The semi-final spots have been decided at the World University Squash Championships today, with women's top seed Grace Gear knocked out ©England Squash/Twitter

Top seed in the women's singles Grace Gear has been knocked out of the World University Squash Championships in straight games on day two of the competition.

The British player fell to a 11-6, 12-10, 13-11 defeat to South Africa's Alexa Pienaar at the University of Birmingham, in what was only her second match of the Championships after receiving a bye in the first round. 

It took the South African 36 minutes to see off the tournament favourite, meaning she will now face Malaysia's Zoe Foo in the last four.

The Malaysian booked her place in the semi-finals with an emphatic 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 win over Australia's Shehana Vithana, which took just 20 minutes. 

Britain's Lily Rhian Taylor and another Malaysian in Aika Azman make up the other semi-final tie, having also made it through with two straight games wins. 

South Africa's Alexa Pienaar beat top seed Grace Gear to make it through to the semi-finals ©Twitter
South Africa's Alexa Pienaar beat top seed Grace Gear to make it through to the semi-finals ©Twitter

Rhian Taylor made it past South Africa's Hayley Ward 11-6, 15-13, 11-6, while Azman beat Hong Kong's Ka Wing Ho 12-10, 11-8, 11-3. 

In the men's draw the top seed did make it through as Tsz Fung Yip from Hong Kong beat the Czech Republic's Jakub Solnicky, 11-5, 11-3, 12-10. 

He will now face yet another Malaysian in Addeen Idrakie in the last four, who saw off his compatriot Sanjay Singh in the quarter-finals 11-9, 14-12, 4-11, 11-5. 

The second seed, Joshua Masters from Britain, is also through on home soil having eased past David Zeman from the Czech Republic today, 11-1, 11-4, 11-8. 

He will now play Malaysia's Syafiq Kamal tomorrow.