29 January 2004	Thursday	06 Zilhaj 1424

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 28: England World Junior squash champion, James Willstrop followed up his defeat of World No2 John White in quarterfinals of Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open squash championships with 83 minute 15/11 15/9 12/15 12/15 15/9 semifinal win over fourth seeded Canadian, Jonathon Power.

The 20-year-old qualifier goes to an all-English final against London's top seeded Peter Nicol, who lost his world No1 status this month after a disastrous World Open campaign in Lahore, but needed only 50 minutes to remove the promising young Frenchman Gregory Gaultier 15-10 15-10 15-12.

England also has an interest in the women's final with Norfolk's Cassie Jackman meeting Australia's Cairo-based Rachael Grinham in a replay of last year's British Open final.

Jackman has moved to the top of the women's game after reaching last month's World Open final in Hong Kong and seeing the winner, Carol Owens of New Zealand, retire from the circuit this year.

She defeated Australia's Natalie Grinham 9-5 9-8 2-9 9-4 and will meet Natalie's elder sister Rachael, the British Open champion, in the final. The elder Grinham defeated Natalie Grainger of the USA 5-9 9-5 9-7 9-4 in a 39 minute semifinal.

Results (Men's semifinals)

Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Gregory Gaultier (Fra) 15/10, 15/10, 15/12; James Willstrop (Eng) bt Jonathon Power (Can) 15/11, 15/9, 12/15, 12/15, 15/9

Women:

Cassie Jackman (Eng) bt Natalie Grinham (Aus) 9/5, 9/8, 2/9, 9/4; Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Natalie Grainger (USA) 5/9, 9/5, 9/7, 9/4.-PPI