Two of the more fancied prospects in the Virtual Spectator Bermuda Masters were pushed to the precipice of defeat yesterday ? one eventually falling to his demise.

Gritty Canadian Jonathon Power clawed back against Gregory Gaultier of France, living to fight another round of the absorbing tournament, while Australia?s Anthony Ricketts succumbed to increasingly-impressive Englishman James Willstrop.

Both epics at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association stretched the maximum five games but in contrasting fashions as Power, after losing the opening salvo to Gaultier, traded games with his rival before winning the decisive fifth one at a canter.

Ricketts, however, was 2-0 down before surging back into contention as he claimed the third and fourth games. Behind 6-3 in the fifth, he rallied admirably to narrow the score 8-6 but was unable to rein in Willstrop who clinched victory 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 3-11, 11-8 in 97 minutes of tension.

The athleticism, imagination and determination of both players was highly commendable and justified their tournament billing.

?The first two games are probably some of the best games of squash I?ve ever played. I played the court really well. It?s so bouncy ? not my type of court. I just had to take my chances. I tried to play attackingly but I knew I wasn?t going to get the sort of openings that you can on a glass court,? said a delighted Willstrop.

?I thought I could have done better in the third and in the fourth he got away and I was getting tired. I knew I had to dig in and, in the end, I hung on. It wasn?t pretty at that stage.?

The 21-year-old, seeded number five, noted the outcome is an endorsement of his mental toughness, particularly against someone who has been in peak form in recent months.

His opponent was complimentary in defeat though he took his frustration out on his water bottle in the car park.

?It was tough. James played well on the important points and had the winning shots at the right moments,? said 26-year-old Ricketts.

However, there was one sour note as he criticised the fact that an English referee officiated the second-round clash.

?I don?t think it?s right in such a big event to see an English referee in a match with an English player. We?ve got enough nationalities and referees here for that not to happen. I think it was wrong for that to happen.

?I?m not saying it had an influence on the match ? James played very well and deserved to win ? but out of respect for the players, I think things should be completely level.?

Meanwhile, the 10-12, 11-1, 5-11, 11-3, 11-2 scoreline by which Power won did not accurately portray the test he faced from rising sensation Gaultier whom many compare to him. There was little to choose between these squash gladiators who battled furiously for point after point.

Super-fast reflexes, punishing rallies and a breath-taking and cunning diversity of shots kept spectators riveted and constantly applauding.

?This is a war,? declared one male fan, following another dramatic juncture.

Ultimately, the wily Power triumphed as his rival and training partner ? only recently back in the professional fray after injury ? wilted under the sustained pressure; his energy waning noticeably.

?I think I put the mileage on him in the first game and he was tired. Then I came out and played a great second game and made him work a lot. He fell off the pace a few times in the match and that?s a lack of match fitness. Normally he is quite strong,? assessed the 30-year-old winner and number six seed.

?I think the fact that he has been injured made it more comfortable than it could have been. We have been playing a lot together and we get along well. He knows my game and I know his. I think he is going to be the next great player.?

Number nine seed Gaultier was heartened by the tightness of the match.

?He is one of the best players in the world and I learn a lot from him. I think I am playing closer to him now which is good because he is still a top player,? said the 22-year-old.

?I am pretty happy with my game. I was out of the circuit for four months because my leg was injured. This is my first tournament back. I?ve only been playing a few weeks and I?ve not had much training.

?Against this type of player, I win a game and then I have to rest. I can?t win two games in a row. That was the key today. If I was fitter maybe I could have taken it.?

Nick Matthew and Karim Darwish also advanced to the last eight. A semi-finalist in last year?s Bermuda Open, Englishman Matthew routed Ong Beng Hee of Malaysia 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, winning the final seven points straight in the last game.

Eighth-seeded Darwish beat Finland?s Olli Tuominen in the evening?s final fixture. The Egyptian won 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 in 32 minutes.