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Women's Draw                              Previews and Qualifying
Reports
Final      Semi Finals      Quarter Finals      2nd Round     1st Round
Men's Draw
Round One 8 Feb	Round Two 9 Feb	Quarters 10-11 Feb	Semis 12 Feb	Final 13 Feb
[1] Nick Matthew (Yorks) 12/10, 11/4, 11/4 (38m)  Neil Hitchens (Essex)	Nick Matthew 11-4, 11-4, 11-0 (30m) Adam Murrills	Nick Matthew 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (51m) Chris Simpson	Nick Matthew 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (35m) Tom Richards	Nick Matthew 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 (84m) Daryl Selby
[16] Simon Parke (Yorks) 11/9, 7/11, 11/9, 12/10 (60m)  [Q] Adam Murrills (Cheshire)
[8] Chris Simpson (Hamps) 11/6, 11/7, 9/11, 11/6 (48m)  Peter Creed (Wal)	Chris Simpson 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (41m) Laurence Delasaux
[12] Laurence Delasaux (Yorks) 9/11, 11/8, 8/11, 11/6, 11/5 (48m)  [Q] Stephen Siveter (Merseyside)
[4] Adrian Grant (Kent) 11/4, 11/5, 9/11, 11/7 (49m)  [Q] Andrew Birks (Shropshire)	Adrian Grant 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (41m) Alan Clyne	Alan Clyne 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 (42m) Tom Richards
[10] Alan Clyne (Sco) 14/12, 11/8, 11/1 (25m)  [LL] Liam Foster (Ches)
[6] Tom Richards (Surrey) 11/8, 11/5, 11/8 (26m)  Anthony Graham (Glos)	Tom Richards  13-15, 11-1, 11-2, 11-5 (45m) Eddie Charlton
[14] Eddie Charlton (Notts) 12/10, 11/5, 11/1 (29m)  [Q] Andrew Widdison (Yorks)
[LL] Richard Birks (Shropshire)  11/8, 11/7, 11/6 (34m) [15] Andy Whipp (Ches)	Andy Whipp 11-4, 11-8, 11-1 (35m) Chris Ryder	Chris Ryder 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-4 (71m) Daryl Selby	Daryl Selby 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (45m) Jonathan Kemp
[LL] Adam Giles (Wilts) 11/5, 11/2, 11/6 (21m)  [7] Chris Ryder (Herts)
[Q] James Earles (Yorks) 11/9, 11/3, 11/6 (32m)  [11] Joe Lee (Surrey)	Joe Lee 14-12, 11-9, 11-9 (44m) Daryl Selby
[Q] Phil Rushworth (Yorks) 11/3, 11/8, 4/11, 11/8 (39m) [3] Daryl Selby (Essex)
Chris Fuller (Northants) 11/8, 12/10, 12/10 (54m) [13] Joel Hinds (Derby)	Joel Hinds 11-8, 14-12, 12-10 (41m) Jonathan Kemp	Jonathan Kemp 11-8, 11-3, 10-12, 11-6 (48m) James Willstrop
Tom Pashley (Sussex) 12/10, 11/4, 15/13 (38m) [5] Jonathan Kemp (Shrops)
[Q] Declan James (Notts) 16/14, 11/4, 11/4 (31m)  [9] Adrian Waller (Herts)	Adrian Waller 11-5, 11-8, 11-2 (27m) James Willstrop
[Q] Charles Sharpes (Surrey) 11/6, 11/6, 11/5 (25m) [2] James Willstrop (Yorks)

Qualifying finals: Phil Rushworth (Yorks) bt Rory Pennell (Essex) 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 (25m) Charles Sharpes (Surrey) bt Richard Birks (Shropshire) 11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 (44m) Andrew Widdison (Yorks) bt Steven London (Kent) 11-6, 6-11, 11-1, 11-4 (47m) Stephen Siveter (Merseyside) bt Chris Tasker-Grindley (Glos) 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6 (46m) Adam Murrills (Cheshire) bt Kristen Johnson (Oxon) 11-9, 16-14, 11-3 (43m) Andrew Birks (Shropshire) bt Adam Fuller (Herts) 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (25m) Declan James (Notts) bt Adam Giles (Wilts) 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 (25m) James Earles (Yorks) bt Liam Foster (Cheshire) 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 (22m) Men's 2nd qualifying round: Phil Rushworth (Yorks) bt Jason Pike (Wilts) 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (29m) Rory Pennell (Essex) bt Oliver Wildig (Cheshire) 11-6, 11-4 ret. (13m) Charles Sharpes (Surrey) bt Kevin Moran (Scotland) 11-4, 11-2, 7-11, 11-5 (35m) Richard Birks (Shropshire) bt Richard Shellam (Northumbria) 11-9, 11-4, 11-3 (29m) Steven London (Kent) bt Dominic Hamilton (Oxon) 11-5, 5-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7 (60m) Andrew Widdison (Yorks) bt Morgan Hibberd (Lancs) 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 15-13 (64m) Stephen Siveter (Merseyside) bt Keith Timms (Herts) 11-3, 13-11, 9-11, 11-2 (48m) Chris Tasker-Grindley (Glos) bt Ollie Holland (Notts) 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (29m) Kristen Johnson (Oxon) bt Michael Potter (Cheshire) 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (35m) Adam Murrills (Cheshire) bt Alex Cutts (Norfolk) 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 (30m) Adam Fuller (Herts) bt Matthew Sidaway (Lancs) 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (46m) Andrew Birks (Shropshire) bt Theo Woodward (Dorset) 11-2, 6-11, 11-6, 16-14 (46m) Declan James (Notts) bt Matthew Sampson (Northumbria) 11-1, 11-3, 11-6 (25m) Adam Giles (Wilts) bt Simon White (Wilts) 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-6 (49m) James Earles (Yorks) bt Robert Taylor (Cheshire) 11-1, 11-6, 11-8 (27m) Liam Foster (Cheshire) bt David Barnett (Northumbria) w/o 1st qualifying round: Phil Rushworth (Yorks)                                                     bye Jason Pike (Wilts) bt Damien Easy (Cheshire)             11-3, 11-7, 11-4 (20m) Rory Pennell (Essex) bt Joshua Harris (D & C)            3-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6 (41m) Oliver Wildig (Cheshire) bt Julian Tomlinson (Lancs) 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 (21m) Charles Sharpes (Surrey) bt Chris Ferguson (Scotland)         11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (30m) Kevin Moran (Scotland) bt Stephen Horabin (Cheshire)         11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (21m) Richard Birks (Shropshire) bt Blake Bettley (Cheshire)           11-7, 12-10, 11-1 (23m) Richard Shellam (Northumbria) bt Robert Dadds (Cambs)      12-10, 11-4, 11-7 (32m) Dominic Hamilton (Oxon)                                                 bye Steven London (Kent) bt Paul Carter (Cheshire)         11-6, 13-11, 14-12 (33m) Andrew Widdison (Yorks) bt Ashley Davies (Derbyshire)        11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8 (49m) Morgan Hibberd (Lancs) bt Liam Gutcher (Northumbria)         11-6, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6 (36m) Stephen Siveter (Merseyside) bt Alex Phillips (Hants)             11-9, 11-7, 11-9 (31m) Keith Timms (Herts) bt Jack White (Cambs)                  11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (21m) Chris Tasker-Grindley (Glos) bt Paul Runciman (Cheshire)   w/o Ollie Holland (Notts) bt James Asher (Cheshire)         w/o Michael Potter (Cheshire) bt Daniel McGinn (Cambs)             11-9, 11-8, 3-11, 5-11, 11-5 (49m) Kristen Johnson (Scotland) bt Nic Birt (Wales)            11-5, 11-1, 11-8 (33m) Alex Cutts (Norfolk) bt Edward Fairhurst (Lancs)         11-5, 11-1, 11-2 (18m) Adam Murrills (Cheshire) bt Pablo Rawden (Surrey) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4 (30m) Matthew Sidaway (Lancs) bt Sean Hunter (Cheshire)             8-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9 (61m) Adam Fuller (Herts) bt Robert Downer (Hants)             16-14, 8-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 (60m) Theo Woodward (Dorset) bt Matthew Hardy (Northumbria)     11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 (40m) Andrew Birks (Shropshire) bt Gavan Hitchenor (Cheshire)    11-4, 11-6, 11-2 (19m) Matthew Sampson (Northumbria) bt Mick Biggs (Middx)          11-2, 11-4, 11-5 (20m) Declan James (Notts) bt James Jacobsen (Scotland)   11-9, 11-5, 11-7 (35m) Adam Giles (Wilts) bt Chris Longman (Cheshire)        11-4 ret. (9m) Simon White (Wilts)                                                           bye Robert Taylor (Cheshire) bt Lee Brownson (Cheshire)            11-8, 11-9, 11-1 (24m) James Earles (Yorks) bt Matt Pearson (Lancs)             11-1, 11-5, 11-3 (19m) Liam Foster (Cheshire) bt Theodore Anderson (Devon)          w/o David Barnett (Northumbria)                                            bye

Women's Main Draw
Round One Wed 9th	Quarters 10th/11th	Semis Sat 12th	Final Sun 13th
[1] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) 8-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-4 (28m) Sarah-Jane Perry (Warks)	Jenny Duncalf 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (28m) Emma Beddoes	Jenny Duncalf 11-2, 11-1, 11-5 (19m) Dominique Lloyd-Walter	Jenny Duncalf 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2 (62m) Laura Massaro
[5] Emma Beddoes (Warks) 13-15, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 (50m) Emily Whitlock (Ches)
[4] Sarah Kippax (Ches) 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (34m) [Q] Lisa Aitken (Scotland)	Sarah Kippax 14-12, 11-7, 11-7 (40m) Dominique Lloyd-Walter
[7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Mdx) 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (20m) [Q] Fiona Moverley (Yorks)
Deon Saffery (Wal) 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 (27m) [8] Lauren Selby (Essex)	Laura Massaro 11-3, 11-3, 11-7 (22m) Rachel Willmott	Laura Massaro 11-8, 12-14, 11-3, 11-9 (58m) Madeline Perry
[Q] Rachel Willmott (Sussex) 11-3, 11-1, 11-4 (18m) [3] Laura Massaro (Lancs)
Kirsty McPhee (Yorks) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (33m) [6] Victoria Lust (Beds)	Victoria Lust 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (30m) Madeline Perry
[Q] Tesni Evans (Wales) 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (25m) [2] Madeline Perry (N/Ireland)

Women's 1st qualifying round: Kirsty West (Cheshire) bt Victoria Temple-Murray (Devon) 11-6, 4-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8 (39m) Lauren Gray (Scotland) bt Brogan Lane (Herts) 11-5, 6-11, 11-3, 11-2 (24m)

Final       click on images for larger view Sensational Selby Denies Matthew Nationals Record In Manchester The world's best squash player's bid to win a record-equalling fourth domestic title was thwarted by Daryl Selby today when the Essex outsider beat world champion Nick Matthew in a marathon 84-minute British National Championship climax at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. Earlier third seed Laura Massaro celebrated the biggest success of her career when she upset Yorkshire favourite Jenny Duncalf, the world No2, to become the first Lancashire winner of the women's title in the event's 36-year-history. After being dominated by the Yorkshireman in the opening game of the men's final, world No10 Selby fought back to draw level as Matthew dropped his first game of the tournament.  The packed crowd, expecting a Matthew win, watched in amazement as the evenly-contested match moved into a fifth game. Both players had leads in the decider, but an uncharacteristic series of errors by the defending champion saw Selby pull away from 6-7 down to win 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 – with Matthew calling his final ball down and shaking Selby's hand. "I feel I played really well – but I had to play really well against the world number one," said the 28-year-old from Witham.  "I knew I had a chance.  I feel I raised my game to his level. "In fact I feel I played a phenomenal match.  I'm 10 in the world, and results like this show that I can go higher.  Hopefully this can be a catalyst to move on. "Is it the best win of my career?  I should say so, when you look at the names on this trophy – Nick Matthew, James Willstrop, Peter Nicol, Jonah Barrington ..... it's an amazing list of names.  And there's Del Harris, the last Essex man to win the title (in 1989)," Selby continued. "I feel I deserved to win – I matched him physically and turned the pressure back on him," concluded the new men's champion. A downcast Matthew acknowledged that his opponent had been the better player:  "He didn't give me anything – it was almost error-free squash.  I had my chances – but when he came back he took his chances better than I did.  He played better than me. "I wanted so much to win that fourth title." Laura Massaro arrived in Manchester fresh from international success in the USA where she upset three higher-ranked players - including the 14-month-unbeaten world number one Nicol David - to win the biggest Tour title of her career. Seeded three in the British championship, Massaro reached the final after battling to victory over second-seeded Irish opponent Madeline Perry.  But after taking the opening game in the final, the world No9 slipped behind as England team-mate Duncalf, ranked two in the world, began to dominate. Despite going into the match 3-11 down on their career head-to-head tally, Massaro beat Duncalf last week in Cleveland - and picked up her game to draw level, before completely dominating the decider to come through 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2 after 62 minutes. "It sounds pretty good, doesn't it – British National champion," said the jubilant 27-year-old after her first-time success in her second final since 2008. "I just kept thinking in that last game 'keep calm, keep calm, and keep volleying'," added Massaro, who then paid tribute to her coach Phil Whitlock, a former national champion with whom she has worked for the past year.  "Jenny played so well in that third game – and the fourth was quite tight.  But I just got on top of it in the fifth, and that made all the difference. "What an amazing couple of week it's been," said the new champion as she signed autographs for youngsters in the packed National Squash Centre arena. When asked to explain the difference in her approach to the event this year, Massaro said:  "It's having more belief in myself and my game.  And my fitness has also definitely improved.  "It's knowing that I can do it after what I achieved last week in Cleveland. "But, believe it or not, I was quite nervous towards the end of the match – thinking about what I had said before the event about wanting my name on that trophy, and that I would be the first Lancashire player to win it! "It feels really good to have won it at last.  My England team-mates Jenny and Alison (Waters) have both done it – and I wanted to be a member of that club.  And as Massaro walked away from the presentation, passing event posters featuring the 2010 champions, the 2011 champion said:  "Does this mean I'll be on the poster next year?  "That's maybe the best thing about winning it!"

Semi Finals  Massaro Marches Into Manchester Final Laura Massaro kept alive her hopes of becoming Lancashire's first winner of the women's British National Squash Championships title by upsetting Ireland's second seed Madeline Perry in today's semi-finals at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. Massaro arrived in Manchester fresh from winning the biggest international title of her career in Cleveland, USA - where she claimed successive upsets over Perry; her world number two-ranked England team-mate Jenny Duncalf; and, for the first time, the world number one Nicol David.   But the third seed from Preston, ranked nine in the world, had a hard battle to repeat her victory over second seed Perry, the world No7 from Banbridge, near Belfast - winning 11-8, 12-14, 11-3, 11-9 in just under an hour. "Madeline's a great player – she was so gutsy out there today," said a delighted Massaro, now in the final for the second time.  "I just couldn't take my foot off the pedal for a moment. "The Cleveland success has given me confidence, but it also puts pressure on you.  In the end, though, the confidence outweighs the pressure - and I was feeling OK towards the end. "It's hard not to put too much pressure on yourself.  But, deep down, I've now got the belief I can do it when it gets tough," added Massaro. "Winning those matches last week gave me the confidence that I can win events at the highest level.  There'll be no pressure on me in the final.  Massaro will face England team-mate Jenny Duncalf, the top seed from Yorkshire.  The two-time champion reached the final for the fourth time in five years after the swiftest win of the day – a 19-minute defeat of seventh seed Dominique Lloyd-Walter.  The Middlesex 29-year-old reached her maiden semi after upsetting local star Sarah Kippax, the fourth seed from Cheshire, in the previous round.  But Lloyd-Walter was unable to reproduce her performance against the England number one, going down 11-2, 11-1, 11-5. "I got a good start, and I tried to make sure I kept the pressure on," said Duncalf.  "I thought I was playing pretty well. "It's always hard being on the back foot when you don't make a good start, especially on big stages like this, but Dom can certainly play a lot better than that. "I'm looking forward to the final," added the 28-year-old from Harrogate.  "We don't often get to have our friends and family here when we play in big events, so that will be good - but I'm here to win it. "It's a huge honour to win your National title, I've got two already.  I know Laura will really want to win it for the first time - but I want a third!" Yorkshireman Nick Matthew gave a performance worthy of his dual status as world number one and world champion to despatch sixth seed Tom Richards, ranked 30 places lower, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 in just 35 minutes. Richards, the Guildford-born 24-year-old making his semi-final debut, made his breakthrough in the previous round where he ousted Alan Clyne, the unheralded Scot who upset fourth-seeded Londoner Adrian Grant, a former runner-up, in the last 16 round. It was a disappointing performance by the Surrey hope who has recently picked up some notable scalps.  "I played Nick last week in the Swedish Open – and I didn't play anything like as well today as I did then," admitted Richards. "My shots were too loose and you can't do that against someone like Nick. "It's frustrating – I just didn't do myself justice.  But he is the world number one and world champion, so I suppose he's bound to make it difficult." Matthew, the 30-year-old from Sheffield who became England's first ever world champion in December, is an-course to win a record-equalling four national titles.  "Tom is one of a group of younger players that shows the strength in depth we have in English squash.  I'm sure he will learn a lot from this," said the England number one. Richards agreed:  "You learn more from your losses than from your wins," said the beaten semi-finalist.  "But I'll learn a lot more as it's a heavy loss!" In the last semi-final of the day, third seed Daryl Selby secured a place in the men's final for the first time after overcoming quarter-final hero Jonathan Kemp, the fifth seed from Shropshire who stunned former champion James Willstrop, the No2 seed. Left-hander Kemp, the world No23 from Halifax, carried on from where he left off 24 hours earlier – taking the first game and leading twice in the second. But 28-year-old Selby, the world No10 from Essex, moved ahead from nine-all in the second to draw level – then battled to stay ahead of his opponent in the next two to record his 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 victory after 45 minutes. "This is one of the biggest tournaments we play – and a great chance to show English squash enthusiasts what we do," Selby told event MC Andrew Nickeas immediately following his triumph.  "I'm very happy to get through. "Kempy is one of those players who, if you give him half a percent, will take full advantage.  He dominated the first game – but I managed to get ahead in the third." When asked what reaching the National final meant to him, Selby responded:  "I've not made any Super Series finals - only a few three or four star events – but this tournament is up there with the best, because of the strength in depth of English squash. "It will be my biggest final, for sure, and it will be an honour and a privilege to play the world number one and world champion here tomorrow," Selby continued. "It'll be great to have my Mum and Dad and the rest of the family to watch me – they've done so much for me over my career.  I hope I can play well."

Quarter Finals    click on images for larger view 11th Feb Kemp Captures Willstrop Scalp In Major Nationals Upset Yorkshire's two-time champion James Willstrop, who was expected to reach the final of the British National Squash Championships for the fifth time in seven years, crashed out in tonight's quarter-finals at the National Squash Centre in Manchester after losing to Shropshire's Jonathan Kemp (right). The world No4 from Leeds walked onto the court with ten career wins out ten against Kemp, the Halifax-based left-hander who is ranked 23 in the world. But signs of an upset were on the cards when Kemp took the opening game – itself a first in the pair's career head-to-head tally. The Shropshire lad took the second and had match-ball for a stunning straight games win when Willstrop benefitted from a lucky sidewall nick to reduce the deficit. But Kemp continued with his game-plan and, after 48 minutes, wrapped up his historic 11-8, 11-3, 10-12, 11-6 victory. "It's the best result of my career so far," said an exuberant Kemp afterwards.  "When he hit that nick at match-ball in the third, I thought 'was that my chance gone?'.  But I was determined to stick to my game-plan - and it worked. "But James is a fantastic player – and a fantastic guy too," added the Wolverhampton-born 29-year-old. "I feel I played well – but physically he seemed down.  But James at 50% would still beat most people!" After signing autographs for a hoard of young fans afterwards, Willstrop admitted that all was not right:  "I've had enough – I'm just not enjoying playing at the moment. "There's no point in carrying on like this – maybe I need to stop playing for a while. "It's unnatural for me not to like playing.  The only reason I'm putting the effort in is not to win – but to do justice to all the people who have come to watch me play. "I just feel exhausted," continued the 27-year-old England No2 from Leeds.  "Every time I'm on court, it's like a toil.  I'm just glad I'm not playing tomorrow. "I played a lot of squash in the autumn – maybe I should have done something to reduce the load.  I don't feel I can keep playing at this level. "I had no desire tonight.  In fact the only desire I had was to get off the court – and not play in the semi-finals. "But I don't want to take anything away from Jonathan.  I always have to be focussed to play him – and he played well tonight," Willstrop concluded. In his first semi-final appearance since making his Nationals debut 11 years ago, Kemp will meet third seed Daryl Selby.  The 28-year-old from Essex claimed his second successive semi-final slot when he beat Chris Ryder.  The No7 seed from Hertfordshire imposed himself on the match from the outset and had two game-balls in the third – but Selby came through to win 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-4 in 71 minutes. "It was a tough match – he found his length pretty well – I couldn't get in front of him for the first three games," said Selby, the world No10.  "I felt strong in the fourth – and I think he would have been pretty disappointed to lose the third." Ryder explained later:  "I was just a little off the pace in the fourth – and he raised his game." When asked if he had been happy overall with his game, the Leamington Spa-based 30-year-old responded:  "No – I'm not happy to lose.  In fact I'm fed up with saying that I'm 'happy my performance' when I lose." Sarah Kippax's hopes of taking Cheshire interest through to the women's semi-finals were dashed when the fourth seed crashed out to lower-ranked Dominique Lloyd-Walter, the No7 seed from Guildford. Kippax, the Chester-born world No22 squandered a game ball in the first game and led in the next two – but it was Lloyd-Walter, ranked 23 places lower, who prevailed to win 14-12, 11-7, 11-7 in 40 minutes. Lloyd-Walter, a former world No18, is making a comeback after a six-month foot injury lay-off.  "I was in agony after a bone in my right foot virtually decomposed, and even now it's only about 90% back," said the 29-year-old, now in the semis for the first time. "I'm very happy with that – but most of all, I'm really pleased to be back playing again. "I've qualified as a personal trainer now, and I really enjoy that, so squash is not the only thing in my life anymore," added Lloyd-Walter.  "I'll still play on the Tour, but I'll just be much more relaxed." Kippax was downcast:  "I'm really disappointed – nothing seemed to come together for me tonight.  I felt that my game was a little bit off. "But all credit to Dom, she played really well.  I desperately wanted to play well here – I had lots of support.  But she just played better than me and deserved to win." Lloyd-Walter's semi-final opponent will be Jenny Duncalf, the world No2 from Yorkshire who is seeded to win the women's trophy for the third time since 2007.  The 28-year-old from Harrogate defeated Nottingham's Emma Beddoes in straight games. "You always try and make sure that you don't let your opponent get much of a look-in - and I think I did that tonight," said Duncalf, from Harrogate.  "I was trying to keep her behind me. "It's nice to be on the glass court.  It's good to be in the semis – I feel I'm in the tournament at last." 10th Feb Richards Rallies To First Nationals Semi-Final In Manchester  click on image for larger view Surrey's sixth seed Tom Richards battled for 42 minutes to keep Scotland's Alan Clyne at bay before earning his first appearance in the men's semi-finals of the British National Squash Championships at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. The Guildford-born 24-year-old, in only his sixth appearance in the championships, took the first game and led 9-8 in the second before Scottish number one Clyne clinched the game to draw level. Tenth seed Clyne, from Edinburgh, was celebrating his first appearance in the quarter-finals after a shock defeat of fourth seed Adrian Grant, runner-up two years ago, in the previous round. However, Richards built up early leads in the next two games before recording his 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 victory.  "I knew Alan would fight until the very end," said Richards, the world No31, of his opponent ranked 16 places lower. The quarter-final stage of the event saw action move from the conventional courts onto the Centre's spectacular all-glass showcourt. "It's great to be in the semis for the first time – though it's a strange feeling, as it feels like a new tournament, now that we're playing on the glass court.  It's a real inspiration being on there," Richards continued. "Now that I've beaten two or three of the top players in the world, it has given me a lot of confidence.  I now feel I can hold my own with players in the world's top ten.  But it's one thing thinking about it; it's another thing doing it!" Later, the event's top seed and defending champion Nick Matthew survived a 51-minute clash with Chris Simpson, beating the Guernsey-born eighth seed 11-8, 11-7, 11-6. "It would be fantastic to play Nick in the next round," added Richards.  "I know he's played on the court a lot more than I have, but I already feel comfortable on it.  There'll be no pressure on me – it'll all be on him." Matthew, the world number one and world champion from Sheffield who is bidding to win the national title for a record-equalling fourth time, was full of praise for his opponent.  "Chris is a tough competitor - even from when he was young, he always got stuck in.  "He and Tom are very strong – it's good to see players like them getting to the later stages of this tournament." Simpson, the world No45 who represented Guernsey in the Delhi Commonwealth Games, was delighted with his performance.  "I feel I played really well," said the Harrogate-based 23-year-old.  "My aim was to get a game off him – or at least compete for the whole match and not let him get a good run. "The stuff I was working on really worked today. "You can't go on court with someone of Nick's calibre without learning something.  In fact, I found myself seeing things he was doing in the match, and trying to play some of those shots myself!  It was a great experience." Laura Massaro, bidding to become the first Lancashire player to win the women's title, cruised into her fifth successive semi-final when she beat Welsh number one Deon Saffery in today's quarter-finals. The world No9 from Preston, who arrived back on home soil after the biggest international title win of her career in the USA last week, took just 22 minutes to ease past the unseeded Saffery 11-3, 11-3, 11-7. "I think Deon took a bit of time getting used to the court," said 27-year-old Massaro.  "In the third she played a bit better and I probably tried to finish it off a little too quickly. Third seed Massaro lives less than an hour from the venue:  "I really like the court here – but it's more the atmosphere of the whole place than just the court.  "It was brilliant winning in Cleveland last week, but it was a squash club with just a hundred or so watching.  The setting here is much bigger.  I feel at home here because it's where I have my physio and do my training.  And I've got lots of friends and family here – you don't get that anywhere else." Massaro will meet Irish rival Madeline Perry in the semis in a repeat of their semi-final clash in Cleveland.  The No2 seed from Banbridge, near Belfast, beat Victoria Lust, the 21-year-old sixth seed from Cheltenham, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6. "I've been in a few semis now," Massaro added.  "But I'm really looking forward to playing Madeline again.  There'll be no pressure according to the seedings, but I'll have the confidence after my Cleveland win." Perry, who has never before made the Nationals final – yet reached the finals of the British Open on the same court in 2009 - was delighted with her progress:  "It was nice to be back on the showcourt," said the 33-year-old world No7. "It would certainly be nice to get to the final for the first time – and hopefully, being seeded two, will help," Perry added.  "It's been a big goal of mine to win this title for a few years – and back home it would really make a big difference." About her latest meeting with Massaro, Perry said:  "I feel we're pretty evenly-matched.  But she played so well in Cleveland. "It should be a great game."