Lahore based 23-year-old Yasir Butt gave tough resistance to favourite Columbian Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the semi-finals of Betty F Griffin Memorial Florida State Open before losing in a marathon five-set encounter in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at Lifetime Athletic Club in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
Yasir, who leaped 22 places to 72nd spot in international rankings this month, took the first two sets by 12-10 and 11-8 score to take a 2-0 lead in the match. When it seemed that the unseeded but in-form Yasir would make it to the final of the event, after he nearly took the third set as well.