Champion Krajcsak Survives Quarter-Final Marathon in Rome
May 11, 2009
Defending champion Mark Krajcsak had to fight back from two games down to beat fifth seed Ritwik Bhattacharya in the Roma Est Open to earn his anticipated place in the semi-finals of the $10,000 PSA World Tour squash event in its second year at the Shopping Centre Roma Est in the historic Italian city of Rome.
The 25-year-old third seed from Hungary was forced to battle for 82 minutes before overcoming Indian Bhattacharya 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4.
Krajcsak will now face top seed Davide Bianchetti, the Italian number one who was also stretched by English qualifier Adrian Waller before winning 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10 in 61 minutes.
Bianchetti, the 32-year-old world number 29 from Brescia, is one match away from his ninth PSA Tour final on home soil.
Second seed Chris Simpson came through an all-English clash with Ben Ford, beating the unseeded 33-year-old from Kent 11-9, 11-4, 11-6.
The 22-year-old from Guernsey will now face Stephane Galifi, the fourth-seeded Frenchman who defeated No8 seed Nicolas Mueller 11-3, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) v [3] Mark Krajcsak (HUN)
[2] Chris Simpson (ENG) v [4] Stephane Galifi (FRA)
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