Beng Hee Battles To Australian Open Semis

Top-seeded Malaysian Ong Beng Hee was forced to save a match ball in the fifth game before eventually subduing the challenge of New Zealand's Martin Knight in today's men's quarter-finals of the Clare Valley Australian Open in Clare, South Australia.

World number 14 Beng Hee won the first game easily - but was then locked in fierce battle with the seventh-seeded Kiwi before winning 11-2, 9-11, 13-11, 10-12, 13-11 in the best match of the $30,000 PSA Tour tournament to date.

The 29-year-old from Penang now takes on New South Welshman Cameron Pilley in the semi-finals, with the winner to play either three-time champion Stewart Boswell or classy Egyptian Tarek Momen.

"I think after I won the first game easily I relaxed too much, but that is probably the best Martin has played against anyone," said the Malaysian. "He made it hard for me to volley and step forward. All credit to him, I was very lucky to win."

Earlier 26-year-old Pilley continued his dominance over Hobart's Aaron Frankcomb with a hard fought 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 win. Pilley, the world number 22, conceded he would have to lift his game if he was to reach the final after beating Frankcomb for the eighth consecutive time.

"I'm playing well enough to beat Aaron in three - Aaron's a good player but he's number 40 in the world," Pilley said. "Beng Hee's pushing top 10 so I will have to step it up another gear."

Momen was in breathtaking form as he cruised into the semi-finals with an 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 win over unseeded Australian Scott Arnold of Sydney. Boswell looked equally comfortable in his 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 win over New Zealand's Campbell Grayson.

In the women's $18,700 WISPA World Tour event, top seed Kasey Brown showed she is still the one to beat when she downed the Czech Republic's Olga Ertlova 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 to claim a place in the semis.

Champion in 2006 and runner-up for the past two years, Brown took advantage of eighth-seeded Ertlova's inexperience on the glass court as she raced away with the first two games. The Czech player came back into the match as she adjusted to the conditions but Brown was too steady in the closing stages and came back from 4-7 down in the third to close out the match.

She will now play New Zealand's Joelle King in the semi-finals, just as she did at the same stage in 2008.

King reached the last four with an upset win over fourth-seeded Queenslander Lisa Camilleri 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-6.

"I'm looking forward to playing Kasey, I haven't played her since last year - and it's a good occasion as well," the 20-year-old said.

King has been in top form heading into the Australian Open, winning the state titles in Sydney and Melbourne and she showed she cannot be discounted this year as she beat Camilleri for the second time in three weeks.

"I've put in a lot of hard work this year and I've got a good team behind me at home, and the results are showing."

The second semi-final will be between defending champion Annie Au of Hong King and Donna Urquhart from New South Wales. Au was forced to fight hard to overcome Australian Amelia Pittock 9-11, 11-6, 11-7 11-3 while Urquhart demolished Au's countrywoman Elise Ng 11-5, 11-6, 11-6.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [7] Martin Knight (NZL) 11-2, 9-11, 13-11, 10-12, 13-11 (83m)
[3] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [6] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 (56m)
[4] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Scott Arnold (AUS) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 (20m)
[2] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [8] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (34m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [8] Olga Ertlova (CZE) 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 (26m)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) bt [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 (36m)
[3] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [5] Elise Ng (HKG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (19m)
[2] Annie Au (HKG) bt [7] Amelia Pittock (AUS) 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (31m)