Peter perfect as Swiss number three leads the upsets in St Louis
By MICHAEL CATLING – Squash Mad Reporter
Switzerland’s Reiko Peter sprung a surprise by ousting fifth seed Lewis Walters 3-1 in the opening round of the Emerson Racquet Club Pro Series in St Louis, Missouri.
The unseeded 24-year-old, who reached the semi-finals of the IMET Open last month, recovered from a game down to defeat US-based Englishman Walters 9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-8 in 58 minutes and secure an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of the PSA Challenger 10 event at The Racquet Club.
The world number 119 will meet number three seed Arturo Salazar for a place in the last four, after the Mexican fought back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Taiwan’s James Huang 11-5, 3-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-1.
Meanwhile, top seed Nabil Iqbal swatted aside fellow Pakistani Karamatullah Khan in straight games to book a quarter-final showdown with Dutch number six seed Sebastiaan Weenink, who dropped just eight points en route to despatching Matthew Serediak of Canada.
In the top half of the draw, Frenchman Geoffrey Demont failed to endorse his number eight seeding as Spaniard Alejandro Garbi Caro prevailed 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 in 32 minutes.
The world number 107 from Castellon faces Qatari teenager Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi in the last eight, after the fourth seed overcame 45-year-old event promoter Michael Puertas 11-4, 11-7, 12-14, 11-5.
German second seed Raphael Kandra remains on course for a fourth PSA Tour titles in 11 months after easing past Canada’s Fred Reid in straight games.
Pakistan’s Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari awaits the world number 69 in the next round, after the seventh seed overcame a first game wobble to advance at the expense of Baba Tunde Ajagbe 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.
Quarter-Final Draw:
[2] Raphael Kandra (GER) v [7] Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (PAK)
[4] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) v Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP)
[3] Arturo Salazar (MEX) v Reiko Peter (SUI)
[1] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) v [6] Sebastiaan Weenink (NED)
First Round Results:
[2] Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-0 Fred Reid (CAN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (28m)
[7] Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (PAK) 3-1 Baba Tunde Ajagbe (NGR) 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (51m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 3-0 [8] Geoffrey Demont (FRA) 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 (32m)
[4] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 3-1 Michael Puertas (USA) 11-4, 11-7, 12-14, 11-5 (41m)
[3] Arturo Salazar (MEX) 3-2 James Huang (TPE) 11-5, 3-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-1 (46m)
Reiko Peter (SUI) 3-1 [5] Lewis Walters (ENG) 9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-8 (58m)
[6] Sebastiaan Weenink (NED) 3-0 Matthew Serediak (CAN) 11-1, 11-4, 11-3 (30m)
[1] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) 3-0 Karamatullah Khan (PAK) 11-7, 11-3, 11-1 (24m)
Picture by Steve Cubbins (SquashSite)