Walker Tests Palmer In Linköping

Top seed David Palmer was given a stern test by No7 seed Alister Walker in the quarter-finals of the Case Swedish Open before eventually making it through in five games in the 3-star PSA Tour event in Linköping, Sweden.

Englishman Walker, ranked more than 30 places below the world champion from Australia, led 2/1 after surviving a third game tie-break.

But the experienced Palmer, ranked two in the world, soon regained the upper hand to win 11-6, 4-11, 10-11 (1-3), 11-3, 11-3 - and set up a semi-final clash with adopted local hero Olli Tuominen. The third-seeded Finn despatched Irishman Liam Kenny, the No6 seed, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7.

The other men's semi-final also saw the seeds saunter through - Egypt's second seed Karim Darwish beating Pakistan's Aamir Atlas Khan 11-5, 11-2, 11-8 to set up a clash with Welshman Alex Gough, the fourth seed who defeated Davide Bianchetti, of Italy, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9.

Swedish interest in the women's Zack Swedish Open disappeared when Stockholm's Anna-Carin Forstadius went down 9-1, 9-0, 9-5 to England's Kirsty McPhee in the WISPA World Tour event.

The fourth seed from Yorkshire will now take on top seed Line Hansen after the Dane defeated Germany's Daniela Schumann 9-0, 9-1, 9-0.

There will also be English interest in the other semi-final when Georgina Stoker takes on Margriet Huisman. The second seed from Merseyside beat compatriot Carrie Hastings (wrongly reported earlier by organisers as having lost her first round match) 9-5, 9-1, 9-6, while third seed Huisman outplayed Norway's Lotte Eriksen 9-3, 9-1, 9-1.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] David Palmer (AUS) bt [7] Alister Walker (ENG) 11-6, 4-11, 10-11 (1-3), 11-3, 11-3
[3] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [6] Liam Kenny (IRL) 11-8, 11-4, 11-7
[4] Alex Gough (WAL) bt [5] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [8] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-5, 11-2, 11-8

Women's quarter-finals:
[2] Georgina Stoker (ENG) bt [8] Carrie Hastings (ENG) 9-5, 9-1, 9-6
[3] Margriet Huisman (NED) bt [6] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) 9-3, 9-1, 9-1
[4] Kirsty McPhee (ENG) bt [7] Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) 9-1, 9-0, 9-5
[1] Line Hansen (DEN) bt [5] Daniela Schumann (GER) 9-0, 9-1, 9-0