Great Britain & France To Meet In World University Championship Final

Great Britain will face France in the final of the World University Team Championship after contrasting victories in today's semi-finals in Szeged, Hungary.

Favourites Great Britain cruised to a 3-0 win over South Africa. Emma Beddoes (Nottingham University) gave the team a useful start on her 21st birthday with a 9-7, 9-0, 6-9, 9-2 win over South Africa's Siyole Lusaseni. The squad number one Chris Ryder (Loughborough) scored a comfortable 9-5, 9-3, 9-2 victory over Lloyd Barcza, before third string Joel Hinds (University of Birmingham) completed the maximum points win with a 9-2, 10-8, 9-3 win over the South African number two Nico Mulder in the dead rubber.

Second seeds France had to come from behind in their 2-1 win against 5/8 seeds USA when Lily Lorentzen put the underdogs ahead with a 9-3, 9-2, 8-10, 9-4 win over France's Celia Allamargot. In a dramatic second rubber which went to a tie-break in the fifth game decider, Fabien Verseille drew level for France when he beat Julian Illingworth 9-1, 9-6, 2-9, 2-9, 9-8.

Yann Perrin clinched victory when he defeated American Francis Gilpin Lane 9-7, 9-4, 9-2.

While GB have won the team event once, France have won two of the last four World University Team Championships - with the help of the current world No3 Thierry Lincou, who led his teams to victory against GB in 1998 and 2002.

Semi-finals:
[1] GREAT BRITAIN bt [5/8] SOUTH AFRICA 3-0
Emma Beddoes bt Siyole Lusaseni 9-7, 9-0, 6-9, 9-2
Chris Ryder bt Lloyd Barcza 9-5, 9-3, 9-2
Joel Hinds bt Nico Mulder 9-2, 10-8, 9-3
[2] FRANCE bt [5/8] USA 2-1
Celia Allamargot lost to Lily Lorentzen 3-9, 2-9, 10-8, 4-9
Fabien Verseille bt Julian Illingworth 9-1, 9-6, 2-9, 2-9, 9-8
Yann Perrin bt Francis Gilpin Lane 9-7, 9-4, 9-2

5th - 8th place play-offs:
[5/8] AUSTRIA bt [3/4] CANADA 2-1
Judith Gradnitzer lost to Katie Patrick 0-9, 2-9, 1-9
Gerhard Schedlbauer bt Colin West 10-9, 9-5, 9-7
Jakob Dirnberger bt Andrew Jones 8-10, 9-3, 9-0, 9-3
[3/4] MALAYSIA bt [9/12] SWITZERLAND 2-1
Lim Yoke Wah bt Olivia Hauser 9-4, 10-8, 9-3
Nafzahizam Adnan bt Yvain Badan 8-10, 9-5, 9-4, 9-6
Shahril Shahidan lost to Mark Brunner 3-9, 9-5, 7-9

9th - 12th place play-offs:
[5/8] HUNGARY bt [9/12] SLOVAKIA 2-1
Helga Kecse-Nagy lost to Linda Hruzikova 3-9, 4-9, 3-9
Mark Krajcsak bt Roman Celler 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
Marton Szaboky bt Marek Manik 9-6, 3-9, 9-4, 9-3
[9/12] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [9/12] GERMANY 2-1
Olga Ertlova lost to Kathrin Rohrmueller 3-9, 8-10, 4-9
Pavel Sladecek bt Anders Kroscky 9-4, 9-5, 9-2
Jaroslav Cech bt Nikolai von Engelmann 9-1, 9-5, 9-4