Team USA’s Chris Hanson pulled off a dramatic five-game victory over Peter Creed in the first round of the $15,000 Ganem Vein Institute Cactus Classic Thursday night, setting up a Friday quarterfinal against Pan American Games teammate Todd Harrity at the Foley Squash Pavillion in Phoenix.
Hanson, world No. 75, entered Thursday’s match having played the Welsh world no. 74 just once before in his career during the 2014 British Virgin Island Open, where Creed took the match in three games.
Their match in Arizona appeared to be on the same track as the Welshman sped to an 11-3, 11-4 lead. The American No. 3 then turned the match on its head, however, clawing back to force a fifth game 11-7, 11-2.
In the fifth, Hanson outlasted Creed to upset the eight seed 14-12 in eighty-one minutes.
Hanson was the main draw’s only upset as the top seven seeds progressed to the quarterfinals, including Harrity, who held off Canadian qualifier David Baillargeon 7-11, 11-9, 11-1, 11-3 in forty-four minutes.
Friday’s quarterfinals begin at 5:30pm local time, 7:30pm ET. Follow live scores on U.S. Pro Series Live powered by www.clublocker.com.