GOLF:GOLF: Paul Casey today booked his place in the semi-finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship but Rory McIlroy's bid for glory came to an end despite a memorable week for the teenager at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Arizona.

Casey became only the second Englishman to reach the last four of this event, emulating Ian Poulter in 2005 by beating American Sean O’Hair 4 and 3 at the desert course near Tucson.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, in his first tournament as a professional in the United States, could not continue his excellent form, the 19-year-old falling to Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy 2 and 1 in a tight first match of the day.

“Geoff played incredibly well and I needed to get birdies but it just wasn’t enough in the end,” McIlroy said.

“But I can take a lot out of this week. I played well and I’ve held my own against some of the best players in the world so it’s been good.”

Ogilvy was the McIlroy’s first opponent ranked inside the world’s top 10 – the Australian is eighth - this week, having previously knocked out Louis Oosthuizen, Hunter Mahan and Tim Clark – who defeated Tiger Woods - in his professional debut on American soil.

McIlroy started in ideal fashion with a birdie at the second to go one up but Ogilvy, the 2006 winner and 2007 runner-up, was soon back in business, winning the fourth hole as his younger rival three-putted for bogey.

It was a similar story at the par-four fifth as McIlroy, having produced the longest drive of the week with a 388-yard tee shot, two-putted for par and Ogilvy birdied to go one up.

It was nip and tuck until the 11th when McIlroy found the desert off the tee and had to take a drop on the way to a bogey six while the former champion birdied. Then he went two down at the 12th before bouncing back with a birdie at the 13th to win the hole and reduce the deficit to one hole.

McIlroy was fighting tooth and nail to stay alive in his match and holed a crucial 12-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th to halve the hole and extend his match to the 17th.

He produced some brilliant match-play golf with his second shot, following Ogilvy’s approach to 14 feet past the hole from 199 yards by leaving his ball just nine feet short from 155 yards.

Ogilvy, though, was still in control and when he sank his putt the match was over. The Australian will now play Stewart Cink who defeated Ernie Els 2 and 1.

Casey is trying to go one better than his previous best performance in 2007 when he was beaten 6 and 4 by Ogilvy at the same stage.

Against O’Hair Casey was quickly into his stride, with a birdie at the par-four opening hole, sending in his approach shot to six feet as the American got tangled in the rough off the tee and bogeyed.

That was pretty much the way things went for the rest of the match as Casey played controlled golf while O’Hair sprayed it around, allowing Casey to go six up after 10 holes.

Casey had not been behind in any match this week and there was no danger of that fact changing even when O’Hair won the 11th with his first birdie of the round.

The American returned to form on the 12th with another bogey before keeping the contest alive by winning the 13th and the 14th, where Casey posted his first bogey of the round, only his second in three days.

It was a minor annoyance as O’Hair missed a birdie putt to extend the match and Casey got his victory at the 15th hole.

In the last quarter-final England’s Ross Fisher defeated American Justin Leonard 2 and 1 to set up an all-English semi-final with Casey.

Quarter-final results in WGC-Accenture Match Play

Rory McIlroy(NIrl) lost to Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 2 and 1

Ernie Els (Rsa) lost to Stewart Cink 2 and 1

Sean O’Hair lost to Paul Casey (Eng) 4 and 3

Ross Fisher (Eng) defeated Justin Leonard 2 and 1