first round match in the Tech Valley Open in Albany, USA, with all the games resolved by tie-breaks - becoming the first player to do so.

Introduced by the Professional Squash Association at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open in August, the new scoring system on the men's circuit brings in tie-breaks when the game score reaches 10-10 - the winner being the first to gain a two point advantage thereafter. 

Fifth seed De Lierre beat unseeded Australian Mark Andrew Burke 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0) - and now faces England's No2 seed Mark Heather in the quarter-finals.

Two of the top four seeds crashed out of the event in notable first day upsets:  Switzerland's Lars Harms, the No3 seed, won his opening game - but England's Sam Miller stormed back to claim a 5-11 11-8 11-8 11-8 victory and an unexpected place in the last eight.

New Zealand's Callum O'Brien, now based in the Netherlands, also let slip a first game lead before bowing out 6-11 11-6 11-10 11-3 to Australian Aaron Frankcomb.