Defending champion Els into semis
 |  Els will meet Harrington for a place in Sunday's final |
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VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Defending champion Ernie Els continued his relentless quest for a record breaking sixth World Match Play title when he beat Argentina's Angel Cabrera in their quarter-final clash.
But Els had to wait until the 36th hole to seal victory and even then it took an eight-foot birdie putt.
"It was tough," said the South African. "There are no easy games in this championship. It was a see-saw battle all day. I had a really good start this afternoon and then let him back into it."
Earlier in the day he completed his first round match against Scott Drummond, winning 2 and 1.
The world number two will now meet Padraig Harrington on Saturday after the Irishman beat his fellow Ryder Cup teammate Thomas Levet 1 up in a tense finish.
Harrington had been as many a five up but Levet refused to go away and by the time they reached the 34th hole Harrington's lead had been cut to only one.
With the light fading fast the two went down the 36th and a birdie by Harrington gave him his semi-final appointment with Els.
Levet was not the only problem Harrington was having during his quarter-final battle. The abundant tree life that surrounds the famed Burma Road course was taking its toll on the Dubliner.
In the morning round Harrington broke his four-iron when his follow through wrapped round a tree. He was lucky to escape injury.
He was not so lucky in the afternoon when on the ninth hole he again wrapped his club around a tree, smashing his thumb and cutting it against the trunk.
For a moment it looked that it might be even more serious as Harrington grimaced in pain but after some first aid treatment on the course by a team of first aid helpers he was able to continue.
Retief Goosen, who thrashed American Jeff Maggert on Thursday 12-11, suddenly found himself on the receiving end in his quarter-final against Lee Westwood.
With only nine holes left to play the reigning US Open champion was five down and desperately battling to delay the inevitable.
And delay it he did as he fought back to take the match to the 35th hole before Westwood won 2 and 1.
In the last quarter-final European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer, who pulled off a sensational first round victory over world number one Vijay Singh by winning in the first sudden death hole, finally succumbed to Miguel Angel Jimenez.
The German came from three down when play resumed early on Saturday morning to just one down, but his Spanish opponent closed the match out on the 17th with a superb pitch to make a birdie and won two and one.
He now faces fellow Ryder Cup star Westwood in the bottom semifinal.
