WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Women's Hyder Squash Open, New York, USA

Quarter-finals:
[1] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt Lauren Briggs (ENG) 9-2, 9-7, 8-9, 5-9, 9-5
[4] Latasha Khan (USA) bt [Q] Katie Patrick (CAN) 9-2, 9-1, 9-1
[3] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) bt [5] Carla Khan (PAK) 9-2, 9-2, 9-4
[2] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [7] Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) 9-3, 9-5, 9-2

Seeds Safely Through In New York

The top four seeds safely came through the quarter-finals of the Women's Hyder Open in New York, USA, though favourite Fiona Geaves saw her 2/0 lead pegged back by unseeded English compatriot Lauren Briggs before eventually triumphing in the only match to go beyond three games.

Briggs, the 24-year-old world No43 from Chingford in London, used exceptional volley drops and a steady but high tempo to recover from 0/2 down and match-ball at 5-8 in the third.  Geaves, the 36-year-old world No7 from Gloucester, chose no-set at 8-8 and lost the point.

Briggs, winner of her last event in the US, the Pittsburgh Invitational in February, then controlled the rallies all through the fourth game and played Geaves even through the first 12 rallies of the fifth before hitting the first of a string of tins.  The reprieve from her younger opponent's unrelenting pressure allowed Geaves to pull ahead and finish the game - and match - with four straight points.

Geaves will now take on fourth seed Latasha Khan after the five-times US Champion  crushed Canadian qualifier Katie Patrick 9-2 9-1 9-1.

The other semi-final will feature second seed Shelley Kitchen and England's Jenny Tranfield, the third seed.  Kitchen survived an all-New Zealand clash with Tamsyn Leevey, beating the seventh seed 9-3 9-5 9-2, while Tranfield overcame Pakistan's fifth seed Carla Khan 9-2 9-2 9-4.