Pilley (AU) scrapes into quarters of British Open

Published: 24 May 2013 - 16:17 by rippa rit

Updated: 24 May 2013 - 16:22

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Squash Australia reports:

"Australia’s Cameron Pilley pulled off the biggest upset of the British Open when he downed sixth seeded Egyptian Mohamed El Shorbagy in five games in Hull on Thursday.

Pilley staged a miraculous comeback to recover from two games and 9-3 down to stun a shattered El Shorbagy and win 13-15, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6, 13-11 on a bitterly cold day on the all-glass court set up on the playing surface at the Hull City football club.

Pilley saved match points in the fifth game, trailing 8-10 and 10-11 in the decider, before finding a way to steal the points which most mattered.

"You have to have faith in yourself - it was under control all the time," he joked. "Seriously though, I am not too sure," he replied to the question of how he had turned it around.

"There had been no real purpose to my game, and he was just killing me. But I relaxed a bit and straightened it up a bit.

"I was also very determined. He had beaten me the last four times, so I'm very happy to get away with a win there."

Shorbagy struggled to cope with Pilley’s reach, as the Australian slowly gained control of the mid-court.

Towards the end of the fifth game Shorbagy played a cross-court drive on his first match point, which allowed Pilley a chance for a cut-off volley drop winner, then was refused a let by the referee on the second, and put a backhand drop into the tin for the third.

Pilley completed his startling comeback on his first match point when Shorbagy attempted a low cross court forehand drive from a deep position, only to drill the ball into the tin.

Pilley now plays third seed James Willstrop in the quarters after the Yorkshireman accounted for German Simon Rosner 11-9, 11-1, 11-6 in a match that was moved indoors after rain made the court unplayable.

Second round results

Men

1-Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-2, 11-4, 11-9

8-Borja Golan (ESP) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4

Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt 6-Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 13-15, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6, 13-11

3-James Willstrop (ENG) bt Simon Rosner (GER) 11-9, 11-1, 11-6

Women

8 -Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 14-12, 11-4, 11-4

3-Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt 11-Madeline Perry (IRL) 11-7, 12-10, 11-5

4-Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt 5-Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 16-14, 11-7, 11-8

2-Laura Massaro (ENG) v 15-Dipika Pallikal (IND) 7-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6"