Schnells Lose Chicago Shootouts
by Howard Harding

26 October 2013 - It was the end of the road for Andrew and Graeme Schnell in the Chicago Open in the USA when the Canadian brothers both fell in the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at Life Time Athletic in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Qualifier Graeme took a game from Frenchman Joan Lezaud but was unable to stop the 27-year-old from Aix-en-Provence winning 11-9, 13-11, 4-11, 11-6 to become the only unseeded player to make the semi-finals.

Lezaud goes on to face fourth seed Eric Galvez after the 30-year-old Mexican battled to a 14-12, 5-11, 11-9, 15-13 victory over higher-ranked South African Clinton Leeuw.

Andrew Schnell, the younger but higher-ranked of the Calgary siblings, met his match in top-seeded New Zealander Martin Knight. The world No47 from Auckland recorded his second straight games win in the event when he despatched 21-year-old Schnell 11-5, 11-9, 11-7.

Graeme Schnell (left) and Andrew Schnell pictured with Extended Stay Manager Beth Mikoley and Hotel sponsor Ashley

Knight will face Farhan Zaman for a place in the final after the third-seeded Pakistani ended qualifier Karim El Hammamy's run when he beat the 17-year-old Egyptian 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7.

RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Chicago Open, Vernon Hills, Illinois, USA

Quarter-finals:
[1] Martin Knight (NZL) bt Andrew Schnell (CAN) 11-5, 11-9, 11-7
[3] Farhan Zaman (PAK) bt [Q] Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7
[4] Eric Galvez (MEX) bt Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 14-12, 5-11, 11-9, 15-13
Joan Lezaud (FRA) bt [Q] Graeme Schnell (CAN) 11-9, 13-11, 4-11, 11-6

Semi-final line-up:
[1] Martin Knight (NZL) v [3] Farhan Zaman (PAK)
Joan Lezaud (FRA) v [4] Eric Galvez (MEX)