London pair progresses into British Grand Prix quarters

London,Londoners Adrian Grant and Peter Barker booked themselves into the quarter-finals of the ROWE British Grand Prix after impressive victories in today's second round of the PSA World Series squash event in its second year at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.

The ROWE British Grand Prix - Manchester 2011, the fourth of nine PSA World Series championships in 2011 - and the biggest squash event to be staged in the UK this year - has attracted a star-studded field featuring 16 of the world's top 20 players, including six former world number ones. Grant, a former world No9 fighting back after a career-threatening hip injury, faced fellow countryman James Willstrop, the world No4 who finished as runner-up in the inaugural event last year. Left out of England's world championship team this summer, 30-year-old Grant showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with by upsetting the fourth-seeded Yorkshireman, the England number two, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 to claim an unexpected place in the last eight. Grant built up a 5-2 lead in the opening game before Willstrop fought back to move 6-5 up.

The underdog recovered the momentum to move to game-ball at 10-6 - but again Yorkshireman Willstrop battled back to win six points in a row to capture the first game. Midway through the second, Grant fell to the floor after turning on his ankle. His three-minute injury break was extended when it became clear that the thumb on his left hand was also bleeding. Seemingly unaffected by the break, Grant went on to win the next two games - and in the fourth, rallied back from 5-7 down to win six straight points to pull off the biggest victory since his layoff. Barker, the world No7, was delighted to record his first Tour win over Malaysian Mohammad Azlan Iskandar, ranked six places below. Later in the evening, world number one Nick Matthew joined his England team-mates in the quarter-finals a! fter dis patching Egyptian Mohammad Ali Anwar Reda 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 The 31-year-old from Sheffield will now line up against Barker for a place in the semis.

There was a further significant upset earlier in the day when unseeded Egyptian Omar Mosaad removed eighth seed Thierry Lincou 11-7, 6-11, 2-11, 11-5, 11-4 after a 66-minute battle. The world No14 from Cairo had only beaten illustrious Frenchman Lincou once before - and that was also after being 2/1 down. Mosaad's next opponent will be Karim Darwish, the third seed who survived an all-Egyptian clash with qualifier Tarek Momen, winning 11-7, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4. Two more Egyptians will line up at the last eight stage: Four-time world champion Amr Shabana had to be on top of his game to see off German qualifier Simon Rosner. Gregory Gaultier avenged Lincou's defeat by making sure of French interest in the last eight. The sixth seed from Aix-en-Provence defeated England's Daryl Selby 11-2, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4 in 61 minutes - repeating his win over the world No11 from Essex at the quarter-final stage last year. Ramy Ashour became the fourth Egyptian through when he beat Australian Cameron Pilley 11-7, 11-8, 12-14, 11-3. The title-holder from Cairo will now face Gaultier for a place in the semis.
2nd round results:

[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Mohammad Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 (38m)
[7] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Mohammad Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 (60m)
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [Q] Simon Rosner (GER) 11-9, 14-12, 4-11, 11-7 (54m)
Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [4] James Willstrop (ENG) 10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 (83m)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-7, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4 (48m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [8] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-7, 6-11, 2-11, 11-5, 11-4 (66m)
[6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-2, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4 (61m)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-7, 11-8, 12-14, 11-3 (62m)