Pancis Powers To European Semi-finals

Austria's Pamela Pancis became the only unseeded player to reach the last four of the European Individual Championships after two rounds of action at the National Tennis Centre in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The 28-year-old from Salzburg is no stranger to success on a squash court. Winner of her first Austrian National Championships' title at the tender age of 12, Pancis went on to claim her 14th earlier this year, after taking a break from the game for the birth of her first child.

After upsetting seventh-seeded Czech Jana Smeralova in the second round in Bratislava, Pancis beat Germany's Carola Weiss 9-3 9-2 9-6 to set up a semi-final clash with England's top seed Vicky Hynes. Formerly known as Vicky Lankester, the newly-married Mrs Hynes defeated sixth seed Margriet Huisman, from the Netherlands, 9-1 9-3 10-8.

The other women's semi-final will be an all-English affair between No2 seed Rebecca Botwright and fourth seed Sarah Kippax.

England are also represented in both men's semi-finals. Fourth seed Adrian Grant, the Yorkshire-based Londoner, beat Hungary's Mark Krajcsak 10-8 9-0 9-0 to set up an all-British battle with top-seeded Scot John White, who dropped a game in overcoming Jan Koukal, the sixth seed from the Czech Republic, 9-4 9-3 4-9 9-7.

Third seed James Willstrop, from Pontefract in Yorkshire, beat Scotland's 5th seed Martin Heath 9-4 9-1 9-1 and will renew his junior rivalry with Gregory Gaultier in the semi-finals after the second-seeded Frenchman despatched Germany's seventh seed Stefan Leifels 9-0 9-2 9-3.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] John White (SCO) bt [6] Jan Koukal (CZE) 9-4, 9-3, 4-9, 9-7
[4] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [8] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 10-8, 9-0, 9-0
[3] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [5] Martin Heath (SCO) 9-4, 9-1, 9-1
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [7] Stefan Leifels (GER) 9-0, 9-2, 9-3

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Vicky Hynes (ENG) bt [6] Margriet Huisman (NED) 9-1, 9-3, 10-8
Pamela Pancis (AUT) bt Carola Weiss (GER) 9-3, 9-2, 9-6
[4] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [8] Kathrin Rohrmueller (GER) 9-0, 9-2, 9-7
[2] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt [5] Kim Hannes-Teunen (BEL) 9-5, 9-0, 10-8