Cassie Makes Fourth Monte Carlo Final

England's Cassie Jackman celebrated her fourth appearance in the final of the Women's Monte Carlo Classic when she beat New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen in four games in the semi-finals in Monaco. The favourite, who hasn't been beaten in the event since winning the first of her two titles in 1999, will face compatriot Jenny Tranfield - the third seed who took her place in the final after second seed Fiona Geaves conceded their match as a result of a knee injury sustained 24 hours earlier.

It was midway through her quarter final against Sharon Wee that Geaves turned over her ankle, causing her knee to give way and crash into the side wall. She carried on, with difficulty, but twenty four hours later her damaged limbs had not recovered to give her sufficient mobility to contemplate beginning the match. Indeed, the 36-year-old from Gloucester is not certain of competing in the main draw and trying to retain her British Open over 35 title in nine days time.

"I hyper extended and twisted my knee and I can't straighten it at the moment," said the 2000 Classic champion. "I have arranged physio treatment as soon as I get home, and with that and rest I am hopeful of getting to the British," she added.

Tranfield will be in the final, fresh, and was hoping that the remaining semi would be a real marathon! Could the improving Kiwi Shelley Kitchen stretch top seed Cassie Jackman to satisfy Tranfield? She gives the squash ball a fair old leathering and has added some quality drops to her repertoire, but Jackman feeds off power and certainly did so as the match unfolded. The rallies were extended, and so were the players. From straight driving to cross court versions, the players were stretching.

The score climbed in small steps in the first game until Jackman served at 8-7. There she was denied by a cruel side wall roller in the forehand service box, with the importance magnified as Kitchen sent a straight drive which died at the back. Jackman did regain the initiative and served again for the first at 9-8 only to be denied again before Kitchen secured the game with a backhand drop that was a pace too short for the world number two.

The second saw more blows traded until five all, after which Jackman managed to induce more errors from the sheer weight of her hitting - feeding very much on the power of her opponent.

Having taken the second, the top seed set a pattern where the rat-a-tat-tat continued but she was controlling the beat. Kitchen was finding it increasingly difficult to get short or long enough to dent the Jackman defences and while she was not wilting, her cause was becoming lost. Jackman took the third with the flourish of a crunching long backhand volley drop and never then allowed her opposition enough any hint of a lapse that would have allowed her to level. Instead she ploughed on and eventually stood at match ball at 8-1 in the fourth after 41 minutes. This rally and the match were ended with Kitchen stretching but unable to reach a flashing drive.

"I got on my game a bit more in the second and managed to stop Shelley dictating," said Jackman after her 9-10 9-5 9-3 9-1 win. "Once I managed to get in front of her and play my own game it got better for me."

As for Kitchen, a good run is maintained, as is her rise up the rankings. "Getting to a WISPA Silver semi has been good and I am hoping to continue the run at the British Open," she said.

Semi-finals:
[1] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [4] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-10, 9-5, 9-3, 9-1 (41m)
[3] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) bt [2] Fiona Geaves (ENG) w/o