Swartz Swats Stoehr In Reykjavik Upset

Avenging her loss just a week ago in the British Open, South Africa's Tenille Swartz secured one of the biggest wins of her career when she upset second seed Isabelle Stoehr in a five-game marathon in the quarter-finals of the Women's Icelandair Group Classic, the first ever WISPA Premiere Series event, at Veggsport Squash Club in the Iceland capital Reykjavik.

Swartz, a 20-year-old from Parys who made her WISPA World Tour debut less than a year ago, took the opening two games, before the world number 18 from France fought back to force the match into a fifth-game decider.

Fifth seed Swartz raced 4-0 ahead, but Stoehr again fought back to take the lead - then saved the first match-ball against the South African at 8-7. But, after one of the longest rallies of the clash, Swartz finally clinched her confidence-boosting 9-7, 9-7, 1-9, 6-9, 9-7 victory after 72 minutes.

"I played her a week ago. It gave me an idea of what I needed to do to beat her. I knew it would be hard but I had a game plan," said the ebullient Swartz later.

"When I was down in the fifth, I did start panicking a bit but then I thought that I had got this far so I wasn't ever going to give up.

"Thank goodness I got here," added the surprise semi-finalist, referring to her difficulty in acquiring a visa to enter the country.

Swartz will now face Sarah Kippax after the fourth seed from England beat France's unseeded Camille Serme 9-5, 9-6, 9-7.

The other semi-final will also feature English interest after third seed Dominique Lloyd-Walter beat compatriot Kirsty McPhee 9-6, 9-1, 9-2 to set up a clash with New Zealand favourite Jaclyn Hawkes, a 9-4, 9-2, 9-3 winner over Dutch opponent Orla Noom.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt [6] Orla Noom (NED) 9-4, 9-2, 9-3 (35m)
[3] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [8] Kirsty McPhee (ENG) 9-6, 9-1, 9-2 (35m)
[4] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Camille Serme (FRA) 9-5, 9-6, 9-7 (38m)
[5] Tenille Swartz (RSA) bt [2] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-7, 9-7, 1-9, 6-9, 9-7 (72m)