Temple & Grayson Forge On In Australian Open

Top seed David Palmer now leads domestic interest in the Clare Valley Australian Open exclusively after England's Robbie Temple and New Zealander Campbell Grayson continued their giant-killing ways in the men's $26,000 PSA Tour squash event in its second year at the Valleys Lifestyle Centre in Clare in South Australia.

Top seed Kasey Brown is also the only home player who survived the quarter-finals of the women's $16,000 WISPA World Tour event after the demise of three Australians.

Kiwi qualifier Campbell Grayson caused the biggest shock when he beat second seed Chris Ryder in a marathon quarter-final. Grayson, who had to win two rounds of qualifying just to make the main draw, beat the Englishman 14-12, 11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9 to record a win he rated as the most important of his career.

He now plays fellow Kiwi Kashif Shuja in the semi-finals. Third seed Shuja beat Australian Scott Arnold 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 - guaranteeing a New Zealand presence in the final of Australia's most prestigious squash tournament.

The second men's semi-final will be between former world champion Palmer and English surprise packet Robbie Temple. Palmer beat Pakistan's Khawaja Adil Maqbool 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 while Temple ousted fourth-seeded Australian Aaron Frankcomb 11-8, 11-6, 11-8.

Annie Au of Hong Kong and New Zealand's Joelle King shocked their higher-ranked opponents in the women's quarter-finals. Au upset third-seeded Australian Donna Urquhart 11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3, while King surprised fourth-seeded Christina Mak of Hong Kong 5-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.

King, a 19-year-old from the town of Cambridge in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, will play top-seeded Australian Kasey Brown. Brown celebrated her 23rd birthday in style with a tough 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 win over fifth-seeded compatriot Amelia Pittock.

The two Australians know each other's games well and it showed as they fought tenaciously for every point.

Annie Au will take on second seed Jaclyn Hawkes of New Zealand - an impressive 11-5, 11-6, 11-2 winner over Australia's Lisa Camilleri, the sixth seed.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] David Palmer (AUS) bt [8] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 (29m)
Robbie Temple (ENG) bt [4] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (52m)
[3] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt [5] Scott Arnold (AUS) 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (45m)
[Q] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [2] Chris Ryder (ENG) 14-12, 11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9 (79m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [5] Amelia Pittock (AUS) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (41m)
[8] Joelle King (NZL) bt [4] Christina Mak (HKG) 5-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (34m)
[7] Annie Au (HKG) bt [3] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3 (30m)
[2] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt [6] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 11-5, 11-6, 11-2 (18m)