Second seed Mohamed ElShorbagy and third seed Karim Abdel Gawad both battled through their quarter-finals today at Grand Central Terminal, to set-up the heavyweight last four line-up.

They join top seed Ali Farag and fourth seed Tarek Momen, who had already booked their places yesterday.

Two-time winner ElShorbagy, a former world champion, ended the fine run of Welshman Joel Makin with an 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 victory.

"Joel, for me, is the most improved player every year," ElShorbagy said.

"Every match he plays there is something new that he brings to his game and for me he is a top-five player. 

"He is one of the most hungry players that I have come across in my career. 

"He's actually the first training partner I've had, beside my brother, in my career. 

"We get on really well and he has had a fantastic tournament."

Gawad, another former winner of both the Tournament of Champions and the world title, had a much tougher match before beating Germany's sixth seed Simon Rösner in five games.

Rösner won in New York in 2018, but Gawad came through 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9.

ElShorbagy and Gawad will now face each other in the semi-finals, while Farag takes on Momen in a battle of the last two world champions.

Momen is the reigning world title holder, with Farag defending his Tournament of Champions crown.

In the women's draw, Egypt's second seed Nour El Sherbini beat eighth seed Sarah-Jane Perry in straight games.

Her 11-7, 11-3, 11-8 success ended a three-match losing streak for the back-to-back defending champion against the English player.

"Last season I wasn't happy with the way I was playing and I played her three times and lost three times," El Sherbini, who has won four world titles and three Tournament of Champions in all, said. 

"This time I was prepared well and just wanted to come on and play good, enjoy more and I think I did a good plan with my coaches. 

"I'm really glad it worked and happy that I won in three."

El Sherbini will meet Joelle King in the last four, after New Zealand's sixth seed beat Egyptian 14th seed Salma Hany 11-6, 11-6, 11-8.

The other semi-final is between France's fifth seed Camille Serme, the 2017 winner, and Egyptian third seed Nouran Gohar.

All of the semi-finals are tomorrow.