Serme Strikes Out For France In Slovakia

Teenager Camille Serme set up the possibility of two all-French finals in the European Individual Championships after upsetting second seed Annelize Naude in the women's quarter-finals of the flagship European Squash Federation event which has attracted players from 22 countries in the region to the Slovakian capital city Bratislava.

Serme, the 19-year-old from Creteil who in March became the first player in history to win three European Junior U19 Championship titles, battled for five games to overcome Naude, the world No21 from the Netherlands, 2-11, 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8.

Serme, a 5/8 seed ranked 44 in the world, will now take on England's world No30 Sarah Kippax, a 3/4 seed who despatched Dutch opponent Orla Noom 11-7, 11-7, 11-7.

In the other half of the draw, top seed Isabelle Stoehr, the 11-times French National champion, took out compatriot Maud Duplomb 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 and will now face the other 3/4 seed Manuela Manetta. Italian Manetta recovered from two games down to beat England's 5/8 seed Lauren Siddall 5-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8.

There were no surprises in the men's quarter-finals: Top-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier is one match away from his fifth successive final after toppling Englishman Joey Barrington 11-1, 11-8, 11-4. The defending champion will now meet another Englishman Adrian Grant, a 3/4 seed who beat Spaniard Borja Golan 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7.

French interest in the other men's semi-final will be led by former world champion Thierry Lincou. The No2 seed from Marseille beat Hungarian Mark Krajcsak 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2 - and will now take on Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, an 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-2 victor over France's Renan Lavigne.

Men's Quarter-finals:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-1, 11-8, 11-4
[3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7
[3/4] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-2
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [9/16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2

Women's Quarter-finals:
[1] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [9/16] Maud Duplomb (FRA) 11-5, 11-5, 11-9
[3/4] Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt [5/8] Lauren Siddall (ENG) 5-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8
[3/4] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [5/8] Orla Noom (NED) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
[5/8] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [2] Annelize Naude (NED) 2-11, 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8