Fri 13th, Day FIVE:
Quarters Day
The main events were entirely on the glass court from today,
with eight matches from noon, while the Masters continued
all day as the draws reached the semi-final stages ..
Quarter-Finals:
[5/8] Victoria Lust
3-1 [3/4] Madeline Perry
8/11, 11/8, 11/7, 11/9 (39m)
[3/4] Daryl Selby 3-0 [5/8] Tom Richards
16/14, 11/8, 11/6 (66m)
[1] Laura Massaro 3-2 [5/8] Emily Whitlock 11/13, 12/10, 9/11, 11/2, 11/4 (68m)
[5/8] Adrian Waller 3-0 Charles Sharpes
11/3, 11/3, 11/6 (38m)
[2] Alison Waters 3-0 [5/8] Jenny Duncalf
12/10, 11/5, 11/9 (35m)
[3/4] Chris Simpson 3-0 [5/8] Joe Lee
11/8, 11/3, 11/5 (44m)
[3/4] Sarah-Jane Perry 3-2 Fiona Moverley 11/9, 7/11, 11/8, 9/11, 11/8 (51m)
[1] Nick Matthew 3-0 [5/8] Alan Clyne
11/4, 11/6, 11/4 (38m)
Full Draws & Schedules
Lust through to semis, Massaro still on
track
 The
first match of the day produced a big upset as Victoria Lust,
now resident in Canada, ended Madeline Perry's run of
successive semi-finals, beating last year's runner-up in four
close games.
Perry made the better start, but towards the end of the first
Lust started to close down the Irish woman's lead, 9-4 became
9-7 and Perry took the lead 11-8.
 Lust
was on the front foot and ahead on the scoreboard for the next
three games though, and although Perry saved a couple of match
balls at the end of the fourth, a volley into the tin spelt the
end of her run and a big win for Lust.
"Very happy," said Lust, "that's a great result for me. It's
tough playing someone as experienced as Madeline, she knows how
to close out games and I could feel myself getting edgy as she
was coming back in the fourth. I just managed to stick in and
got through in the end!"
 Lust
faces illustrious opposition in the semis after top seed Laura
Massaro survived a five-game encounter with Emily Whitlock.
For three games there was nothing to choose between them,
Whitlock recovering from 8-10 to take the first 13-11, and
almost doing the same in the second but this time Massaro won
the extra-points to level 12-10.
Whitlock held on to a slight lead to take the third 11-9, but
Massaro seemed to up the pace from the outset of the fourth and
took charge of the match, winning those 11-2, 11-4 to keep alive
her hopes of a third National title.
 "Emily
played really well," said Massaro, her backhand was clinical and
just didn't give me any chances. At 2-1 down I decided that even
if it was glued to the wall I was going to have to volley it, I
was losing anyway so it was worth the risk. Phil [Whitlock] used
to coach me, and added a lot to my game, so he's clearly working
the same with Emily.
"At times like that I just have to remember that I've got my
name on the Nationals, the Worlds and the British Open trophies,
and use that to make sure I perform well."
Selby to face Waller
 The
first men's match was a marathon - 66 minutes for three games,
although 44 of those were for the first game alone!
There was nothing to split Daryl Selby and Tom
Richards in that first game, neither could get ahead, but
both had chances to take the game at the end. It was Selby, the
2011 champion here, who finally took the lead though, and
although the next two games were far from easy, Selby always had
his nose in front with Richards contributing a few errors - much
to his own disgust - to the cause.
 "I'm
delighted to win that, it felt longer than 3-0 though," said
Selby. "We don't usually play three-nils, but taking that first
was crucial, it gave me a bit of an edge going into the rest of
the match.
"It's great to see Tom coming back to his true level after the
time he's had with injuries though. It's a pity James [Willstop]
is missing, but that doesn't make it easier for me, there's
plenty of hungry young players gunning for the title, and I'll
have to be 100% focussed tomorrow whoever I play."
 Selby
will play Adrian Waller for a place in the final after
the 5/8 seed eased past Charles Sharpes in fairly quick
time. Waller was totally in control for the first two games,
taking them both 11/3. Sharpes hit back to lead 6-4 in the third
but Waller resumed control as he took the next seven points to
progress to his first semi-final.
"Charles and I play and train a lot, so we know each other's
games and sometimes it's hard to find something new to do,"
admitted Waller. "But I had the advantage of playing on this
court twice already, and it worked for me in the first two games
especially. He came back well but I managed to close it out."
Waters wins the reprise
 Strange
to see Alison Waters and Jenny Duncalf playing in
the quarter-finals, after all they contested the finals in 2007,
2009 and 2010, Duncalf winning the first two of those.
But while Duncalf's ranking has dropped, Waters' has risen, not
that you'd have realised that on the basis of a very even first
game - Duncalf led 7-4, Waters hit three volleys to level but
Duncalf edged ahead again 10-8. A couple of inopportune tins
cost Duncalf though as Waters took four points in a row to lead
12-10.
 The
defending champion was mostly in charge thereafter, taking the
second 11/5 and, after a 3-0 start, always keeping ahead in the
third despite Duncalf's pressing. It would take Waters three
match balls to clinch it 11/9, but clinch it she did with a
dying drive to the back.
"It felt weird to play Jenny in the quarters," admitted
Waters, "and I felt a little tense on there for a lot of the
match. That was hard work for a three-nil win but I'm pleased
with how I played and glad to be back in the semi-finals."
 Waters
will meet Sarah-Jane Perry, who just about got the better
of a very tight five setter against Fiona Moverley, all
five of the games close but Perry taking the first, third and
fifth much to her own relief.
"She's ranked what in the world?" [the answer is 94] said a
relieved Perry. "That was really tough, we were both fighting
for the middle, and if I put anything loose I didn't have a
chance.
 "It's
great to get through to my first semi-final - Al wiped the floor
with me last time so I've got nothing to lose ..."
Moverley, returning to action after a four-year break and
winner of two WSA titles this year, said: “I’m proud of my
performance, I was so excited to be out there, my first time on
the glass court and my first time in the quarter finals.
"I was just looking to go out there and enjoy it. It was a great
win yesterday and I was hoping to have a similar performance as
I did in the first round, which I thought I did by pushing her
right to the very end.
“After four years away from the tour basically I’m looking to
challenge again, my highest ranking was 43 so I want to better
that. Hopefully get into the top 20, top 10, I want to go all
the way if I can.”
 In
the top half of the men's draw there were straight game wins for
Chris Simpson and Nick Matthew.
Simson's win over Joe Lee was reminiscent of the earlier
Selby/Richards match, a really tough first game but with the
higher seed taking the initiative in the next two as Simpson won
11/8, 11/3, 11/5.
 Top
seed and defending champion Matthew was always on top against
Alan Clyne, the Scot managing to keep the scoreline level at
the start of the first and third games, but Matthew's customary
pressure proving too much to contain as he pulled clear in each
game.
"They've got a good setup in Scotland and Alan's leading the
pack," said Matthew. "The scoreline was a little misleading as
it was tight at the start of each game but I managed to pull
away.
"For tomorrow Chris is one of the upcoming players, he's pushing
hard for that spot on the England team and I know he won't be
satisfied with just the semi-final so it will be another tough
match.
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