Top Four Seeds Through To Sharm El Sheikh Semis

The top four seeds will contest the semi-finals of the inaugural Women's Soho Square Championship after surviving, in contrasting styles, the quarter-finals of the $41,600 WISPA World Tour Silver squash event at Soho Square Savoy Hotel in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh.

Local star Omneya Abdel Kawy, the third seed, was extended for 68 minutes before coming out on top against fifth-seeded New Zealander Jaclyn Hawkes 15-13, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5.

"Thank God I got out of it, I didn't play my best," Abdel Kawy told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "My head wasn't really there today, so hopefully I can put it all together tomorrow."

The 24-year-old from Cairo now faces top seed Rachael Grinham, the Cairo-based Australian who defeated Abdel Kawy's Egyptian team-mate Engy Kheirallah 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 14-12.

By contrast, second seed Jenny Duncalf delivered her second successive straight games win in under 30 minutes when she beat English compatriot Lauren Briggs 11-3, 11-7, 11-6.

The world No6 from Harrogate now takes on fellow Briton Madeline Perry. The fourth seed from Belfast denied the crowd local interest in both semi-finals by beating Egypt's sixth seed Raneem El Weleily 11-13, 11-3, 11-7, 6-11, 11-3.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [8] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 14-12 (51m)
[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [5] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 15-13, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5 (68m)
[4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [6] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 11-13, 11-3, 11-7, 6-11, 11-3 (64m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [7] Lauren Briggs (ENG) 11-3, 11-7, 11-6 (29m)