Essex’s Peter Barker continued his impressive recent sequence of results last night by cruising into the semi-finals of the $70,000 NetSuite Open in San Francisco.
The 31-year-old third seed, who was runner-up earlier this month in the China Open, overwhelmed Botswana’s Alister Walker 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 in 46 minutes.
The world no.8 now takes on second-seeded Egyptian Amr Shabana, whom he has not played since the 2013 World Series Finals.
Shabana, the four-time world champion and world no.5, ended Londoner Adrian Grant’s brave challenge 3/1, the eighth seed and world no.24 going down 11-6, 11-3, 6-11, 11-9 in 54 minutes.
Yorkshire-based Chris Simpson also bowed out at the quarter-final stage to a higher-ranked player, losing 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 in 31 minutes to world no.1 Gregory Gaultier.
The world no.25 had upset seventh-seeded Australian Cameron Pilley in a 96-minute, first-round marathon, triumphing 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10.
In his semi final match up, Barker gave his best display against Shabana for over six years but it was not enough to earn him a place in the final of the $70,000 event in San Francisco.
The London-born world no.8 looked as though he might score only his second career win against the 35-year-old Egyptian maestro in 10 PSATour meetings when he won the first game 11-6.
However, after the world no.5 levelled matters by claiming a keenly-contested second game 11-8, he took control against the 31-year-old third seed.
Second seed Shabana won both the third and fourth games 11-5 to run out a 3/1 winner in 55 minutes and clinch a clash with world no.1 Gregory Gaultier for the title.
Gaultier took the title beating Shabana in three.
Report courtesy of EnglandSqushAndRacketball.com