World Champions In Injury-Blighted Quarter-Finals In Hong Kong

Recently-crowned world squash champions Ramy Ashour and Nicol David were both involved in quarter-final matches today in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open in Hong Kong which were cut short by injury.

Egyptian Ramy Ashour, fourth seed in the men's $145,000 PSA Super Series Platinum event, faced former champion Thierry Lincou, the No8 seed from France. Ashour drew level after the Frenchman took the opening game, but Lincou fought back to take the fourth and opened up a four-point lead in the fourth when Ashour conceded the match at 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 6-2 (ret.) - apparently suffering with the recurrence of a recent hamstring injury.

Lincou, in the semi-final for the second year in a row, will now face Ashour's senior compatriot Amr Shabana, the world number one who is expected to win the title for the third year in a row.

Shabana took on Karim Darwish, his in-form fellow Egyptian who won the Qatar Classic last month and rose to a career-high world No2 this month. In a match worthy of the final, Shabana beat the sixth seed 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 to avenge his defeat in the Doha climax.

The other men's semi will feature England's James Willstrop and Frenchman Gregory Gaultier. Willstrop, the third seed who has been suffering with an ankle injury for the past few months, ended Cameron Pilley's giant-killing run - beating the unseeded Australian 11-5, 11-8, 11-6.

Gaultier, runner-up twelve months ago, also ousted an Australian. The second seed beat a less-than-full-strength David Palmer when the fifth seed retired injured with the score at 11-3, 11-7, 6-3.

In the second quarter-final in the women's $104,000 WISPA World Tour Platinum event, Malaysian favourite Nicol David took just 14 minutes to claim her place in the last four when Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy conceded the match after just two games.

Defending champion David, whose unbeaten Tour record now stands at 51 matches since October 2007, will now face USA's fourth seed Natalie Grainger, who despatched England's Alison Waters, the sixth seed, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5.

The other semi-final will provide the second meeting between the Australian-born Grinham sisters in three weeks. Third seed Rachael Grinham required just 27 minutes to overcome surprise French opponent Isabelle Stoehr, the 14th seed, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8.

But second seed Natalie Grinham, the world No2 now representing Netherlands, battled for 69 minutes to see off fifth-seeded Englishwoman Jenny Duncalf 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 12-14, 12-10

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [6] Karim Darwish (EGY) 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 (51m)
[8] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [4] Ramy Ashour (EGY) 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 6-2 ret. (43m)
[3] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5] David Palmer (AUS) 11-3, 11-7, 6-3 ret. (26m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11-5, 11-3 ret. (14m)
[4] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [6] Alison Waters (ENG) 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (25m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [14] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 11-7, 12-10, 11-8 (27m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt [5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 12-14, 12-10 (69m)