Squash: Horner corners Australians: Englishwoman reaches British Open final

SUZANNE HORNER, the Yorkshire woman written off after a knee injury two years ago, brought down two of Australia's world title winning team to reach the final of the Hi-Tec British Open at Wembley for the second time in her career.

The England No 2 made two good recoveries to win in four games against Liz Irving, the fourth seed, on Saturday and another outstanding recovery yesterday enabled to beat eighth- seeded Sarah Fitz-Gerald.

Fitz-Gerald, who had upset Martine Le Moignan, the world No 2 from Guernsey, led Horner by two games to one and 5-1 in the fourth.

'When I came out for the fourth I knew I had to do something really drastic,' Horner, who won 10-9, 6-9, 0-9, 9-6, 9-3, said. 'I followed the plan (to avoid cross-courts) but I'm still not sure how I got out of that.'

Simon Parke, England's last men's hope, found himself on the receiving end of the best fightback when Zarak Jahan Khan, a Pakistani qualifier, came from two games and 1-6 down in the third. He also saved a match point at 7-8 to win the 112-minute quarter final, which finished at midnight on Saturday, 3-9, 6-9, 10-8, 10-8, 9-1.