Favourites Fall In Dutch Open Semis

Local favourite Vanessa Atkinson and defending champion Natalie Grinham both fell in dramatic four-game upsets in the women's semi-finals of the Mamut Dutch Open, leaving third seed Nicol David and fourth seed Linda Elriani to contest the final in Almere.

The men's semi-finals went according to the seedings with top seed Bradley Ball despatching English compatriot Ben Garner in straight games and Davide Bianchetti overcoming eighth seed Stephane Galifi in four games.

Atkinson, the world champion and world No2 from The Hague, seemed to have everything under control after convincingly winning the first game in the eagerly-anticipated semi-final against Malaysia's newly-promoted world No3, who is currently based in the Netherlands.

But it was all-change in the second as the favourite began to lose control over the match - and within no time Nicol David took a 7-0 lead. Although Atkinson came back to 6-8, it was clear that the third seed would win the game. The third was a nail-biting affair, with both players fully focused and treating the crowd to a display of high-quality squash.

In the end, David proved to be the stronger, clinching the vital game before dominating the play in the fourth to wrap up a sensational 2-9 9-6 10-8 9-6 victory to reach her 16th WISPA World Tour final.

There was much pressure on Australia's second seed Natalie Grinham to perform well in her adopted home town of Almere. But, fighting to win the title for a third successive time, the Queenslander first had to overcome the competitive Linda Elriani, the fourth seed from England. Grinham came back from 0-4 down to win the opening game, then led 7-2 in the second.

But from then on, it was Elriani who dominated the play, slowing the pace down and waiting for the right moments to attack the loose ball. After winning the second game, the British national champion from Eastbourne never allowed Grinham back into the match and stormed through the next two games to win 6-9 9-7 9-4 9-2 and celebrate her 29th WISPA final appearance.

The climax promises to be a close-fought affair, with both players having won two WISPA titles already this year - and 21-year-old David having earned her first career victory over the more experienced Elriani in their most recent meeting in last year's Malaysian Open.

England's Bradley Ball rose to a career-high No24 in the Dunlop PSA world rankings this week, and celebrated his rising status with a comprehensive 11-6 11-4 11-4 win over Ben Garner in the opening men's semi-final to reach his 17th PSA final.

The other semi-final saw Italy's Davide Bianchetti, the fourth seed, maintain his focus to outwit flamboyant Frenchman Stephane Galifi 11-7 11-6 8-11 11-6 to reach his tenth PSA final.

Bianchetti and Ball last met in the qualifying finals of the Kuwait Open in March - with Bianchetti triumphant - and the pair's only previous meeting in a final was in the Puebla Open in Mexico in July 1998 when the Italian claimed his maiden PSA trophy.

But while both players boast a career-best No24 world ranking, Bianchetti's achievement was in October last year - since when he has dropped to 38 - so it is Ball who is the in-form player and favourite to win his first title of the year.

Men's semi-finals:
[1] Bradley Ball (ENG) bt [7] Ben Garner (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4
[4] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt [8] Stephane Galifi (FRA) 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6

Women's semi-finals:
[3] Nicol David (MAS) bt [1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 2-9, 9-6, 10-8, 9-6
[4] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 6-9, 9-7, 9-4, 9-2