Hithercroft Squash Open
Wallingford, England
By Howard Harding
Oxfordshire squash star Scott Handley delighted local supporters at the Hithercroft Open when he fought through to the semi-finals of the $10,000 PSA Tour event in its third year in his home town of Wallingford in England.
The 33-year-old third seed defeated eighth seed David Vidal, from Spain, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6 - and will now face second seed Mohamed El Shorbagy after the 17-year-old Egyptian ended English qualifier Joe Lee's brave run.
The other semi-final will be an all-English affair between favourite Tom Richards and fifth seed Ben Ford. Richards, from Surrey, beat Denmark's Morten W Sorensen 11-2, 11-4, 11-9, while Ford, from Kent, needed five games to overcome unseeded Irishman Arthur Gaskin 6-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-9, 9-11, 11-8.
Quarter-finals:
[1] Tom Richards (ENG) bt [7] Morten W Sorensen (DEN) 11-2, 11-4, 11-9 (33m)
[5] Ben Ford (ENG) bt Arthur Gaskin (IRL) 6-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-9, 9-11, 11-8
[3] Scott Handley (ENG) bt [8] David Vidal (ESP) 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6
[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [Q] Joe Lee (ENG) 11-9, 11-9, 11-6
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Tom Richards (ENG) v [5] Ben Ford (ENG)
[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) v [3] Scott Handley (ENG)
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