Laura Marches Into Marsh Semis

England's unseeded Laura-Jane Lengthorn will meet Lancashire county team-mate Vicky Botwright, the No7 seed, in an unexpected semi-final of The Marsh Apawamis Open in Rye, USA, after battling through to the last four of the first major women's squash event of the year against the odds.

The world No12 from Preston made her breakthrough in the first round when she beat compatriot Tania Bailey after the No4 seed was forced to withdraw from the match when suffering with breathing difficulties.

Lengthorn went on to despatch Shelley Kitchen 2-9, 9-6, 9-6, 10-8 in the quarter-finals - the New Zealand qualifier reaching the last eight after upsetting Ireland's fifth seed Madeline Perry in the opening round.

Botwright ended the brave run of Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy, beating the world No9 from Cairo 9-3, 8-10, 9-1, 9-2. Kawy had made the last eight after sensationally deposing title-holder Vanessa Atkinson, the No2 seed from the Netherlands, in a hard-fought five-game first round battle.

The other semi-final will be an all-Australian affair between Queensland sisters Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grinham. Top seed Rachael beat USA's No6 seed Natalie Grainger 9-1, 9-3, 9-2, while younger sister Natalie, the No3 seed, despatched England's eighth seed Jenny Duncalf 9-1, 9-5, 9-4.

It will be only the siblings' second meeting since Natalie upset Rachael on home soil in Melbourne last March en-route to winning the first of a record three Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [6] Natalie Grainger (USA) 9-1, 9-3, 9-2
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [8] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-1, 9-5, 9-4
Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt [Q] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 2-9, 9-6, 9-6, 10-8
[7] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 9-3, 8-10, 9-1, 9-2