Chennai, July 31 - Top seed Dipika Pallikal, the 17-year old from Chennai, stayed on course by entering the girls singles semi-finals in the 13th junior world squash championship with a 11-6, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6 win over fifth seeded Egyptian Nouran El Torky here Friday.

Dipika, hoping to become the first Indian ever to win a World title in squash, will next meet another Egyptian, No.4 Nour El Tayeb, the British Open Under-17 champion who overcame compatriot Salma Hany in straight games.

Dipika had the match under control for much of the 37 minutes it took her to subdue the 16-year old Nouran whose best moments came in the second game when she looked the more dominant.

The home girl made it difficult for herself with a series of errors in the second game before tightening up to win in a canter.

The story of the day, however, belonged to 13-year old Egyptian prodigy Nour El Sharbini who upset second seed and compatriot Heba El Torky in five games to set up a semi-final clash with Pakistan's Maria Toor Pakay.

Nour, who had beaten Heba in a first round match at home in the Miro Classic, repeated the feat, though she had work hard for today's success that consumed 61 minutes.

Heba tried just about everything to tame the precocious Nour who blew four match-balls in the fourth game but kept pace with her rival, matching stroke for stroke. Nour's impressive court coverage repeatedly frustrated Heba who on the day yielded ground to an opponent who played the big points better.