Grant & Simpson Keep Home Hopes Alive In London

Londoner Adrian Grant and Guernsey's Chris Simpson kept home hopes of success alive in the Coronation London Open after prevailing in contrasting quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour International 25 squash event in its sixth year at Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club in the England capital.

Simpson, the Harrogate-based No.4 seed, took just 30 minutes to see off Australian Rex Hedrick 11-0, 11-7, 11-9.

But third seed Grant, the 33-year-old former World No.9 making his debut in the event, had to battle for 77 minutes to overcome 21-year-old Egyptian qualifier Zahed Mohamed 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9.

The London left-hander will now face South African Stephen Coppinger, the No.2 seed bidding to make the final for the second time in three years. The Cape Town 29-year-old, ranked 20 in the world, defeated US champion Christopher Gordon 11-4, 11-8, 11-2.

Simpson, the World No.25, takes on fast-rising Egyptian star Fares Mohamed Dessouki for a place in the final. The 19-year-old from Alexandria pulled off a mighty upset in the first round when he removed top seed Alister Walker, the World No.17 from Botswana.

The teenager, ranked 81 in the world, continued his giant-killing London run by beating Frenchman Lucas Serme - ranked five places higher - 3-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 in 61 minutes.

Semi-final line-up:
[Q] Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) v [4] Chris Simpson (ENG)
[2] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [3] Adrian Grant (ENG)