Home hopes for success in the Tasmanian Open were dashed today when Austrian Aqeel Rehman upset fourth-seeded Australian Nathan Stevenson in straight games to reach the semi-finals of the PSA Challenger 5 squash event at Eastside Squash in Hobart, Tasmania.
The fifth seed from Salzburg, ranked 17 places below last year's runner-up Stevenson, defeated the lone Aussie left in the draw 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 in 37 minutes.
Rehman, aged 25, will now face top seed Bradley Hindle for a place in the final. The Maltese favourite was stretched to four games - and 74 minutes - by Englishman Anthony Graham before overcoming the No6 seed 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6.
There will be English interest in the other semi, however, when third seed Lewis Walters takes on Leo Au, the No2 seed from Hong Kong.
Walters, a 23-year-old from Nottingham, ended the brave run of Japanese qualifier Tsukue Shinnosuke - beating the 21-year-old from Tokyo 11-7, 11-2, 11-6. Shinnosuke, ranked just inside the world top 300, made his breakthrough in the opening round with a straight games defeat of Australia's No7 seed Josh Cardwell.
Au cruised to his third straight straight games win in the tournament, overcoming unseeded Czech Roman Svec 11-5, 11-6, 11-4.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Tasmanian Open, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
2nd round:
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8 (42m)
[6] Anthony Graham (ENG) bt Kevin Moran (SCO) 11-7, 5-11, 13-11, 11-3 (62m)
[5] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [Q] Norman Junge (GER) 11-8, 2-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5 (45m)
[4] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) bt Luke Sims (AUS) 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6 (36m)
[3] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt Chris Ferguson (SCO) 11-6, 1-0 ret. (10m)
[Q] Tsukue Shinnosuke (JPN) bt Jonas Daehler (SUI) 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-1 (35m)
Roman Svec (CZE) bt Owais Khan (PAK) 11-2, 2-11, 11-6, 6-11, 13-11 (54m)
[2] Leo Au (HKG) bt Ondrej Ertl (CZE) 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (26m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt [6] Anthony Graham (ENG) 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 (74m)
[5] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [4] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (37m)
[3] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt [Q] Tsukue Shinnosuke (JPN) 11-7, 11-2, 11-6 (29m)
[2] Leo Au (HKG) bt Roman Svec (CZE) 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (25m)
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) v [5] Aqeel Rehman (AUT)
[2] Leo Au (HKG) v [3] Lewis Walters (ENG)