Squash: Resolute Marshall

Peter Marshall scored the best win of his career - and one of the best by a Briton in two decades since the heyday of Jonah Barrington - when he beat the 1991 world champion, Rodney Martin, of Australia, 15-17, 8-15, 15-12, 15-12, 15-8 in the Dutch Open on Saturday, writes Richard Eaton from Amsterdam. The 21- year-old British national champion then reached his third world circuit semi-final by beating the left-handed Londoner, Danny Meddings, yesterday.

Both contests revealed Marshall to be physically stronger than at any time in his career.

Against Meddings the score was 17-14, 15-13, 9-15, 15-7. The difference between the players was Marshall's superb retrieving and tenacity, which look to have booked his ticket to Zurich in January as one of the eight men in squash's first world grand prix finals.