Champion Botwright Bursts Into European Semis

England's Rebecca Botwright, the women's title-holder, recovered from a game down to overcome Denmark's Ellen Petersen to reach the semi-finals of the European Individual Championships in the Czech Republic capital Prague.

Botwright, the 23-year-old from Manchester who won the 2004 title in Slovakia, achieved her 2005 seeding after her 1-9 9-3 9-7 9-3 win over Petersen, the Dane who combines her squash-playing with her new career as a full-time doctor.

The defending champion now meets her toughest task - world champion Vanessa Atkinson, the No1 seed from the Netherlands who despatched Austrian champion Pamela Pancis, a semi-finalist in Bratislava, 9-3 9-3 9-0.

Then other women's semi-final will be an all-British affair between England's Linda Elriani and Scotland's Pamela Nimmo. Elriani, the No2 seed from Eastbourne, despatched Spain's 5/8 seed Olga Puigdemont Sola 9-0 9-1 9-4, while Edinburgh-born Nimmo, the other 3/4 seed, survived a close-fought opening game against Line Hansen before beating the Dane 10-8 9-1 9-4.

The men's competition will also boast a semi-final line-up featuring the top four seeds. France's defending champion Gregory Gaultier continued his ruthless pursuit of a second successive title with a 9-2 9-5 9-0 victory over Hungary's 5/8 seed Mark Krajcsak. The top seed from Aix-en-Provence will now face England's Peter Barker, a 3/4 seed who defeated Frenchman Julien Balbo 9-0 10-8 9-3.

Local interest is centred on the other 3/4 seed Jan Koukal, who was fully stretched by France's Laurent Elriani, the husband of the second seed in the women's event. Koukal, a 22-year-old from Prague who has won three successive PSA Tour titles in his home city over the past 15 months, fought back from a game down, then survived two close games before storming to a 4-9 10-8 10-9 9-0 victory over the French international.

Koukal now meets England's No2 seed Bradley Ball, who wasted little time in dismissing his Netherlands opponent Dylan Bennett 9-1 9-1 9-2.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5/8] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 9-2, 9-5, 9-0
[3/4] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [5/8] Julien Balbo (FRA) 9-0, 10-8, 9-3
[3/4] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [5/8] Laurent Elriani (FRA) 4-9, 10-8, 10-9, 9-0
[2] Bradley Ball (ENG) bt [5/8] Dylan Bennett (NED) 9-1, 9-1, 9-2

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [5/8] Pamela Pancis (AUT) 9-3, 9-3, 9-0
[3/4] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt [5/8] Ellen Petersen (DEN) 1-9, 9-3, 9-7, 9-3
[3/4] Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt [5/8] Line Hansen (DEN) 10-8, 9-1, 9-4
[2] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [5/8] Olga Puigdemont Sola (ESP) 9-0, 9-1, 9-4