Selby Secures Semi Slot In Zurich
by Howard Harding
26 April 2013 - England's defending champion Daryl Selby became the only unseeded player to make the semi-finals of the Grasshopper Cup in Switzerland after a double fight-back over local hero Nicolas Mueller in the PSA World Tour International 35 squash event at the Grasshopper Club in Zurich.
World No21 Mueller, the highest-ranked Swiss player of all-time and winner of a seventh successive Swiss national title at the weekend, is yet to beat the Englishman ranked seven places higher.
"Both athletes did their utmost and Nici was really asking for his first win against Daryl," said event spokesman Mark Meyer. "He won the first two games 11-9 and 11-6, when Daryl gave a first sign of life by winning the third 11-3.
"And then the game went crazy. Daryl turned a 1-6 defeat to a 9-6 lead, finishing the game 11-9 in his favour. Nici took it easy and started with 8-0 run into the fifth. And Daryl came back again, taking eight points in a row and finishing the match with another 11-9 game.
"The match had everything you can ask for in the sport of Squash," added Meyer of the 98-minute battle which was a repeat of the 2012 final.
Selby later admitted to his Twitter followers: "Not sure how I managed to win that match. Shows what can happen if you dig deep and hang in there."
The 30-year-old from Chelmsford now faces Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema after the third seed ended the brave run of Frenchman Gregoire Marche 11-5, 11-8, 11-9. The 23-year-old from Aix-en-Provence had reached the quarter-finals after a shock upset over England's world No20 Adrian Grant.
Top seed Borja Golan will contest the other semi-final as predicted. But the world No9 was pushed all the way by Andrew Wagih Shoukry before beating the 'lucky loser' from Egypt 11-6, 11-2, 12-14, 11-3.
Golan will line up against Alister Walker, the No4 seed from Botswana who quashed English qualifier Eddie Charlton 11-9, 11-4, 11-7.
RESULTS: PSA International 35 Grasshopper Cup, Zurich, Switzerland
Quarter-finals:
[1] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [LL] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) 11-6, 11-2, 12-14, 11-3
[4] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [Q] Eddie Charlton (ENG) 11-9, 11-4, 11-7
[3] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-9
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 9-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (98m)
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Borja Golan (ESP) v [4] Alister Walker (BOT)
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [3] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
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