Runaway Ramy Reaches Hong Kong Semis

Egyptian teenager Ramy Ashour continued his runaway success in the Cathay Pacific Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Open when he overcame fellow unseeded player Peter Barker to reach the semi-finals of the PSA Super Series Platinum event in Hong Kong

Breakthrough triumphs by England team-mates Tania Bailey and Vicky Botwright in the women's event will ensure an English player in the final of the WISPA Platinum championship.

After sensational earlier upsets over world No10 John White and world No3 Thierry Lincou, this was the first time that Ashour, the 19-year-old double world junior champion from Cairo, faced a player ranked below him. And Barker, the world No23 from England, shocked the newly-promoted world No13 by taking the first game and forcing the second into a tie-break.

But the in-form Ashour fought back to secure the match 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (3-1), 11-5 in 55 minutes to set up a clash with David Palmer, the No2 seed from Australia who needed 76 minutes to defeat fellow countryman Stewart Boswell, the 12th seed, 11-10 (3-1), 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-3.

James Willstrop avenged two recent defeats by Egypt's Karim Darwish to beat the world No11 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 in 39 minutes. The fourth seed from England will now take on top seed Amr Shabana, the world No1 from Egypt who overcame Gregory Gaultier after the Frenchman retired injured with the score standing at 11-10 (2-0), 11-2.

In the women's event, Vicky Botwright recovered from a whitewash defeat in the first game to upset
Australia's fourth seed Natalie Grinham, the three-times gold medallist in the Commonwealth Games earlier in the year, 0-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-5 in 34 minutes.

The 29-year-old fifth seed from Manchester will meet compatriot Bailey in the semis for only the second time ever on the WISPA World Tour. Bailey, the No7 seed, recorded the latest upset in her long-drawn-out comeback trail from injury by beating second seed Vanessa Atkinson, from the Netherlands, 9-5, 9-1, 9-5.

By contrast, the other semi-final will mark the sixth Tour meeting this year between Malaysia's Nicol David and Australian Rachael Grinham. David, the top seed looking for a second successive win in Hong Kong - the scene of her World Open triumph last year - battled for 35 minutes to quash Irish No1 Madeline Perry, the No8 seed, 9-4, 10-8, 9-2.

Third seed Grinham, needed 52 minutes to dismiss Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy 9-5, 7-9, 9-0, 9-3.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-10 (2-0), 11-2 ret. (27m)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [9] Karim Darwish (EGY) 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (39m)
Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Peter Barker (ENG) 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (3-1), 11-5 (55m)
[2] David Palmer (AUS) bt [12] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 11-10 (3-1), 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-3 (76m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [8] Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-4, 10-8, 9-2 (35m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 9-5, 7-9, 9-0, 9-3 (52m)
[5] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [4] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 0-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-5 (34m)
[7] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 9-5, 9-1, 9-5 (45m)