Semi-Finals:

[3] Shahier Razik (Can) bt [1] Tarek Momen (Egy)
          11/3, 11/6, 5/11, 11/8 (52m)
[2] Omar Mosaad (Egy) bt [4] Tom Richards (Eng)
          11/6, 11/5, 11/9 (42m)

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[3] Shahier Razik (Can) bt [1] Tarek Momen (Egy)
          11/3, 11/6, 5/11, 11/8 (52m)

Razik removes top seed

If Tarek Momen was, in his own words, lucky to win yesterday, he knew he needed to be on top form to see off the challenge of Shahier Razik tonight.

It was the Canadian who came out of the blocks the quicker, racing ahead from 3-ll to take a fairly quick opening game.

It was the same story in the second, 3-all became 3-6, with Tarek struggling to find his touch with those dropshots from deep and Shahier taking full advantage. At 7/5 the longest rally of the match ended with a mishit volley from Tarek and Shahier was on his way to a two game advantage.

The tables were turned in the third, Tarek this time pulling clear from 3-all and the last few points were quickly over as Shahier prepared for the fourth.

We reached 3-all again, but this time it was nip and tuck all the way to 8-all. A tin from Tarek, a low crosscourt from Shahier and it was match ball. Three lets, then an intense, long rally finished with Tarek's drive just clipping the tin and the top seed was out.

"I've played him enough times to know he goes on the attack right away. So I wanted to be on my toes and get attacking from the start so that he couldn't get into that comfort zone, when he's ahead he can attack from anywhere and he's difficult to stop.

"I did a little work for a few rallies in the third and he got away and outplayed me in that period, so I decided to save my energy for the fourth and I guess it worked out in the end."

[2] Omar Mosaad (Egy) bt [4] Tom Richards (Eng)
          11/6, 11/5, 11/9 (42m)

Omar overpowers Tom

For two and a half games Omar Mosaad was brutalising Tom Richards, dominating the court and putting away crashing drives and winners into the nick almost at will.

The Englishman did well to hang in during the first game, coming from 2/5 to 6-all, and in the second, from 2/8 to 5/8, but Omar just opened those massive shoulders and fired in some more winners to take both games.

It got to the point that when Tom won a point in the third to go 1/6, he raised his arms in mock triumph. At that point he seemed to decide he wasn't going to win, so he'd have some fun instead.

Gone was the desire to keep the ball tight and deep, Tom was playing drive boasts, going for drops and kills as Omar had been doing. He was engaging the crowd, the refs, and Omar in amusing banter too ... the crowd loved it, Omar seemed a bit put off by it all, and Tom reeled off the points, closing top 6/5, then 9/8.

Omar went to 10/8, couldn't win it on the first take, and Tom delayed serving while chatting to Omar, telling him he really didn't want this to go to four, did he.

Referee Momen urged him to get on with it, with a smile on his face.

To Tom and the crowd's disappointment, Omar did avoid a fourth, much to his own relief. A match of two halves, more precisely one of five sixths, and very enjoyable it was too.

"I was playing well for the first two and a half games, then he started coming back in the third.

"He made a joke, I lost concentration and got a bit nervous, but I really wanted to win this to get to the final, and to win it in three."

Omar Mosaad

"He was playing some ridiculous winners, especially in the second game, hard and low into the nick.

"I was half a yard off the pace and just couldn't get into it, couldn't get the lead I needed to start getting some control.

"In the third I thought I'm not just going to go down 3/0 getting really hammered, so I started fooling around a bit and it nearly worked!"