Waters Dampens Duncalf's Birthday Celebrations In Monte Carlo

England squash star Jenny Duncalf failed to get the 23rd birthday present she was hoping for in Monaco when she was defeated by lower-ranked England team-mate Alison Waters in an hour-long quarter-final battle in the Women's Monte Carlo Classic.

Seventh seed Waters, who moved up to a career-high 13 in the WISPA world rankings this month - just four places behind Duncalf - romped to a two-game lead before her Yorkshire opponent fought back to reduce the deficit. In the fourth game, the Londoner led 5-3 - but Duncalf came back to draw level at 7-7.

In the dramatic final stages of the encounter, Duncalf saved a match ball before securing her own game ball at 9-8. But it was to no avail, as underdog Waters moved on to clinch victory 9-7 9-1 6-9 10-9 in 56 minutes - and a place in the semi-finals for the first time in three years.

Waters, 21, will meet fourth seed Madeline Perry for a place in the final. The Irish champion was made to toil for 75 minutes before beating England's eighth seed Laura-Jane Lengthorn 9-3 5-9 9-5 9-6.

There will also be English interest in the other semi-final when third seed Tania Bailey takes on top seed Vanessa Atkinson, from the Netherlands. Bailey, the 26-year-old from Lincolnshire, reached her fourth successive WISPA World Tour semi-final after a 9-0 9-3 4-9 9-1 victory over fifth seed Annelize Naude. Atkinson, the world champion from The Hague, took just 24 minutes to despatch France's sixth seed Isabelle Stoehr 9-2 9-0 9-2.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [6] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-2, 9-0, 9-2 (24m)
[3] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [5] Annelize Naude (NED) 9-0, 9-3, 4-9, 9-1 (41m)
[4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [8] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 9-3, 5-9, 9-5, 9-6 (75m)
[7] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-7, 9-1, 6-9, 10-9 (56m)