Laura Massaro’s bid to become the first Lancashire player to win the Women’s British National Squash title is very much alive after she breezed into a fifth successive semi-final after beating Welsh number one Deon Saffery in the quarter-finals.

The world number nine, who plays for the East Lancashire club, only arrived back on home soil after the biggest international title win of her career in the USA last week but took just 22 minutes to ease past the unseeded Saffery 11-3, 11-3, 11-7.

And now she will face a semi-final showdown this afternoon against Irish rival Madeline Perry in a repeat of their semi-final clash in Cleveland.

The number two seed beat Victoria Lust 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 to set up the clash.

“I think Deon took a bit of time getting used to the court,” said 27-year-old Massaro, from Chorley.

“In the third she played a bit better and I probably tried to finish it off a little too quickly.

“I’ve been in a few semis now,” Massaro added. “But I’m really looking forward to playing Madeline again. There’ll be no pressure according to the seedings, but I’ll have the confidence after my Cleveland win.”

Third seed Massaro, who lives in Hoghton – less than an hour from the National Squash Centre venue in Manchester – is also a big fan of playing on home soil.

“I really like the court here,” she said. “But it’s more the atmosphere of the whole place than just the court.

“It was brilliant winning in Cleveland last week, but it was a squash club with just a hundred or so watching.

“The setting here is much bigger. I feel at home here because it’s where I have my physio and do my training. And I’ve got lots of friends and family here – you don’t get that anywhere else.”

Perry, who has never before made the Nationals final, intends to push Massaro hard – and has the ambition to wreck the home girl’s hopes.

“It would certainly be nice to get to the final for the first time – and hopefully, being seeded two, will help,” Perry said.

“It’s been a big goal of mine to win this title for a few years – and back home it would really make a big difference.

“I feel we’re pretty evenly-matched. But she played so well in Cleveland. It should be a great game.”

The women’s final takes place tomorrow at 3pm.

In the men’s event, Surrey’s sixth seed Tom Richards battled for 42 minutes to keep Scotland’s Alan Clyne at bay to earn his first appearance in the semi-finals.

The Guildford-born 24-year-old, in only his sixth appearance in the championships, took the first game but was forced to fight hard against 10th seed Clyne.

He eventally ran out 3-1 winner.