Rooney & Blake Bow Out In Dublin

Hopes of Irish success in the Bymac Leinster Open were dashed when both John Rooney and Aisling Blake lost their respective semi-finals to higher-seeded opponents at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin.

Third seed Blake, the world number 31, suffered a four-game defeat to England's Sarah Kippax in the women's $8,000 WISPA World Tour squash event. Blake had overtaken Kippax, the second seed, in the world rankings just this week, but looked slightly nervous as she lost a close first game 12-10.

The Sligo girl came back well to take the second 11-9 but her shot selection at key times in the third and fourth games let her down and the consistent Kippax progressed through to her fifth Tour final of the year, and the 11th of her career.

The 25-year-old from Halifax will face France's Camille Serme, the sixth seed who beat England's No7 seed Laura Hill 11-7, 11-6, 10-12, 9-11, 14-12 in the other semi-final.

A packed crowd was treated to a dramatic semi-final in the men's $12,000 PSA Tour event as John Rooney raced into a two game lead over Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira with an excellent display of quality squash. The Irishman's second-seeded Mexican opponent fought well as seventh seed Rooney missed out on his chance to close out the third game.

The Mexican's superior fitness shone through as he increased the pace in the fourth and fifth games before taking the match 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 in 75 minutes.

Celebrating his tenth Tour final appearance, Baltazar Ferreira will now face top seed Chris Ryder. The Englishman beat Colombia's Bernardo Samper 11-9, 13-15, 11-5, 11-5 in the other semi-final to earn his 13th place in a Tour final.

Men's semi-finals:
[1] Chris Ryder (ENG) bt [3] Bernardo Samper (COL) 11-9, 13-15, 11-5, 11-5 (52m)
[2] Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX) bt [7] John Rooney (IRL) 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 (75m)

Women's semi-finals:
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [7] Laura Hill (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 10-12, 9-11, 14-12
[2] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [3] Aisling Blake (IRL) 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4 (45m)