John White eventually stalled the progress of Derek Ryan in the Irish Senior Open at the Fitzwilliam Club last night, denying the Dubliner a place in the semi-final with a hard-earned 3-2 victory in the second quarter-final.
It was a sparkling contest between the two old rivals; friends off the court but fervent opponents on it. Like Ryan's first round game the night before, it stretched into five games and beyond the 90 minute mark but White, seeded number six in the tournament, had that fraction extra when it mattered most.
Originally from Crocodile Creek in Australia, White now plays his squash for Scotland and is reputed to be the hardest hitter in the game, and there was plenty of evidence of that last night.
White got off to the better start, winning the first game 15-10, but Ryan was soon using the strong crowd support to his advantage. He won the next game 15-12, but one still got the impression that Ryan was working a little harder for his points.
It looked that way in the third game, too, which White took 15-8. The pressure was now on Ryan and he responded with a magical game, finishing with a flurry to win 15-12 - and leaving the score at two games apiece.
That brought everything down to the final game, and although Ryan led 10 points to nine at one stage, White regained his composure and won out 15-11.
"It's been a good couple of days," said Ryan (31) "but I suppose it could have been a little better. I knew John was as tough as it would get but it was good game and there was nothing in it at the end."
White goes on to meet the top seed, Peter Nichol, in today's semi-final. Now playing for England, the Scottish-born Nichol defeated Lee Beachill of England earlier in the evening 3-1.
