Joe Chapman fought all the way against Robert Downer in the PSA BVI Open Squash Tournament, but went down 11/7, 11/2, 11/8 to the number two ranked player. Photo: Charlie Jackson/VINO

Downer reached the semi finals with an 11/1, 6/11, 11/7, 11/4 victory against Sergio Lopez from Mexico. Photo: Charlie Jackson/VINO

Jamaica's Christopher Binnie could yet be the surprise of the Tournament as he is the only unseeded player to reach the semi finals. Photo: Charlie Jackson/ VINO

Number three seed, Australian Josh Cardwell, was the one to miss out as he lost his quarter final match to Jamaica’s Christopher Binnie 11/4, 11/5, 11/9 to go out in straight games.

Earlier, Binnie had dispatched another antipodean, James Skifflington 11/6, 11/1, 11/0 to secure his passage to the round of eight and ultimately the last four. Cardwell beat Armando Olguin 11/0, 11/2, 11/8.

The day had begun high in expectation for Joe Chapman and a large crowd gathered to witness his match against the number two seed from England, Robert Downer. Whilst the supporters were treated to an enthralling match they didn’t get the result they hoped for as Chapman went down 11/7, 11/2, 11/8.

Chapman raced into a 4-1 lead in the first game and felt if he could carry it on then the match would go well, but as he observed, “he is a very confident player, played at a ferocious pace and kept on coming back at me.”

Chapman fought all the way and stayed in the match right to the end, but Downer, who is in the top 150 players in the World, had the edge on experience over Chapman who is in just his second Professional Tournament.

“He has played all around the world, so once I get those similar experiences I see no reason I can’t match him,” commented Chapman. “A lot of the guys are of equal standard and I’m in the mix, there’s not one thing he is better at.”

Downer went on to book his place in the semi finals with an 11/1, 6/11, 11/7, 11/4 victory against Sergio Lopez from Mexico. Lopez had dispatched Micah Franklyn 11/8, 11/9, 11/2 before meeting Downer.

As for Chapman, well he’s off to Gibraltar next week to play in a qualifying tournament there and hopes to qualify for the tournament proper. As he said, “sometimes it’s good to play a few matches first so you can get prepared better and do better.”

The number four seed, Johan Boquet confirmed his place in the last four with a 12/10, 11/4, 11/7 win against Salvador Martinez. The Mexican had faced all sorts of travel problems in getting to the Tournament and had been the last to arrive, but made short work of Ibrahim Nyanzi, 11/2, 11/4, 11/1 to book his place in the quarter final match up. Boquet had a tougher time, but equally successful one in beating Colin Ramasra from Trinidad and Tobago, 12/10, 11/9, 11/6.

England’s Adam Murills, the number one seed player, had a minor scare in his match against Michael McCue from Canada losing the second game 6/11 having won the first 11/5. McCue, who admitted the heat was almost unbearable for him, then sub sided to lose the next two games 11/3 and 11/4. Murills had knocked out Josue Enriquez 11/6, 11/6, 11/1 during the morning session and McCue beat Bryan Bonilla from Guatamala 7/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/3 in the day’s longest match.