Women’s number one seed Anna Kimberley withstood a full-on charge from Scotland’s Katriona Allen to book her place in the final four of the Arion Homes Off The Wall Squash PSA Open at Ipswich.
The Essex player held her nerve in a tense fifth game to quell the onslaught from Allen who won the first and fourth to set up a thrilling decider. “I knew I had to stay calm, dig in and play controlled squash,” said Kimberley. “Katriona is a true fighter, so I was pleased to come through mixing aggression and grit with a little calm and control.”
Kimberley faces another Scot, Georgia Adderley, in a semi-final encounter that promises much. Adderley removed Bruna Marchesi Petrillo in round one and the fast-improving Margot Prow in the quarter-final. The showdown with Kimberley is eagerly anticipated.
Unseeded Georgina Kennedy continued her run of sparkling form making in 36 wins out of 39 this year as she eased into the last four with win over Emilia Korhonen of Finland and Kace Bartley. She now goes head-to-head with No.2 seed Alison Thomson.
Daryl Selby and Brazilian opponent, Vini Rodrigues
The four top men’s seeds booked their places in the semi finals although for number one ranked player, Daryl Selby, it was a tough return to professional squash after a 16-month hiatus.
The England captain, playing in his 200th PSA event, had to dig deep to take out journeyman Vini Rodrigues, ranked 221 in the world, in a tough and enthralling five-game quarter-final that saw Selby two down and looking like he was on the ropes.
But if the gnarly Essex man was lacking in court time, he came packed with experience and a bloody-minded refusal to roll over. He hung in when many in the audience thought he was a goner and belied his 38 years with a rollicking comeback to book a last four appointment with Sussex’s Curtis Malik.
Josh Masters overcame fellow England player James Peach and will take on two seed Rui Soares after his 3-1 disposal of Tom Walsh.
