Iskandar Denies All-Egyptian Cairo Semis

In the final match of the day, Mohd Azlan Iskandar denied the hosts an all-Egyptian semi-final line-up in the Petrosport International Championship - but the eighth seed from Malaysia was taken the full distance by Egyptian qualifier Tarek Momen before winning his quarter-final in the new $140,000 PSA Super Series Platinum squash event at the Sky Club in Cairo.

The 26-year-old from Kuala Lumpur took the first two games before 20-year-old Momen - who had claimed the scalps of world No2 Gregory Gaultier and 14th seed Borja Golan to reach this stage - fought back to draw level.

But Iskandar reclaimed the advantage to record an 11-4, 11-8, 5-11, 4-11, 11-8 victory after 60 minutes.

"I'm not at my best physically at the moment, struggling a bit with my legs," said Iskandar to www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "And I was 2/0 up, I just switched off a bit in the third, and he ran away with the third, and the fourth - he is such a tough little nut!

"But I stayed calm, I didn't lose my focus. All credit to him, I just don't know how he kept running, and running."

The Malaysian now takes on Karim Darwish, the fourth seed from Egypt, while the other semi-final is an all-Egyptian clash between favourite Amr Shabana and Wael El Hindi, the fifth seed.

El Hindi had been stretched for 91 minutes by No9 seed Adrian Grant before beating the English left-hander 16-14, 6-11, 11-9, 11-2.

"Adrian put up a good fight, and it could have gone either way, so I'm glad to get to the quarters, and to get to play Shaabz again here, like we did in Cairo for the Worlds in 2006, and on the same court," said El Hindi, the 28-year-old world No12.

Favourite Amr Shabana beat fellow left-hander Peter Barker, the sixth seed from England, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 in 63 minutes.

"I hate playing lefties," said the world number one after his win. "Peter has improved tremendously, his movement is so good now, and I really had to be at my best to beat him.

"What makes him so dangerous at the front is that he moves so well, gets to the ball very fast, and as he plays his shots by the book, right foot first, his body angle hides the ball, and you constantly have to watch over his shoulder to see where the ball is going.

"They are so many good players these days - you've got to keep on your toes!"

Quarter-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [6] Peter Barker (ENG) 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (63m)
[5] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [9] Adrian Grant (ENG) 16-14, 6-11, 11-9, 11-2 (91m)
[4] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 11-9, 11-4, 11-2 (32m)
[8] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [Q] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-4, 11-8, 5-11, 4-11, 11-8 (60m)