WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open Squash Championships, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [8] Lee Beachill (ENG) 15-9, 15-8, 15-6 (47m)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 15-7, 15-8, 9-15, 15-7 (60m)
[4] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 11-15, 15-8, 15-3, 15-9 (55m)
[Q] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [2] John White (SCO) 8-15, 15-7, 17-15, 15-11 (63m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-2, 9-5, 9-3 (30m)
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9-0, 9-4, 10-8 (36m)
[4] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [Q] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-7, 9-2, 9-5 (32m)
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-4, 9-1, 9-5 (28m)

Willstrop Wipes Out White In Kuwait

English qualifier James Willstrop continued his giant-killing run in the men's $65,000 Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open Squash Championships by knocking out the event's No2 seed John White in the quarter-finals in Kuwait City. 

The 20-year-old world junior champion from Pontefract in Yorkshire fought back from a game down to topple Scotland's world No2 8-15 15-7 17-15 15-11 in 63 minutes to record the best win of his short career.  The defeat is also certain to deny Nottingham-based White the chance to gain the coveted world No1 slot, following the surprise first round exit of France's top-ranked Thierry Lincou.

Willstrop, who knocked out Malaysia's No7 seed Ong Beng Hee in the first round, now goes on to meet fourth seed Jonathon Power in the semi-finals.  The Canadian, in his first event since breaking a bone in his left hand in last month's Qatar Classic, beat Pakistan's Mansoor Zaman 11-15 15-8 15-3 15-9.

Top seed Peter Nicol, the England No1 who lost his two-year grip on the world No1 ranking this month after a shock second round exit in last month's World Open, was back to his best form in Kuwait as he swept to a 15-9 15-8 15-6 victory over eighth-seeded compatriot Lee Beachill, his Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games Doubles gold medallist partner.

Nicol will face unseeded Gregory Gaultier in the semi-finals after the Frenchman beat Australia's Joseph Kneipp 15-7 15-8 9-15 15-7.

In the women's $42,500 championship, there will be Australian interest in both semi-finals thanks to the Grinham sisters from Queensland.  Rachael Grinham, the No2 seed, took just 28 minutes to dismiss New Zealand qualifier Shelley Kitchen 9-4 9-1 9-5, and now takes on fourth seed Natalie Grainger, from the USA, who defeated French qualifier Isabelle Stoehr 9-7 9-2 9-5.

Third seed Natalie Grinham, the younger of the two siblings who is based in the Netherlands, ended Fiona Geaves' brave run in the event with a 9-0 9-4 10-8 victory over the England veteran.  Her opponent in the last four will be top seed Cassie Jackman, who beat fellow Englishwoman Tania Bailey 9-2 9-5 9-3.