RESULTS: Edmonton Open Squash Championship, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
1st round:
[1] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt [Q] Robin Clarke (CAN) 5-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-7
[7] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [Q] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-5, 6-11, 11-4, 11-3
[4] Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Liam Kenny (IRL) 11-4 ret.
[8] Scott Arnold (AUS) bt Jens Schoor (GER) 13-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [5] Amr Swelim (ITA) 11-5, 12-10, 12-10
[3] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt [Q] Eddie Charlton (ENG) 11-2, 11-3, 11-6
Matthew Giuffre (CAN) bt [6] Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8
[2] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt [Q] David Phillips (CAN) 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 6-11, 11-8
Home town boy Matthew Giuffre produced a perfect win at the end of the day in the first round of the Edmonton Open when he upset sixth seed Julien Balbo to claim an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the $20,000 PSA World Tour squash event at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton, Canada.
The 27-year-old wild card player from Edmonton defied his world ranking of 175 to overcome Frenchman Balbo - ranked over 100 places higher - 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8. Runner-up in the inaugural Edmonton Open in 2008, Giuffre is competing in only his second PSA Tour event of the year.
Unseeded Giuffre now faces second seed Aaron Frankcomb in the Australian's second successive clash with a Canadian. The 24-year-old from Hobart defeated Montreal qualifier David Phillips 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 6-11, 11-8.
South African Stephen Coppinger became another surprise quarter-finalist when he upset fifth-seeded Italian Amr Swelim 11-5, 12-10, 12-10. It was shock defeat for the Cairo-based world No39 who reached the finals of his two previous Tour events in November.
Coppinger, the world No48 fresh from his unexpected triumph in last month's Leinster Open in Ireland, now takes on Egypt's third seed Omar Abdel Aziz for a place in the last four.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Shahier Razik (CAN) v [7] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[4] Chris Simpson (ENG) v [8] Scott Arnold (AUS)
[3] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) v Stephen Coppinger (RSA)
[2] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) v Matthew Giuffre (CAN)