Nick Matthew (Egland) beat Shahier Razik (Canada) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (34 mins)
World champion Nick Matthew admitted to “getting the demons out of my head” after he advanced to the quarter-finals of the North American Open at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia.
Matthew, the reigning NAO champion and top seed this week, beat Shahier Razik in straight games, although the Canadian No.1 threatened to extend the match when he built a 5-2 lead in the third game.
Matthew had looked uncomfortable during his first round match with Julian Illingworth, having complained about a slippery floor, but he encountered no such problems against Razik, who tried his hardest slow the game down.
Matthew won 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 and said: “It was a battle of contrasting styles. Shahier was trying to slow the ball down and I was trying to speed things up. He is a very tricky opponent and I was much happier with the way I played tonight. I was more relaxed after getting the first match under my belt and I managed to get the demons out of my head.
“There are so many good players around that competition is always tough, no matter what round you play in and the pressure is always on to deliver your best. Sometimes you have to take stock and remember just how much you love playing this game for a living.”
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