RESULTS:    Clare Valley Australian Open Squash Championships, Clare, Australia

Men's semi-finals:
[3] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 5-11, 12-10 (86m)
[2] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [4] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6 (56m)

Women's semi-finals:
[6] Joelle King (NZL) bt [1] Kasey Brown (AUS) 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-2 (53m)
[2] Annie Au (HKG) bt [3] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (28m)


Top seeds Ong Beng Hee and Kasey Brown failed to survive today's (Saturday) semi-finals in the Clare Valley Australian Open, both going out in five games in the country's most prestigious squash tournament in Clare, South Australia.

Australia’s third seed Cameron Pilley fought off a stirring comeback from Malaysian favourite Ong Beng Hee in the men's $30,000 PSA World Tour tournament to set up an all-Australian final against doubles partner Stewart Boswell.

Pilley battled to an 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 5-11, 12-10 victory in 86 minutes before three-time Open champion Boswell, the No2 seed, saw off the challenge of dangerous Egyptian Tarek Momen 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6.

The final is a rematch of the 2007decider, which Boswell won in five tough games, and ensures at least one local winner following the demise of both remaining Australian players in the women’s semi-finals.

Beng Hee was pushed all the way by Kiwi Martin Knight in Friday’s quarter-finals before grinding out a win, but he was unable to do so again against the 26-year-old New South Welshman.

Pilley came out all guns blazing and took the opening two games comfortably, only for the Malaysian to regroup and come charging back as Pilley went off the boil.

In the decider Pilley opened up a handy lead and had two match balls at 10-8, but the Malaysian saved both and a second last-gasp win in as many days looked on the cards.  But the tall Australian had one more chance and this time there was no answer from the top seed.

“I went on so focused at the start of the match and I was really pleased with the first two games,” Pilley said.  “I was on top of him and hitting the ball well, putting the pressure on him before going short, and then I took my foot of the gas a bit."

Boswell and Pilley won the Australian Open doubles title in Melbourne last week and know each other’s games very well.

“He played really well today,” Boswell said. “It’s hard to play someone like that because we play doubles together and we’re good mates as well.”

Momen tried every trick in his arsenal to try and throw Boswell off his game, but the 30-year-old from Canberra was able to withstand the pressure, winning in just under an hour to give himself a chance of winning his third title in four years.

In the women's $18,700 WISPA World Tour event, New Zealand’s Joelle King recorded the biggest win of her career when she stunned top seed Kasey Brown.  King, the sixth seed, downed the 2006 champion in five games 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-2 to reach the final - where she will play defending champion Annie Au, of Hong Kong, after Au’s 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 win over New South Wales’s Donna Urquhart.

King, who will be aiming to become the second New Zealander to win the Australian Open in two years following Shelley Kitchen’s 2007 triumph, has been in tremendous form over the past month, winning both the NSW and Victorian Opens.

However, she was not expected to trouble the 23-year-old Brown, who at number 14 is ranked almost 40 places above the New Zealander.

King had other ideas though and began to dominate Brown from 5-5 in the opening game, moving the Australian around the court with some deft placement and blistering power.

She opened up a two-game lead and appeared in control, only for Brown to come storming back and take command of the next two games.

However the effort of getting back on terms seemed to sap Brown’s energy and King took an early lead in the decider and didn’t look back.

“This is the biggest win I’ve had in my career,” she King.  “I’m a bit speechless at the moment – it’s been a little while coming but finally I got it.”

Au looked in imposing form as she downed Urquhart in straight games.  The defending champion took the pace of the ball brilliantly and didn’t allow her taller opponent any rhythm.

“I think Joelle is playing very well and I think it will be difficult for me because she hits the ball so fast,” Au said.  “I won’t be able to make too many mistakes. Last time I played against her at the World Juniors I lost three-love.”