KARACHI, Feb 9: Pakistan’s Carla Khan thrashed Austria’s Birgit Coufal and qualified for the semi-finals of women’s WISPA World Tour event in Linkoping, Sweden.
According to information received here on Saturday, Second seed Carla defeated eighth seed Birgit 9-5, 9-2, 9-0.
Carla will now face third seed Anna-Carin Forstadius of Sweden.
Meanwhile, unseeded Carrie Hastings fought back from two games down to beat English compatriot Fiona Moverley 9-10, 3-9, 9-3, 9-6, 9-0 to claim a surprise place in the semi-finals.
The 21-year-old from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire will now face fellow Englishwoman Sarah Kippax, the 24-year-old top seed from Halifax who beat seventh seed Lauren Selby 9-4, 9-2, 2-9, 9-3.
Flying Finn Olli Tuominen put paid to an all-English semi-final line-up in the Case Swedish Open after upsetting second seed Lee Beachill in the quarter-finals of the men’s $55,000 PSA Tour squash event.
The fifth seed from Helsinki twice rallied from behind to topple the former world number one from Pontefract in Yorkshire 3-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-4, 11-1 in 52 minutes.
Tuominen now takes on Beachill’s England team-mate Peter Barker, the third seed from Essex who despatched Welshman Alex Gough, the runner-up 12 months ago, 11-3, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 in 42 minutes.
James Willstrop (ENG) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-7; Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Stewart Boswell (AUS) 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6; Peter Barker (ENG) bt Alex Gough (WAL) 11-3, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4; Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Lee Beachill (ENG) 3-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-4, 11-1;
Women’s semi-finals: Sarah Kippax v Carrie Hastings; Carla Khan v Anna-Carin Forstadius.
Men’s semi-finals: James Willstrop v Adrian Grant; Olli Tuominen v Peter Barker.—Agencies