Pilley Punishes Matthew In Windy City Shock

England's three-time World Champion Nick Matthew suffered a shock defeat in the second round of the 2018 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, crashing out at the hands of Australia's world No.20 Cameron Pilley.

35-year-old Pilley put together one of his best ever performances against Matthew to secure his first win over the 37-year-old Englishman since the 2015 Hong Kong Open - capturing an 11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-7 victory in 67 minutes under the chandeliers of the Cathedral Hall at the University Club of Chicago.

The Australian took the first game before a resilient Matthew battled back in the second. However, from then on Pilley played with confidence to close out the win and reach the quarter-finals in Chicago for the first time in his career.

"We have played so many times in our career and I think that's only my fourth ever win over him," said Pilley.

"Given what Nick's achieved over his whole career - he is one of the best ever players - and even though he is coming to the end of his career, I'm quite happy to notch up a win here in Chicago.

"Because I haven't had a lot of success against him you know that your game plan might be wrong. He has nullified that so many times before that you second guess how you want to play.

"In a way it's a privilege to beat him in his last season because he's so up for every tournament because he knows every city he visits will be the last time he competes there."

The Australian will now face Egypt's world No.3 Ali Farag in the quarter-finals after he downed Pilley's countryman Ryan Cuskelly in straight games.

"I had the right game plan today and had to work on winning the battle in the back corners and I think I managed to do that," said Farag.

"It never got easier. But the more I dragged him backwards, the more the front court opened up. I was happy with how I played and with how I kept my discipline."

Meanwhile in the women's event, Farag's wife Nour El Tayeb produced a tenacious comeback against Tesni Evans to save four match balls before claiming a huge 3/2 victory over the world No.12 from Wales.

The Egyptian was staring down the barrel of defeat in the fourth game as Evans - the new British National champion - played with accuracy and flair to punish the world No.3. Evans held four match balls before El Tayeb turned it around to take the pivotal fourth game by a 14-12 margin and go on to win the match.

"My coach and Ali [Farag] have always told me that I have to dig in no matter the score," said El Tayeb.

"She played unbelievably well and was reading me all over the court. I was struggling, every time I played a shot, she was there. I just had to dig in and I'm very lucky to be through to the next round.

"The fifth game was very hard mentally but I'm sure it was harder for her because she had the match balls. I think I tried to relax a bit in the fifth, so I could play my squash and I think I did that."

El Tayeb now sets up a quarter-final clash with compatriot Nour El Sherbini after the top seed eased past American hope Olivia Blatchford by an 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 margin while England's Sarah-Jane Perry and Camille Serme of France completed the winners on day three of action.