Pilley made a strong start to the match in this PSA World Series event and managed to secure the first game 11-8, only for three-time Commonwealth Games medallist Matthew to shift the momentum back in his favour with a 12-10 victory in the second.

The 35-year-old Pilley, however, managed to keep his composure and went on to secure the win with 11-8 and 11-7 victories in the final two games, booking himself a quarter-final spot.

"We have played so many times in our career and I think that’s only my fourth ever win over him," said Pilley. 

"Given what Nick’s achieved over his whole career - he is one of the best ever players - and even though he is coming to the end of his career, I’m quite happy to notch up a win here in Chicago.

"Because I haven’t had a lot of success against him you know that your game plan might be wrong.

"He has nullified that so many times before that you second guess how you want to play.

"In a way, it’s a privilege to beat him in his last season because he’s so up for every tournament because he knows every city he visits will be the last time he competes there."

The Australian is now due to face world number three Ali Farag of Egypt after he came out on top against another Australian - Ryan Cuskelly - by an 11-6, 11-8, 11-5 margin.

"I had the right game plan today and had to work on winning the battle in the back corners and I think I managed to do that," Farag said.

"It never got easier.

"But the more I dragged him backwards, the more the front court opened up.

"I was happy with how I played and with how I kept my discipline."

The other two matches in the men's draw saw Simon Rösner of Germany defeat England's Daryl Selby 3-1 and Egypt's Marwan Elshorbagy beat England's James Willstrop by the same scoreline.

In the women’s event, Farag’s wife Nour El Tayeb saved four match points against Tesni Evans of Wales before eventually securing a 3-2 victory.

"My coach and Ali [Farag] have always told me that I have to dig in no matter the score," El Tayeb said.

"She [Evans] played unbelievably well and was reading me all over the court.

"I was struggling, every time I played a shot, she was there.

"I just had to dig in and I’m very lucky to be through to the next round.

"The fifth game was very hard mentally but I’m sure it was harder for her because she had the match balls.

"I think I tried to relax a bit in the fifth, so I could play my squash and I think I did that."

El Tayeb is now scheduled to face compatriot and top seed Nour El Sherbini in the next round after she saw off American home hope Olivia Blatchford 11-4, 11-6, 11-5.

The second women’s quarter-final will see France’s Camille Serme and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry face off after 3-0 victories over Egypt’s Mariam Metwally and Hong Kong’s Annie Au respectively.

The rest of the quarter-final lineups in both the men's and women's events are due to be decided tomorrow.