Hisham Earns Semi Slot In Chicago

Egypt's Hisham Mohd Ashour earned the only upset in the quarter-finals of the Sweet Home Chicago Open as the $30,000 PSA Tour event - billed as the first USA squash event to be held outdoors - had to return to the indoor courts at Chicago's Lakeshore Athletic Club as the rain in the city broke an all-time, one day, rainfall record of seven inches!

Cars became stranded on one of the major expressways into the city; O'Hare's Terminal Two was closed part of the day due to flooding; and golf courses became ponds overnight!

It was the final match of the evening in which sixth seed Ashour, the older brother of world No4 Ramy Ashour, varied the pace successfully against third seed Olli Tuominen to beat the Finn 6-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-9 in 42 minutes. The 29-year-old from Helsinki, who prefers playing a fast pace game, was hampered by Ashour's constant directional and pace changes.

Ashour, 26, from Cairo, will face England's Peter Barker, the No2 seed, in the semi-finals. The left-hander played measured squash, moving effortlessly around the court to beat Canada's Shahier Razik 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 in 39 minutes.

"I played a traditional English game; strong and determined," quipped the Londoner after the win.

The new three-referee system was well-used in the quarter-final clash between David Palmer, the top seed from Australia, and Englishman Daryl Selby - with the first and third games ending in tiebreakers.

Dead nicks and cross court volley nicks were just some of the shots in both players' arsenals. In the first, Palmer repeatedly found the tin on multiple forehand boasts. Then Palmer's error rate dropped in the second as he went on to win 12-14, 11-2, 12-10, 11-8 to leave seventh seed Selby shorthanded after 91 minutes of play.

Every US fan in the audience hoped that they had come to watch USA's eighth seed Julian Illingworth slay giant John White. In the best match of the night, Illingworth won the second and four games, staying steady and unfazed throughout.

But, after a marathon 115-minute encounter, it was US-based Scot White, the fourth seed, that prevailed 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 1-11, 11-9.

"It was frustrating, fun - and scary - playing him," a philosophical Illingworth admitted as he analyzed the match. "There were weird bounces because the floor undulates," added the 24-year-old from Portland, winner of four US national titles.

"I had to play more defensively since John attacks well and if I'd won the third I would have won the match."

White, the 35-year-old former world number one who is not yet willing to pass the baton to the next generation, felt there were "short balls I didn't read well that caught me off guard. Julian played well in the fourth. I give him full credit."

Semi-final action is planned outdoors on the glass court, pitting fellow Aussies David Palmer vs. John White on the top half of the draw and Hisham Ashour vs. Peter Barker on the bottom.

Quarter-finals:
[1] David Palmer (AUS) bt [7] Daryl Selby (ENG) 12-14, 11-2, 12-10, 11-8 (91m)
[4] John White (SCO) bt [8] Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 1-11, 11-9 (115m)
[6] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [3] Olli Tuominen (FIN) 6-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-9 (42m)
[2] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [5] Shahier Razik (CAN) 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (39m)