Beaten quarter-finalist Scott Harrison feels hard done by that he should have had to forfeit the first game to Rod Hayes at the Railfreight Systems New Zealand squash championships at Palmerston North on Monday night.

Harrison was leading 7-3 in the first game when he dived for a backhand shot and landed on his racket, which later resulted in him having seven stitches inserted to a chin wound.

Harrison asked to leave the court to tidy up the wound but permission was refused by referee John Taylor of Auckland who said the wound was self inflicted.

Harrison was told that for him to depart would mean an automatic forfeiture of the game and in that situation Harrison was prepared to continue.

Referee Taylor then declared that the court was too dangerous with the odd drop of blood still dripping from Harrison’s wound. The court required wiping and as play must be continuous the game was awarded to Hayes.

Harrison was devastated by the forfeiture and though he continued on to tenaciously win the second and fourth games he faded under pressure in the fifth.

“I feel it was ridiculous the way the referee took the rules to the limit,” said Harrison last night.

“It wouldn’t have taken me more that a minute to have tidied things up. Instead I had to give the first game to Rod which was pretty crucial.”

“I don’t think the court was dangerous. There wasn’t that much blood about.”

“I’ve played squash for years and I’ve seen some fairly bloodied people on court but never a referee make a ruling like this. It wasn’t as though it was deliberate time wasting.”

Harrison said this had been his best season and he dearly wanted to top it off by at least reaching the semi-finals of the national championships.

He said the matter had been raised at yesterday’s players’ meeting and though the gathering agreed the referee had followed the ruling to the letter they felt that in Harrison’s case some leniency would have been far more appropriate.