ALISON MERRIEN’S hopes of retaining her Women’s World Cup at the palatial Warilla club in New South Wales ended in this morning’s semi-finals.

Yesterday, the Guernsey star won her last three group games and with it managed to clinch a place in today’s quarter-finals, in which she met Malaysian Nur Fidrah Noh.

Merrien showed her class in the opening set, taking it comfortably 8-2 in eight ends.

However, the second was a far tighter affair with the Malayasian just missing with her drive on the final end when 7-6 down to give the Sarnian (pictured) the shot and a place in the semi-finals.

However, in the last four, Jo Edwards of New Zealand proved too strong on the day and emerged victorious 7-5, 10-2 to end Merrien’s amazing run.

After defeats against Scotland’s Lynn Stein and Fiji’s Litia Tikoisuva on Monday, and earlier losses to New Zealand and Ireland, the Sarnian knew that she had to win all three remaining matches to make the cut – and that is exactly what she did.