Krajcsak Curtails Koukal's Czech Home Run

Jan Koukal's remarkable home run was brought to an end in the quarter-finals of the Lahudky Palma Czech Open when the Czech number one went down in straight games to Hungarian Mark Krajcsak in the PSA Tour event at the SportNovni Areal in the Czech Republic capital Prague.

The 23-year-old from Prague won the first Tour event in his home town in February 2004, clinching the Czech Open crown as fourth seed. After winning five further PSA titles in the city - including the Czech Classic and Prague Open, with status ranging from qualifier to top seed - Koukal was poised to pick up his 30th successive 'home' match win against the third-seeded Hungarian.

But Krajcsak was too strong for the fifth-seeded local hero as Koukal crashed out 11-7, 11-5, 11-5.

The 23-year-old from Budapest now faces Daryl Selby, the top seed from England who defeated Egypt's No6 seed Amr Swelim 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4.

The other semi-final will see USA's second seed Julian Illingworth face unseeded Australian Tony James. Illingworth despatched England's Alex Stait 11-10 (5-3), 11-3, 11-9, while James - runner-up in last week's Mega Italia Open in Brescia - beat compatriot Bradley Hindle 5-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [6] Amr Swelim (EGY) 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4
[3] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt [5] Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-7, 11-5, 11-5
Tony James (AUS) bt [8] Bradley Hindle (AUS) 5-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9
[2] Julian Illingworth (USA) bt [7] Alex Stait (ENG) 11-10 (5-3), 11-3, 11-9