Swedish 08

England's James Willstrop beat compatriot Peter Barker in the final of the Case Swedish Open Squash Championship to cap the best ever PSA Tour run of his career in Linköping.

Winner of the Mamut English Open in Sheffield in December, the 24-year-old world No6 from Pontefract in Yorkshire went on to reach the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions final in New York last month, before - in his third Tour event in a row - he clinched the $55,000 title at the Linköping Sporthallen.

It was after triumphs over fellow Englishmen Joey Barrington and Adrian Grant, the eighth and sixth seeds, respectively, that Willstrop faced England team-mate Barker in the Swedish Open climax.

The first game in front of a packed house at Linköping Sporthallen was one of high quality - in which the English pair were neck and neck until a run of points gave Willstrop the early advantage. The Yorkshireman took the second game comfortably and had an answer for everything that Barker threw at him in the third to win 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 in 38 minutes.

"The first game was all-important with Peter having played so well all week," Willstrop said later. "We both raised our games very early and I just managed to nick it. I've been working on a few parts of my game and feel that things are coming together well.

"I'm very happy to win here in front of a big knowledgeable crowd and in a tournament which has a great feel about it with so many age groups players coming here to watch in the last few days. That really makes a difference.

"I think this gives me a really good platform for retaining my British National title next week which will be tough in itself with such a strong field," added the British champion.

There was also English success in the women's Zack-sponsored Tour 4 WISPA World Tour final, when Sarah Kippax, the top seed from Cheshire, beat Pakistan's No2 seed Carla Khan 9-0, 4-1 (ret.)

Men's quarter-finals:

[1] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [8] Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-7 (34m)

[6] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [4] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6 (72m)

[3] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [7] Alex Gough (WAL) 11-3, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (42m)

[5] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [2] Lee Beachill (ENG) 3-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-4, 11-1 (52m)

Women's quarter-finals:

[1] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [7] Lauren Selby (ENG) 9-4, 9-2, 2-9, 9-3

Carrie Hastings (ENG) bt Fiona Moverley (ENG) 9-10, 3-9, 9-3, 9-6, 9-0

[3] Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) bt Claire Kidd (SCO) 9-3, 9-7, 9-5

[2] Carla Khan (PAK) bt [8] Birgit Coufal (AUT) 9-5, 9-2, 9-0

Tuominen Stops English Invasion In Sweden

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 in Linköping.

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. It was Beachill's first Tour test since undergoing hernia surgery early in the New Year.

Tuominen now takes on Beachill's England team-mate Peter Barker, the third seed from Essex who despatched Welshman Alex Gough, runner-up twelve months ago, 11-3, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 in 42 minutes.

Adrian Grant also sprung an upset in the top half of the draw to set up a surprise all-English semi. The sixth seed from London, who arrived in Sweden fresh from his New Year victory in the Comfort Inn Open in Vancouver, beat fourth seed Stewart Boswell - the Australian who won the Linköping title in 2003 - 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6 in 72 minutes.

Left-hander Grant now faces top seed James Willstrop, the Yorkshireman who defeated compatriot Joey Barrington, the eighth seed, 11-5, 11-3, 11-7.

In the women's Zack-sponsored Tour 4 WISPA World Tour event, 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.

Men's 1st round:

[1] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Omar Elborolossy (EGY) 11-4, 11-9, 11-2 (28m)

[8] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt [Q] Chris Ryder (ENG) 11-9, 10-11 (1-3), 11-10 (2-0), 11-7 (77m)

[4] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-6, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (49m)

[6] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Badr Abdel Aziz (SWE) 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (31m)

[7] Alex Gough (WAL) bt [Q] Jonathan Harford (ENG) 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7 (66m)

[3] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 (73m)

[5] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [Q] Amr Swelim (EGY) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (34m)

[2] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [Q] Simon Rosner (GER) 11-8, 11-4, 11-10 (2-0) (35m)

Women's 1st round:

[1] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Lucie Fialova (CZE) 9-1, 9-4, 9-6

[7] Lauren Selby (ENG) bt [Q] Olga Ertlova (CZE) 9-1, 9-4, 7-9, 9-7

Fiona Moverley (ENG) bt [4] Dagmar Vermeulen (NED) 9-5, 9-5, 9-4

Carrie Hastings (ENG) bt [5] Milou van der Heijden (NED) 8-10, 9-6, 9-4, 9-3

Claire Kidd (SCO) bt [6] Kerri Shields (IRL) 9-5, 9-0, 6-9, 9-2

[3] Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) bt Anna Detter (SWE) 9-5, 9-1, 9-4

[8] Birgit Coufal (AUT) bt [Q] Elina Kononen (FIN) 9-6, 9-3, 9-2

[2] Carla Khan (PAK) bt Lotte Eriksen (NOR) 9-0, 9-1, 9-0

English Dominate Swedish Exchanges In Linköping

English players dominated the action on the opening day of the Swedish Open Squash Championships, with top two seeds James Willstrop and Lee Beachill earning comfortable straight-game wins in the Case-sponsored men's $55,000 PSA Tour event, and English presence already guaranteed in the final of the women's Zack-sponsored Tour 4 WISPA World Tour event in Linköping.

James Willstrop, the 24-year-old event favourite from Pontefract in Yorkshire, took just 28 minutes to overcome Egypt's former world No14 Omar Elborolossy 11-4, 11-9, 11-2 to set up a quarter-final clash with compatriot Joey Barrington, the No8 seed who beat English qualifier Chris Ryder 11-9, 10-11 (1-3), 11-10 (2-0), 11-7.

Second seed Lee Beachill, making his PSA Tour comeback after hernia surgery early in the New Year, removed German qualifier Simon Rosner 11-8, 11-4, 11-10 (2-0). Also from Pontefract, Beachill will now face Finland's fifth seed Olli Tuominen for a place in the last four.

Welshman Alex Gough, the No7 seed hoping to reach the final for the second successive year, battled for 66 minutes to overcome English qualifier Jonathan Harford 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7.

Unseeded English players Fiona Moverley and Carrie Hastings pulled off notable upsets over fourth seed Dagmar Vermeulen and fifth seed Milou van der Heijden, respectively, in the women's event. Wins by top seed Sarah Kippax and seventh seed Lauren Selby higher in the top half of the draw ensures English presence in the final.