LAURA Massaro’s wait to reach a final goes on after suffering heartache in the Cleveland Classic in Philadelphia.

The 31-year-old from Chorley lost to Raneem El Welily in a semi final thriller where she had three game balls to end her 10-month wait to reach a WSA final.

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Massaro led 10-7 in the fifth and final game of a gruelling match but failed to close out victory against the Egyptian who replaced her as world number two in the recent rankings.

El Welily also beat her at the same stage in the Tournament of Champions in New York the previous week.

Massaro, who lives in Hoghton, took the first game 13-11 after saving three game balls herself after El Welily had led 10-7. But the world number two hit back in the second to win 11-7 to level the match.

The third was another epic battle which Massaro finally edged 15-13 only for El Welily to take the fourth 11-9 to force the decider.

Massaro, now ranked third in the world, appeared to be on course for her first final appearance since the British Open last May, when she opened up a 10-7 lead.

But unfortunately for Massaro, the tie was to take one last turn and El Welily won five points in a row to take the fifth 12-10 and win the match 11-13, 11-7, 13-15, 11-9, 12-10.

After the defeat Massaro said on Twitter: “Disappointed is an understatement! I lost 12-10 in the fifth to Raneem having had three match balls. Great match by both of us!”

In the final, held in the early hours of this morning, El Welily was up against Nicol David who created a new world record by completing her 106th month as World No.1.

For Massaro, she will now turn her attention to the British National Squash Championships in Manchester which begin next week.

The 2013 world champion is top seed and looking to win her third national title having beaten Jenny Duncalf in 2011 and Alison Waters in 2012. She lost to England team-mate Waters in the 2013 final and was knocked out in the semi finals by Madeline Perry last year.