England and France each boast three players in the semi-finals of the European Junior U19 Squash Championships, the leading event on the European Squash Federation Junior Circuit event which is taking place for the first time in Portugal, in the city of Oporto.
Women's defending champion Emily Whitlock, from England, eased into the last four following an 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 win over Finland's Emilia Soini in the 18-year-old from Colwyn Bay's third straight games win in the championship.
There was an upset in the other half of the draw where Germany's Caroline Sayegh defeated Nele Gilis, a 3/4 seed from Belgium, 12-10, 11-8, 13-11.
Declan James, the top seed in the men's event, is also from England. But the 18-year-old from Nottingham was extended to five games in the third round before overcoming Israeli Daniel Poleshchuk - then had to fight back from a game down in the quarter-finals to beat local hero Rui Soares, a 9/16 seed from Portugal, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-7.
Hopes of the predicted all-English men's final were dashed when Portugal's Claudio Pinto upset Oliver Holland, the No2 seed from England, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 in the third round.
But Frenchman Damien Volland put paid to the 16-year-old's bid to provide unexpected local interest in the last four when the 5/8 seed defeated Pinto 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8 in the next round.
RESULTS: European Junior U19 Championship, Oporto, Portugal
Men's 1st round:
[17/32] Michael Craig (IRL) bt Diogo Paiva (POR) 11-2, 11-2, 11-5
[17/32] Remo Handl (SUI) bt Niels van Leeuwen (NED) 11-4, 11-6, 11-1
[9/16] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) bt Pedro Pinto (POR) 11-7, 11-5, 11-2
[17/32] Sean Conroy (IRL) bt Felix Auer (GER) 11-7, 11-9, 11-6
[17/32] Andre Ergenz (GER) bt Tomas Silva (POR) 11-9, 11-0, 11-4
[17/32] Michael Shpakov (SUI) bt Anders Rost (NOR) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5
[17/32] Jaakko Vahamaa (FIN) bt Jorge Pimentel (POR) 11-0, 11-5, 11-2
[9/16] Alexandre Cogno (FRA) bt Jan Ryba (CZE) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8
[9/16] Aitor Zunzunegui (ESP) bt Silvio Soom (SUI) 11-3, 11-8, 11-3
[17/32] Roshan Bharos (NED) bt Trym Akerstrom Aasness (NOR) 11-5, 11-5, 11-7
Owain Taylor (WAL) bt [17/32] Florian Mader (AUT) 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-3
Kristian Rautiainen (FIN) bt [17/32] Tom Lucas (NED) 11-7, 11-8, 11-8
[17/32] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt Nick Kuys (NED) 11-6, 11-1, 11-9
[9/16] Jordan Davies (WAL) bt Conor Lavin (IRL) 11-2, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3
[9/16] Sven Lemmermann (GER) bt Jorge Monteiro (POR) 11-1, 11-1, 11-1
[17/32] Yannick Lindemann (SUI) bt Hakon Standal (NOR) 11-6, 12-10, 11-1
[17/32] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Robert Luke (WAL) 12-10, 11-4, 11-7
Toon van Baekel (BEL) bt [17/32] Robin Gadola (SUI) w/o
[17/32] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) bt Alfonso Silva (POR) 11-6, 11-9, 13-11
[9/16] Claudio Pinto (POR) bt Victor Manuel Reguera (ESP) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4
Joel Makin (WAL) bt [17/32] Roee Avraham (ISR) 11-9, 11-8, 11-6
[17/32] Paul Mairinger (AUT) bt Edmon Lopez (ESP) 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-1
2nd round:
[1] Declan James (ENG) bt [17/32] Michael Craig (IRL) 14-12, 11-3, 11-3
[9/16] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) bt [17/32] Remo Handl (SUI) 11-5, 11-5, 11-4
[9/16] Rui Soares (POR) bt [17/32] Sean Conroy (IRL) 12-10, 11-8, 11-6
[17/32] Andre Ergenz (GER) bt [5/8] Ashley Davies (ENG) w/o
[5/8] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) bt [17/32] Michael Shpakov (SUI) 11-2, 11-3, 13-11
[9/16] Alexandre Cogno (FRA) bt [17/32] Jaakko Vahamaa (FIN) 11-6, 11-6, 13-11
[9/16] Aitor Zunzunegui (ESP) bt [17/32] Roshan Bharos (NED) 11-7, 13-15, 11-2, 11-5
[3/4] Tom de Mulder (BEL) bt Owain Taylor (WAL) 11-6, 11-6, 11-4
[3/4] Tom Ford (ENG) bt Kristian Rautiainen (FIN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4
[9/16] Jordan Davies (WAL) bt [17/32] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 12-14, 11-4, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8
[9/16] Sven Lemmermann (GER) bt [17/32] Yannick Lindemann (SUI) 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9
[5/8] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt [17/32] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 11-6, 12-10, 11-7
[5/8] Damien Volland (FRA) bt Toon van Baekel (BEL) 11-3, 11-1, 11-0
[9/16] Martin Svec (CZE) bt [17/32] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) 11-8, 4-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9
[9/16] Claudio Pinto (POR) bt Joel Makin (WAL) 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8
[2] Oliver Holland (ENG) bt [17/32] Paul Mairinger (AUT) 13-11, 13-11, 11-4
3rd round:
[1] Declan James (ENG) bt [9/16] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) 9-11, 14-12, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4
[9/16] Rui Soares (POR) bt [17/32] Andre Ergenz (GER) 11-8, 12-10, 11-7
[5/8] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) bt [9/16] Alexandre Cogno (FRA) 8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-5
[3/4] Tom de Mulder (BEL) bt [9/16] Aitor Zunzunegui (ESP) 11-5, 11-3, 11-3
[3/4] Tom Ford (ENG) bt [9/16] Jordan Davies (WAL) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5
[5/8] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt [9/16] Sven Lemmermann (GER) 14-12, 11-5, 10-12, 11-5
[5/8] Damien Volland (FRA) bt [9/16] Martin Svec (CZE) 4-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-3
[9/16] Claudio Pinto (POR) bt [2] Oliver Holland (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-7
Quarter-finals:
[1] Declan James (ENG) bt [9/16] Rui Soares (POR) 9-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-7
[5/8] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) bt [3/4] Tom de Mulder (BEL) 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8
[3/4] Tom Ford (ENG) bt [5/8] Richie Fallows (ENG) 11-6, 7-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-3
[5/8] Damien Volland (FRA) bt [9/16] Claudio Pinto (POR) 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8
Women's 1st round:
[17/32] Nikki van der Heijden (NED) bt Catarina Sousa (POR) 11-2, 11-3, 11-2
[17/32] Alvilde Sonju (NOR) bt Alexandra Santos (POR) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4
[17/32] Catuxa Codesido (ESP) bt Laura Lagerweij (NED) 11-3, 11-0, 11-0
[17/32] Anete Sokko (EST) bt Sara Neves (POR) 11-7, 11-7, 11-6
[17/32] Sarah Clode (WAL) bt Brenda Nieuwenhuis (NED) 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-3
[17/32] Milena Penkov (SUI) bt Jacqueline Peychaer (AUT) 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 16-14
Sara Esperon (ESP) bt [17/32] Komi Reele (EST) 2-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-9
Marina de Juan (ESP) bt [17/32] Barbora Krejcova (CZE) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4
2nd round:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [17/32] Nikki van der Heijden (NED) 11-1, 11-3, 11-4
[9/16] Camille Lanier (POR) bt [17/32] Christina Gomez (ESP) 13-11, 11-7, 11-6
[9/16] Emilia Soini (FIN) bt [17/32] Jennifer Haley (WAL) 11-3, 11-6, 11-3
[5/8] Enora Villard (FRA) bt [17/32] Alvilde Sonju (NOR) 11-9, 11-1, 11-1
[5/8] Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) bt [17/32] Catuxa Codesido (ESP) 12-10, 11-3, 11-6
[17/32] Tereza Svobodova (CZE) bt [9/16] Fiona Murphy (WAL) 11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 12-10
[9/16] Annika Wiese (GER) bt [17/32] Cindy Merlo (SUI) 11-9, 11-2, 11-3
[3/4] Melissa Alves (FRA) bt [17/32] Anete Sokko (EST) 11-2, 11-2, 11-2
[3/4] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [17/32] Sarah Clode (WAL) 11-0, 11-6, 11-7
[17/32] Marie Stephan (FRA) bt [9/16] Anna Kimberley (ENG) 11-3, 14-16, 11-5, 11-6
[9/16] Kristina Alexova (CZE) bt [17/32] Nikita Brant (BEL) 11-8, 11-3, 11-0
[5/8] Caroline Sayegh (GER) bt [17/32] Milena Penkov (SUI) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
[5/8] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) bt Sara Esperon (ESP) 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5
[9/16] Eleanor Lake (ENG) bt [17/32] Karolina Holinkova (CZE) 12-10, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9
[17/32] Csenge Kiss-Mate (HUN) bt [9/16] Denisa Peleskova (CZE) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4
[2] Julia Lecoq (FRA) bt Marina de Juan (ESP) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4
3rd round:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [9/16] Camille Lanier (POR) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3
[9/16] Emilia Soini (FIN) bt [5/8] Enora Villard (FRA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-4
[5/8] Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) bt [17/32] Tereza Svobodova (CZE) 11-7, 11-5, 11-13, 13-15, 11-9
[3/4] Melissa Alves (FRA) bt [9/16] Annika Wiese (GER) 11-9, 11-3, 8-11, 11-2
[3/4] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [17/32] Marie Stephan (FRA) 11-2, 11-0, 11-6
[5/8] Caroline Sayegh (GER) bt [9/16] Kristina Alexova (CZE) 11-4, 11-8, 12-10
[9/16] Eleanor Lake (ENG) bt [5/8] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6
[2] Julia Lecoq (FRA) bt [17/32] Csenge Kiss-Mate (HUN) 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7
Quarter-finals:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [9/16] Emilia Soini (FIN) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3
[3/4] Melissa Alves (FRA) bt [5/8] Victoria Temple Murray (ENG) 11-4, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6
[5/8] Caroline Sayegh (GER) bt [3/4] Nele Gilis (BEL) 12-10, 11-8, 13-11
[2] Julia Lecoq (FRA) bt [9/16] Eleanor Lake (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3
Men's semi-final line-up:
[1] Declan James (ENG) v [5/8] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL)
[5/8] Damien Volland (FRA) v [3/4] Tom Ford (ENG)
Women's semi-final line-up:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [3/4] Melissa Alves (FRA)
[2] Julia Lecoq (FRA) v [5/8] Caroline Sayegh (GER)