Nicol Survives Parke Test In Dayton

England's top seed Peter Nicol forced his way into the semi-finals of the EBS Asset Management Dayton Open in Ohio, USA - but not before being fully tested in a dazzling 66-minute quarter-final clash with unseeded compatriot Simon Parke.

Described by tournament organiser Charlie Johnson as 'the best match of the night', the battle featured a long and close first game to Nicol, with Parke showing his incredible retrieving skills and Nicol matching the talent. The crowd was often gasping at the incredible athletic display. What followed seemed to be a rest game for Parke in the second and then a long hard-fought third game that went Parke's way.

The underdog from Nottingham had chances in the fourth and they went back and forth until he went up 7-6 and then Nicol, the world No3 from London, seemed to raise it up a notch and whipped off three straight points to go up 9-7. Parke, a former world No3 now ranked 22 in the world, got the next point, but then Nicol closed it out in business-like fashion to win 11-9 11-3 9-11 11-8.

Nicol will face title-holder Karim Darwish for a place in the final. In a repeat of last year's final, the fourth-seeded Egyptian beat compatriot Mohammed Abbas, the eighth seed, 11-5 11-10 11-10.

The other semi-final will feature fifth seed Jonathon Power, of Canada, against Egypt's No2 seed Amr Shabana - both of whom are former world champions. Power ended Laurens Jan Anjema's second giant-killing run in two weeks when he beat the Dutch qualifier 11-4 11-3 11-6. Second seed Shabana also came through in straight games, defeating Australia's seventh seed Anthony Ricketts 11-4 11-8 11-5.

It will be Power and Shabana's first PSA Tour meeting for more than two years - and the first since the Egyptian claimed the World Open title in December 2003. Though Power was the victor in their five career meetings since 1999, this will be their first clash in which Shabana is seeded to succeed.

The top two seeds will meet in the final of the women's event after surviving four-game semi-finals. Favourite Linda Elriani, from England, beat France's third seed Isabelle Stoehr 9-4 3-9 9-6 9-1, while second seed Omneya Abdel Kawy, from Egypt, defeated Australia's No8 seed Kasey Brown 9-1 1-9 9-3 9-3. It will be the pair's second WISPA World Tour final meeting in a week, after contesting the climax of last week's Greenwich Open in Connecticut.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt Simon Parke (ENG) 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 11-8
[4] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [8] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-5, 11-10 (6-4), 11-10 (3-1)
[5] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [Q] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-4, 11-3, 11-6
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [7] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5

Women's semi-finals:
[1] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [3] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-4, 3-9, 9-6, 9-1
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [8] Kasey Brown (AUS) 9-1, 1-9, 9-3, 9-3