Peter Nicol Ends Egypt's World Games Defence Dreams

Great Britain's Peter Nicol beat Karim Darwish in a long and hard-fought squash quarter-final in the World Games today in Mülheim an der Ruhr to end Egypt's hopes of retaining the men's title won by Ahmed Barada in Finland.

It was a new slim-line Nicol, the second seed, that battled for 71 minutes to defeat the fifth seed from Cairo 9-5 9-6 9-3 on a hot all-glass court in the packed Sport-Treff-Punkt centre to ensure that Britain wins at least a silver medal in the IOC-backed multi-sport event in Germany.

"I felt I was in control for most of the match, but the traditional hand-in, hand-out, scoring system we are using here makes it more difficult to end the games - and the really hot conditions didn't help either," explained the world number five from London.

Nicol reached game-ball at 8-2 in the second game, but three times Darwish staved off defeat, eventually getting back to 6-8 before the 32-year-old left-hander clinched the game.

"I'm really pleased to be into the semi-finals here - and I must admit that I'm feeling better than I thought I would after coming here midway through my summer training. There's more work to be done - so it'll be interesting to see how far I can go here," added Nicol.

A disappointed Darwish admitted that Nicol had played well: "I was happy with my game too, but Peter was very fast around the court and his shots were very tight - and he only made four errors in the whole match, which shows how well he was playing," explained the 23-year-old former world junior champion.

"But it's my first hard match for more than two months, so it's good practice for me before I go to Karachi for the Pakistan Open later this month," added Darwish.

Peter Nicol's opponent in the last four will be England team-mate James Willstrop, which will ensure that at least one Briton reaches the final. Willstrop, the third seed from Yorkshire, earlier overcame Malaysia's No7 seed Ong Beng Hee - now a training mate at his club in Pontefract - 10-8 2-9 9-1 9-4 in 64 minutes.

"I felt we both played some really high quality squash today," said Willstrop during his warm-down after the match. "Beng Hee was tough, he made very few errors - in fact it's the best he's ever played against me.

"We have a really relaxed set-up in Pontefract, and he seems to be thriving on it," added the 21-year-old world No8.

Ong Beng Hee admits that this event represents a watershed in his illustrious career: "I haven't really enjoyed my squash for the past two years, but after a two-week break, then seven weeks of intense technical and physical work, I feel I'm now starting to play the game I want to play - and it seems to be paying dividends," explained the 25-year-old former world No7 who dropped out of the top twenty in the middle of last year.

"I was a little bit disappointed at letting my 8-5 lead slip away in the first game - but today was not about winning or losing, it was more about me enjoying competing again. I feel I've taken a step up over the past few months - and if I can challenge James the way I did today, I can challenge anyone in the top ten," added the rejuvenated Malaysian, now ranked 16 in the world.

France's world No1 Thierry Lincou swept into the last four after ending the hosts' interest in the squash event when he despatched unseeded German Hansi Seestaller 9-2 9-0 9-3 in 25 minutes.

Seestaller, a late entry to the event following the last-minute withdrawal of a seed, claimed an unexpected place in the last eight when he beat fellow non-seed Andreas Fuchs, from Austria, in Saturday's first round.

"I was pretty lucky to get the draw I did," confessed the Frenchman afterwards. "But I was prepared for a hard match and didn't underestimate my opponent. I was really focussed and made sure I found my length," added Lincou, 29, from Marseille.

Despite playing in such a grand setting for the first time in his career, with a packed and partisan crowd supporting him 100% of the way, Seestaller was reluctant to acknowledge that this was the best match of his life: "No, the best is when you win, but the occasion was very special.

"The game was just too fast for me, there was just no chance that I could beat him - he was so fit and has amazing speed," said the 22-year-old from Rosenheim. "I can live with him for about two or three rallies, but that's it!

"But being part of the Games has been a great experience, and meeting many athletes from other sports has been fantastic. And I guess I must be proud to have reached the quarter-finals of the World Games," added Seestaller.

Lincou will face the third Briton to reach the men's semi-finals after fourth seed Nick Matthew survived a punishing late night match against sixth-seeded Australian Joseph Kneipp. The Englishman prevailed 9-6 9-6 9-3 in 63 minutes, but admitted afterwards that his second game win was crucial.

"It was 6-3 to him for about ten minutes and there were a number of really long rallies - but if I hadn't come back to take that game, and it had been one-all going into the third, it would have been anybody's match," said the 24-year-old world No9 from Sheffield.

Britain's Linda Elriani was the first player to claim a place in the women's semi-finals after beating France's Isabelle Stoehr in straight games on the all-glass court at the 15-court centre. The British champion from Eastbourne in Sussex brushed aside her sixth-seeded opponent 9-4 9-6 9-0 in 37 minutes to set up a semi-final clash with Malaysia's Nicol David.

"Isabelle was on fire when she came out, but that's how she usually is, so I was expecting it," said Elriani, the third seed. "But you just have to weather the storm - and I managed to do that, and she made a few mistakes.

"I had to make sure I didn't do anything stupid, and by the third I had got myself a good length and soon wrapped up my victory," added Elriani.

Nicol David, the No2 seed, beat USA's seventh seed Latasha Khan - who is also her room-mate in Mulheim - 9-6 9-6 9-4 in 33 minutes. "I think I was more comfortable on the glass court than she was as I'd played on it yesterday, whereas she was on another court," explained the in-form world number three from Penang afterwards.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow's match with Linda - we met in the final of the Dutch Open in June, and although I won, she took the first two games, so I'll have to make sure I get a better start here."

The other women's semi-final will feature Australia's top seed Rachael Grinham and Egypt's No4 seed Omneya Abdel Kawy. Grinham is on course to retain the title won by fellow Australian Sarah Fitz-Gerald in Finland after beating Britain's Jenny Tranfield, the fifth seed, 9-2 9-0 9-5 in 34 minutes.

"Jenny wasn't playing as aggressively as she usually does, but the ball was so bouncy that it was difficult for either of us to get winners," said the world number one from Queensland.

"It would be great to win this title and keep it in Australia, but it'll be a tough match against Omneya - who almost beat me the last time we met in Egypt," added Grinham.

In the shortest match of the day, Abdel Kawy defeated eighth seed Runa Reta, the Canadian who saved six match-balls in the first round before beating German favourite Karin Beriere in an 80-minute five-game marathon.

"I thought that match would have had an effect on her today, but she played really well," said the 19-year-old from Cairo after her 9-7 9-4 9-2 win in 28 minutes. "I started really well in the first two games, but she came back from 2-7 down to level the first game, then from 0-5 to 4-5 in the next. I just lost concentration."

3,500 athletes from 100 nations are taking part in the IOC-backed World Games, competing at 27 venues in 40 sports. The squash finals will take place on Tuesday 19 July.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Hansi Seestaller (GER) 9-2, 9-0, 9-3 (25m)
[4] Nick Matthew (GBR) bt [6] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 9-6, 9-6, 9-3 (63m)
[3] James Willstrop (GBR) bt [7] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 10-8, 2-9, 9-1, 9-4 (64m)
[2] Peter Nicol (GBR) bt [5] Karim Darwish (EGY) 9-5, 9-6, 9-3 (71m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [5] Jenny Tranfield (GBR) 9-2, 9-0, 9-5 (34m)
[4] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [8] Runa Reta (CAN) 9-7, 9-4, 9-2 (28m)
[3] Linda Elriani (GBR) bt [6] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-4, 9-6, 9-0 (37m)
[2] Nicol David (MAS) bt [7] Latasha Khan (USA) 9-6, 9-6, 9-4 (33m)