World No.1 Nicol David had to deal with a weather-damaged program, a difficult start, and a dangerously hard-hitting opponent on Friday before reaching the semifinals of the British Open Squash Championships in defense of her title.

David also had to save a game ball in the first game of a 13-11, 11-8, 11-1 win over Joelle King, the tall sixth seeded New Zealander, who had moments early on when it seemed she might be able to bully the champion into trouble.

The biggest influence on the match however was the English rain and wind, which forced the day's play away from the all-glass court erected outdoors on Hull City's football pitch and into a nearby club with conventional plaster courts.

That required a third change of conditions in three matches, disrupting the players' preparation and rhythm, which for a while appeared to place David under more pressure.

"It was like day and night," said David, comparing the warmish indoor court with the chilly outdoor atmosphere the evening before. "But we have to deal with what we are given.

"It's difficult but at the same time everyone is on the same boat. It's a matter of whoever handles it better. You have to put your game together."

David will continue her bid for a fifth British Open title with a semifinal against the winner between Kasey Brown, the 12th-seeded Australian, and Alison Waters, the fourth-seeded Briton.

AFP - Global Times