Sheffield Star Dethrones Champion At The Crucible

Sheffield squash star Nick Matthew recovered from two games down - and saved four match balls in the fifth game decider - to dethrone defending champion and favourite Lee Beachill after a nail-biting tie-break in tonight's quarter-finals of the Mamut English Open, hosted by Sheffield City Council, at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

Despite never having beaten his Yorkshire and England team-mate before, Matthew had taken the world No2 from Pontefract the full distance in their previous two meetings this year. But after defeating Australia's former world No4 Stewart Boswell 24 hours earlier - a tough first round confrontation he called 'a blessing in disguise' - the fifth seed was eager to end the hoodoo that Beachill had on him.

The top seed was in fine form in the first two games and built up a 4-0 advantage in the third. "I told myself to dig in at this point and get more composure into my game," explained the ecstatic Matthew after his 6-11 7-11 11-6 11-9 11-10 triumph in 93 minutes - the longest match of the tournament.

"I began to construct the rallies better and soon the momentum was going my way. But when we got into the decider, I remembered that I'd done this to him in the Super Series Finals in May - then he made me look stupid in the fifth!

"Lee is someone for whom I've always had a lot of respect, and to have finally beaten him is a huge honour," added Matthew, now a Crucible semi-finalist in his home town for the first time in three years. "This is definitely the best win of my career."

Matthew will now face another Yorkshireman - former world junior champion James Willstrop, who earlier delighted the crowd by beating qualifier Peter Barker in straight games to become the first player through to Saturday's semi-finals

After countless confrontations at junior level, this was only the pair's third meeting as seniors - but the 22-year-old from Pontefract was able to maintain his unbeaten record with an 11-5 11-10 11-3 victory in 42 minutes.

"We always have tough matches, but I was glad to get through 3/0," said the fourth seed afterwards. "Peter's improving all the time, so I had to play well. My next match is going to be a big game, either way. But I'm ready to win it," added Willstrop.

Third seed Peter Nicol maintained his recent form to come through the second quarter-final of the evening in fine style, beating Australia's Joseph Kneipp 11-10 11-2 11-6 in 42 minutes. The former world number one, who is also a co-promoter of the event, is in the last four for only the second time in three years - and eager to progress further for the first time!

His opponent will be Scotland's sixth seed John White, the 2003 champion, who survived a late five-game match against unseeded Finn Olli Tuominen - saving two match balls in the decider to win 11-10 7-11 11-7 8-11 11-10 in 87 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Jenny Duncalf extended the Yorkshire interest at the Crucible when she despatched English compatriot Lauren Briggs in the first round of the Eventis Women's English Open.

The top seed from Harrogate, ranked a career-high nine in the world, beat Briggs 9-1 9-3 9-2 to set up a semi-final meeting with 21-year-old Alison Waters, a 3/4 seed from London. Waters, a surprise finalist in the British Championships earlier in the year, brushed aside Lancashire's Rebecca Botwright 9-4 9-2 9-2.

The Botwright family had cause for celebration in the last women's match of the day when older sister Vicky Botwright defeated Pakistan's Carla Khan. Despite losing her way in the third game, the second seed from Manchester triumphed 9-0 9-1 5-9 9-1 to earn a semi-final clash with Irish champion Madeline Perry.

Men's quarter-finals:
[5] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [1] Lee Beachill (ENG) 6-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-10 (5-3) (93m)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [Q] Peter Barker (ENG) 11-5, 11-10 (3-1), 11-3 (42m)
[3] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [8] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-2, 11-6 (42m)
[6] John White (SCO) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 11-10 (3-1), 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-10 (2-0) (87m)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Lauren Briggs (ENG) 9-1, 9-3, 9-2 (25m)
[3/4] Alison Waters (ENG) bt Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-4, 9-2, 9-2 (30m)
[3/4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Pamela Nimmo (SCO) 9-1, 9-7, 9-4 (29m)
[2] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Carla Khan (PAK) 9-0, 9-1, 5-9, 9-1 (33m)