Marathon battles in the Men's U19 semi-finals of the Tecnifibre British Junior Open Squash Championships ended English interest in the world's most prestigious junior squash event in the Yorkshire city of Sheffield.

A titanic 94-minute effort to win his quarter-final match clearly took its toll on 18-year-old Adrian Waller, the reigning British Junior National champion from Enfield, in his semi-final encounter with event favourite Mohamed El Shorbagy.  However, the UK-based Egyptian - aged just 16 - needed 50 minutes to overcome Waller, a 3/4 seed, 9-5, 9-3, 10-8 to earn a place in his third successive British Junior Open final.

In the other semi-final for the Drysdale Cup, Surrey's Joe Lee was unable to exploit the upset which took him into the last four.  But the 18-year-old from Walton-on-Thames rallied for 80 minutes against fellow 5/8 seed before Frenchman Gregoire Marche claimed the 4-9, 10-8, 10-8, 9-4 victory which took him into his maiden British Junior Open final.

There is also French interest in the Women's U19 final where European Junior champion Camille Serme, the top seed, takes on Hong Kong's No2 seed Annie Au.  Serme despatched Malaysia's Low Wee Wern 9-3, 9-3, 9-7, while Au defeated Germany's Sina Wall 9-1, 9-4, 9-1. 

David Wardle, the 14-year-old from Woking in Surrey who is the No2 seed in the Men's U15 event, battled for 90 minutes to overcome Egypt's Ahmed Abdel Khalek 4-9, 9-3, 8-10, 9-5, 10-9 in the quarter-finals.  Later in the day, the US Junior Open U15 champion had to face Pakistan's Nasir Iqbal - and went down to the 3/4 seed 9-2, 9-3, 10-8 in 37 minutes. 

In the other half of the draw, Nottinghamshire's Oliver Holland pulled off a significant upset when he beat Pakistan's 3/4 seed Mohamed Aboul Ghar 10-8, 9-7, 9-0 in the quarter-finals.  In the semis, however, the 13-year-old 5/8 seed faced top seed Karim Ali Fathi, the Egyptian ultimately winning 9-2, 9-4, 9-2 in 32 minutes.

RESULTS:    Tecnifibre British Junior Open Squash Championships, Sheffield, England

Men's Under 19 semi-finals:
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [3/4] Adrian Waller (Herts) 9-5, 9-3, 10-8 (50m)
[5/8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [5/8] Joe Lee (Surrey) 4-9, 10-8, 10-8, 9-4 (80m)

Men's Under 17 semi-finals:
[1] Amr Khalid Khalifa (EGY) bt [5/8] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) 9-6, 9-1, 9-4 (36m)
[5/8] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt [5/8] Nosherwan (PAK) 10-8, 10-8, 9-7 (56m)

Men's Under 15 quarter-finals:
[1] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt [5/8] Kah Wah Cheong (MAS) 9-1, 9-5, 9-3 (36m)
[5/8] Oliver Holland (Notts) bt [3/4] Mohamed Aboul Ghar (EGY) 10-8, 9-7, 9-0 (37m)
[3/4] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt [5/8] Haroon Rasheed (PAK) 9-3, 8-10, 9-1, 6-9, 9-5 (59m)
[2] David Wardle (Surrey) bt [5/8] Ahmed Abdel Khalek (EGY) 4-9, 9-3, 8-10, 9-5, 10-9 (90m)
    Semi-finals:
[1] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) bt [5/8] Oliver Holland (Notts) 9-2, 9-4, 9-2 (32m)
[3/4] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt [2] David Wardle (Surrey) 9-2, 9-3, 10-8 (37m)

Men's Under 13 semi-finals:
[1] Shehab Essam (EGY) bt [17/32] Ahmed Effat Ashoush (EGY) 9-4, 9-1, 4-9, 9-4 (39m)
[9/16] Osama Khalid Khalifa (EGY) bt [2] Dylan Murray (USA) 9-3, 9-5, 6-9, 5-9, 9-3 (66m)

Women's Under 19 semi-finals:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [3/4] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 9-3, 9-3, 9-7 (36m)
[2] Annie Au (HKG) bt [5/8] Sina Wall (GER) 9-1, 9-4, 9-1 (24m)

Women's Under 17 semi-finals:
[1] Heba El Torky (EGY) bt [17/32] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 9-5, 7-9, 9-2, 9-3 (33m)
[5/8] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [9/16] Salma Nassar (EGY) 9-10, 9-7, 9-1, 9-6 (48m)

Women's Under 15 quarter-finals:
[1] Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [5/8] Tan Yan Xin (MAS) 10-8, 6-9, 9-2, 9-2 (36m)
[3/4] Menat Allah Naser (EGY) bt [5/8] Emily Whitlock (Cheshire) 9-3, 9-2, 9-2 (25m)
[3/4] Sherouk Roshdy (EGY) bt Ho Ka Po (HKG) 9-6, 2-9, 9-7, 9-2 (37m)
[2] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [17/32] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 9-2, 9-4, 9-1 (22m)
    Semi-finals:
[3/4] Menat Allah Naser (EGY) bt [1] Olivia Blatchford (USA) 7-9, 9-6, 9-6, 9-2 (41m)
[2] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [3/4] Sherouk Roshdy (EGY) 9-7, 9-0, 9-1 (23m)

Women's Under 13 quarter-finals:
[1] Nour El Sherbeny (EGY) bt Natalie Machin (Bucks) 9-1, 9-0, 9-1 (16m)
[3/4] Sue Ann Yong (MAS) bt [5/8] Fiona Murphy (Wales) 9-0, 9-1, 9-2 (15m)
[3/4] Nouran Ibrahim (EGY) bt [5/8] Marie Stephan (FRA) 9-1, 9-2, 9-3 (17m)
[2] Haidi Lala (EGY) bt [5/8] Martha Possegger (Sussex) 9-0, 9-1, 9-0 (14m)
    Semi-finals:
[1] Nour El Sherbeny (EGY) bt [3/4] Sue Ann Yong (MAS) 9-3, 9-3, 9-3 (24m)
[3/4] Nouran Ibrahim (EGY) bt [2] Haidi Lala (EGY) 2-9, 2-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-4 (42m)

To follow live coverage of the finals - and replays of earlier matches - check www.psalive.tv

Official website www.bjosquash.com