Men's semi-finals:

[5] David Palmer (Aus) bt [7] Karim Darwish (Egy)
           11/7, 3/11, 4/8  rtd (47m)
[4] James Willstrop (Eng) bt [6] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
           11/7, 11/3, 11/7 (51m)

Women's Semi-Finals:

[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [4] Natalie Grainger (Usa)
             9/5, 9/1, 9/0  (28m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt [Q] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
                  4/9, 9/3, 9/6, 9/6 (73m)

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FINALS at the Arena

[5] David Palmer (Aus) bt [7] Karim Darwish (Egy)
           11/7, 3/11  3/8 rtd achilles injury (47m)

WE’LL NEVER KNOW

Karim wanted this event to be special. In my heart, I thought that after a slow start due more than likely to the pressure of it all, he had succeeded when I saw the ease with which he was wheeling points away in the second and third. And when we got to 8/2 in the third, I really believed that the Egyptian was going to fulfil the first part of his dream, as in getting to the British Open final for the first time in his career.

And as David mentioned, he was starting to come back gradually, finding confidence in his power again, instead of just slipping into Karim’s game - trying to match the Egyptian at the front, which is probably not a good tactic overall….



But then, the game was stopped for blood injury on the knee. It took an awful long time before Karim came back on court. There, he just stepped on court, made a few steps, and got right off, making a sign to the refs that it was all over.

We couldn’t understand what was going on. In fact, when he got that blood injury on the knee, Karim actually slipped and not only did he have a big lump on his knee, but also damaged his Achilles tendon.

Game over.

It’s so unfair for Karim, it’s actually more than that, it’s a heartbreaking situation. David knows exactly how it feels to lose out a final of the British Open on injury. It happened to him last year against Thierry….

"It’s so unfortunate, Karim was playing very well today, but when he slipped, he hurt his Achilles tendon. It’s very sad, but it’s sport. You can be winning, and then you get injured, that the way sport goes sometimes…"


Egyptian National Coach

"Karim has been constantly in the top 10 for a long time, he doesn’t lose against people ranked lower than him, and he challenges all the ones above, he beat Ramy recently, came close to beating Shabana too, so he is in great form.

"In the first game I was playing particularly well, but I thought he was very slow. Then it sort of turned round in the second, I lost my length, got slow, and he started playing extremely well. You know what they say, if you go short against an Egyptian, he’ll punish you. And that’s exactly what happened.

"I started to get worried a bit with the speed Karim was running away with it, I was still relaxed and focused, which is essential in my game, and we started to string a few long and better points at the end, but still, I would have had to work very hard to get myself out of trouble.

"I’m really feeling sorry for Karim, I’ve been injured recently, and I know what it feels like. It’s the first time every I get into the final of a major thanks to an injury, it’s a weird feeling. I just hope it’s not too bad, and that Karim will be fit for the Super Series next week.

"I’m feeling good physically, I’m glad that I’ve gone back to my old hard training, we spoke a lot with Shaun, and I’ve work on both the physical and the mental side, to make sure I believed that I could win that kind of tournaments again…

"I feel a bit strange, but very happy to be in the final for the fourth time."

[4] James Willstrop (Eng) bt [6] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
           11/7, 11/3, 11/7 (51m)

JAMES IN A ZONE

There were a lot of questions flowing around about James' physical state before he started his semi against Thierry today, but truth to be told, after the mental progression I was able to observe in the Englishman this week, I didn’t see him losing the encounter.

From his first round, where he basically couldn’t put a foot in front of the other, where I saw him clinging to his support camp to insufflate himself with the mental energy to just go back in there for one more game, to the quarters, where he got stronger by the game, the journey that this boy has done is immense.

Today, James didn’t give a chance to Thierry, end of story. He never left the lead, he put the perfect tactic, giving the Frenchman a bit of his own medicine, as in being physically overbearing, engraving the side walls with the quality of his straight drives, attacking at the right time, with the right shot…

When the Frenchman took the initiative, James counterattacked to perfection, retrieving his shots with the same desperation and determination you give to a match ball. Nothing was given away. Not a rally that didn’t have sweat all over.

And if you need a comparison with the match in Kuwait… Over there, James had a major match on a hard court against Peter Barker, and didn’t have much left in the tank. He went on court, and played as fast as he could, as flashy shots as he could.

And it worked superbly for two and a half games. But energy dried up in the middle of the third, which Thierry took advantage of. Today, it was a completely different approach. James was contained. James was controlling. James was driven by a force I’m not sure he himself knows where it’s coming form.

Today, Thierry didn’t do anything wrong. James was just… James at his utmost best.

"No, in the third, I didn’t think about Kuwait, it was a completely different match. Tonight, he never showed any sign of fatigue, he didn’t give me any point, any cheap point.

"He played mistake free squash, which put me under a lot of pressure, I tried to finish the ball early, I rushed things too much.

"He was too strong, both mentally and physically tonight, he was controlling his squash perfectly. When I tried to move him, he was returning everything, keeping my head under water the whole time. There was nothing I could do. He played amazing squash tonight.

"Am I still going to try and win the British Open title? What do you think??? That I should quit??? As long as I can run and hit the ball correctly, I’ll keep on trying."

"I’m very pleased to get through, for a squash player to be in the British Open final is a bit special. I’m really satisfied with my performance today, nobody is better than Thierry at coming back, he is so strong mentally, if he sniffs something, he is in there.

"Kuwait was a good lesson for me - tonight I had to be as positive and tough as I could. I didn’t give him anything and kept it simple. This time, I took a good lead in the third, gave it my all, just dug in, and kept it.

"I’m so glad to win it in three, not in five, but to be fresh, or freshish, don’t mean that much though, as David will be fresh as well, it’s just a game of squash…

"Since my last final in 2005, I’ve learned an awful lot, and although they are not bulky, my muscles have become a bit stronger since then. Hopefully I've got a bigger engine now - and I hope I'll be able to use it.

"Well, David has won three titles now, I think that he’s won enough, and he should let me win tomorrow!!!!!!"

[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [4] Natalie Grainger (Usa)
             9/5, 9/1, 9/0 (28m)

Nicol the aggressor
Steve reports

In last year's semi-final Natalie Grainger blasted Nicol David off court for two games, and it was only the interval before the fifth which saved Nicol from defeat. The Malaysian has obviously learned from that experience, just as she learned from her World Open defeat to Shelley Kitchen which she avenged yesterday.

Natalie came out with similar intent tonight, hitting several of those trademark low crosscourt smashes as she took a 5/2 lead in the first. This time though Nicol wasn't prepared to play a secondary role in the attacking stakes, and as she started to find her length, she was dishing out just as much punishment as she was receiving.

Nicol powered back, forcing Natalie wider and deeper, and the American fell into her self-professed trap of going for a winner too early. Not that she had much choice, since if she didn't Nicol was going to do it sooner rather than later, whether it be a low straight drive, a wrongfooting boast, or a drop once her opponent was out of position.

In face Natalie scored just one more point after that 5/2 lead, and didn't even get a serve in the third, and it was Nicol who was putting away those low smashes that have served Natalie so well.

So it didn't start well for Nicol - she served out on the opening point - but it certainly ended on an ominous note.

"It took me a while to get the feel of my game, my timing and seeing the ball, but once I started coming back in the first I got my momentum and picked it up from there. My confidence was up and I was going for my shots from then on.

"I can feel the difference in my game now, attacking when the chance is there. It's the game I played against Natalie in Apawamis and Malaysia - if you give her an inch she'll take it, so I wanted to get in front of her and take it before she had the chance to.

"I'm really pleased, it's the British Open so when you get through to the final it's a real thrill and you just want to push through to the end now ..."

"She played very well today, really well.

"I think Liz puts the fear of god up her whenever she plays me, I don't seem to get those crosscourts she feeds other players!

"She was keeping it very tight down both sides and I was trying to make too much out of nothing, giving her too many chances, but she did play well ..."

[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt [Q] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
                  4/9, 9/3, 9/6, 9/6 (73m)

What an effort ...
Steve reports

What an effort from these two - Jenny Duncalf, former British National champion and the fifth seed and Isabelle Stoehr - 11-time French champion who had to endure three qualifying rounds to get here.

It was 74-minutes of concentrated effort from both, and kept the crowd at the Echo Arena guessing to the end.

Isabelle started the better, converting a 5/1 lead to take the first, which is exactly what Jenny did in the second to level. It was controlled squash rather than crash bang wallop, with a remarkable low error count and both having to craft out the rallies to win a point. Isabelle kept her opponent on her toes by lobbing lots and mixing the pace, Jenny trying to keep the pace higher when she could.

And it was the English girl's tactic that kept her on top, 5/2, 7/3 in the third before Isabelle lost the game on a rare tin. A good start from the Frenchwoman in the fourth though, leading 3/1 but with the workrate increasing on every rally Jenny pulled level at 4-all and reached match ball at 8/5.

It took a few attempts though, Isabelle psyching herself up with a loud "C'MON" on every point saved. There was no great celebration on the last point though - partly because it was one of those "did she get to that?" points as Isabelle stretched to reach a dropshot (she didn't), and partly because Jenny's main emotion, as she said afterwards, was one of pure relief.

A great effort, from both, and a great chance for Jenny to claim the one they all want ...

"I'm so chuffed - I'd definitely have taken that at the start of the week, but it was a fight all the way. It was a different scenario from yesterday, with me being the seeded player, so that added a bit of pressure.

"I'm just relieved, I felt so edgy throughout the whole match. Beforehand you don't think you're nervous, but once you get on there ...

"It was hard to get into a rhythm at the start, Isabelle was mixing it up and slowing it down, she's got a lovely touch. I knew I had to up the pace and hit through the ball, and once I did that ands started to hit the corners it paid dividends.

"I felt her coming back in the second, that one felt much harder and longer than 9/3, but it was so important to win it. I totally fluffed my first match balls, she hit some great shots, and I tried a totally ridiculous backhand drop, but I knew I had to stay patient and the chance would come.

"It's a weird feeling, I'm thrilled to get through even though I thought it was a bit scrappy, but I'm really aware that there's one more to go."

"In the fourth, I just missed a bit of… well, she gets two lucky shots cross courts, then a couple of decisions where I lose a bit of concentration, and she plays superb shots in the end.

"The worst is that I’m not even tired. I had a big drop in the second and third, but I was really feeling much better after that. It’s true that I tried to take the first one very quickly to take the advantage, but after that, I got a bit tired…

"I’m so unhappy with myself, I should have taken the fourth… I’m sure that in a few hours, I’ll be happy with my tournament, but right now, very disappointed. Still, I had a great tournament, although I got lucky yesterday, but I really felt good against Nat.

"I still need to lose another 5 kg, but it’s all very positive, today, I came very close, she played the crucial points better, in particular at 5/5 in the fourth…"

For the record: The rallies won by each player were: 8/15, 21/13, 18/16, 24/23
and under PAR to 11 would have finished:  9/11, 11/6, 9/11, 7/11 (yes, 3/1 to Isabelle)