Berden Bursts Through To Transparanz Semis

Dutchman Tommy Berden thrilled the local crowds at the Tranzparanz Open when he defeated two seeds to reach the semi-finals of the new Tour event in Almere in the Netherlands.

Berden, the former world No22 who has been out of the game for six months due to injury, was forced to qualify for the event - and did so with ease. Then, on the opening day of action in the PSA Tour event, followed his straight games upset of Hungary's top seed Andras Torok by beating France's sixth seed Fabien Verseille 11-9, 11-4, 11-6 in the quarter-finals.

The four times National Champion from Almere now takes on Welshman Rob Sutherland, the No4 seed, for a place in his first PSA final since reaching the climax of the Hellendoorn Open, also in the Netherlands, just over a year ago.

England's Lauren Siddall wiped out the leading Dutch interest in the women's WISPA World Tour event when she upset third seed Orla Noom 9-6, 6-9, 9-7, 7-9, 9-3. The No7 seed from Pontefract in Yorkshire will now face Louise Crome, the second seed from New Zealand who beat India's sixth seed Joshna Chinappa 9-6, 4-9, 9-3, 9-6.

Local squash fans will no doubt now turn their support towards Australia's Natalie Grinham, the adopted ''Dutchie'' who recently married Tommy Berden and is now also based in Almere.

The 28-year-old from Queensland who is competing in her first WISPA event since winning a record three gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in her home country in March, coasted to a 9-3, 9-2, 9-2 quarter-final victory over Dutch international Margriet Huisman, the eighth seed. The favourite now meets Ireland's No4 seed Aisling Blake in the semi-finals.

Men's quarter-finals:
[Q] Tommy Berden (NED) bt [6] Fabien Verseille (FRA) 11-9, 11-4, 11-6
[4] Rob Sutherland (WAL) bt [Q] Robbie Temple (ENG) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
[7] Jonathan Harford (ENG) bt Friedrich Scheel (GER) 11-3, 11-3, 11-5
[2] Luca Mastrostefano (ITA) bt [8] Yann Perrin (FRA) 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-2, 11-8

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [8] Margriet Huisman (NED) 9-3, 9-2, 9-2
[4] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [5] Kirsty McPhee (ENG) 9-0, 9-1, 1-9, 9-5
[7] Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt [3] Orla Noom (NED) 9-6, 6-9, 9-7, 7-9, 9-3
[2] Louise Crome (NZL) bt [6] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 9-6, 4-9, 9-3, 9-6