Finitsis Maintains Giant-Killing Run In South Australian Open

Australian Steve Finitsis battled for 90 minutes to pull off his second upset in two days when he beat fourth seed Simon Carruthers 9-11, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-10 (2-0) in today's quarter-finals of the Mortgage Choice South Australian Open in Somerton, Australia.

The unseeded 23-year-old from Innisfail's surprise semi-final appearance will guarantee domestic interest in the final. Finitsis will meet compatriot Mike Corren, the No7 seed who ended the run of New Zealand qualifier Sam Atkins in an 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 defeat in 21 minutes.

There was New Zealand success in the top half of the men's draw when eighth seed Kashif Shuja upset Australian Cameron White, the third seed, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6. Shuja will meet top-seeded Australian Dan Jenson for a place in the final.

The women's semi-final line-up is an all-Australian affair: Unseeded Donna Urquhart, who stunned the top seed in the first round, maintained her winning ways in the quarter-finals with a 9-7, 9-4, 4-9, 9-5 victory over fellow Aussie Rachel Smith in 55 minutes. The 19-year-old from Queensland now meets fourth seed Dianne Desira.

The other semi-final will give Adelaide's second seed Melissa Martin the chance to avenge her shock defeat by 19-year-old Kasey Brown in the Naracoorte Open earlier in the month. Martin beat Hong Kong's fifth seed Christina Mak 9-3, 9-7, 9-4, while third seed Brown brushed aside eighth-seeded compatriot Lisa Camilleri 9-6, 9-2, 9-1.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Dan Jenson (AUS) bt [6] Jason Mudge (AUS) 11-9, 11-1, 11-5 (45m)
[8] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt [3] Cameron White (AUS) 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (47m)
Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt [4] Simon Carruthers (AUS) 9-11, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-10 (2-0) (90m)
[7] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [Q] Sam Atkins (NZL) 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 (21m)

Women's quarter-finals:
Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Rachel Smith (AUS) 9-7, 9-4, 4-9, 9-5 (55m)
[4] Dianne Desira (AUS) bt [7] Lim Yoke Wah (MAS) 9-6, 10-8, 9-4 (27m)
[3] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [8] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 9-6, 9-2, 9-1 (35m)
[2] Melissa Martin (AUS) bt [5] Christina Mak (HKG) 9-3, 9-7, 9-4 (35m)