ENGLISH National champion Elizabeth Cann scored three solid wins on the way to the semi-finals of the Italian International in Rome this week.

But the World No 30, a quarter-finalist last year and a semi-finalist two years ago, went down in the semi-finals last night to top seed Juliane Schenk of Germany, losing 21-17 21-13.

Jersey's third seed Cann, who last month won the Bank of Scotland International title in Glasgow, had begun her campaign with a 21-9 21-19 win over Lithuania's Akvile Stapusaityte 21-9 21-19. In the second round she overcame Russia's Tatyana Bibik 21-18 21-16 and in the quarter-finals got the better of Switzerland's Jeanine Cicognini 21-17 21-15.

Pittard had a much tougher time reaching the semi-finals. She defeated Austria's Miriam Gruber 21-18 20-22 21-9 in the first round and then edged past India's Neha Pandit 23-21 18-21 21-18.

But the fifth seed's best win came in the quarter-finals where she defeated Russia's fourth seed Ella Diehl 22-20 21-17.

In the semi-finals, however, Ukraine's second seed Larissa Griga was too strong for the Coventry player and she went down 21-13 21-15.