HULL, United Kingdom — World No. 1 Nicol David has revenge on her mind after an impressive performance Saturday saw her carry her defense of the British Open squash title into the final.



David’s 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 win over Alison Waters earned her another meeting with Laura Massaro, whose two victories over the record-breaking Malaysian in Kuala Lumpur this year brought a shocked reaction and a claim that the legend was “in the twilight of her career.”



However the 29-year-old looked as good as ever while beating Waters, who had been good enough to beat David in New York in September.



When David was asked about playing in the final and aiming for her fifth British Open title, David affected as if to have forgotten that.



“Oh yes I am in the final,” she said. “I have just been focusing completely on trying to win this match. Yes, of course I am pleased to be in the final.”



So is Massaro — so much so that she admitted to being affected by the prospect of reaching it for the first time in a British Open, her home tournament.



It made for a nervy, mistake-ridden end to a 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 win in what had often been an attractive, creative match against Raneem El Weleily, the brilliant Egyptian against whom she had saved a match point in the World Open semifinal in Grand Cayman in December.



James Willstrop, the only player to have been denied the British Open title by a single point on two separate occasions, kept alive his dream of one day making that last shot with an extraordinary quarterfinal escape Friday.



The former world No. 1 from England was two games and 8-9 down to Cameron Pilley, the unseeded Australian, before winning 9-11, 9-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-2 in a one-hour 46-minute struggle.



Willstrop may now find it difficult to recover well enough to trouble Ramy Ashour, the top-seeded world champion from Egypt, who came through without alarms by 11-7, 11-4,11-7 against Spain’s Borja Golan, and is the hot favorite.



Nick Matthew produced his best form for weeks during a high-speed 11-6, 11-2, 12-10 victory over Karim Darwish.



Matthew will now play Frenchman Greg Gaultier, the only Frenchman to have wo who beat Tarek Momen, another talented Egyptian, 11-8, 11-7, 15-13. — AFP