Suzanne O'Brien faces an anxious weekend to see if her efforts in reaching the last 16 of the British women's amateur championship have been enough to secure a place in the Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team.

Milltown's O'Brien, the former Irish champion, was beaten 2 and 1 by fellow squad member, Hilary Monaghan, from Scotland in the third round yesterday.

Monaghan went on to reach the semi-final with a five and four victory over five-time Irish champion, Claire Dowling.

Dowling's fairytale run finally ended but not before she had upset leading qualifier, Karine Icher, from France.

Barbara Hackett, another former Irish title holder, also went out in the third round, five and four, against Frances Gwladys Nocera, who will meet Monaghan in the first of the semi-finals this morning.

The other semi-final is an all-English affair between two more Curtis Cup hopefuls, Kim Rostron and Fiona Browne.