Exasperated with his own game and everyone around him, Colin Montgomerie was in dire need of another comeback Saturday. Instead, he fell further behind Paul Casey in the semifinals of the World Match Play Championship.

Casey was 5-up after their morning round, a lead that might have been larger if Montgomerie had not holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, the only putt he made longer than six feet.

``This is not out of bounds yet, but it's not looking good,'' Montgomerie said. ``I need to win three of the first seven in the afternoon. If I do that and get back to 2-down, then things could happen.''

Shaun Micheel had to battle for his 1-up margin, falling two holes behind early and taking a 1-up lead when he hit a 3-wood to 25 feet on the par-5 18th for a two-putt birdie.

An enormous gallery, every bit as large and loud as the one following Tiger Woods during his first-round loss, followed along on an overcast morning as Montgomerie struggled simply to stay within range.

He twice got up-and-down with six-foot putts to halve the hole. He twice missed birdie putts inside eight feet with a chance to win.

The frustration set in on the 17th.

Casey, who won four holes simply by making par, hit two of his best shots on the 610-yard 17th hole that left him 20 feet away for eagle. After Montgomerie missed his birdie putt, he stormed off the green, and his caddie shrugged his shoulders and looked at Casey before saying, ``I think that's a concession.''

Casey nearly stretched the lead to 7-up in the most unlikely fashion. He pulled his three-wood toward the trees on the par-5 18th, punched out over the creek and short of the fairway, then hit a wedge to 20 feet _ but narrowly missed. Montgomerie was in a greenside bunker, blasted out high and 18 feet beyond the cup, then finally made a putt.

He stretched out his arms, palms pointed to the sky, and removed his visor. It wasn't clear if he was celebrating only his second birdie of the round, or if he was relieved the first part of his 36-hole match was over.

This was Monty at his best _ not inside the ropes with a 74, but in policing what went on outside the ropes.

He was part-time player, part-time marshal.

``No cameras!'' he barked to the gallery right of the 10th green, and he let out a heavy sigh. As he stepped to the 11th tee, he again spotted someone in the crowd and said, ``No cameras, PLEASE!''

He even snapped at professional photographers _ ``Wait until after I've hit, OK?'' _ even though there was no click on his three-wood that sailed well to the right of the 12th green.

Even with the Ryder Cup a week away, Montgomerie is eager to win the one million pounds (C$2.1 million) that goes to the winner of the HSBC World Match Play Championship, the richest prize among official events worldwide.

But he ran into a dangerous opponent in Casey, an explosive player who was often 25 yards past him off the tee and shot 68.

Casey was just off the par-5 fourth green in two with a six-iron and chipped to a foot for birdie to go 1-up. He holed a 10-foot birdie on the ninth to go 4-up at the turn, then poured it on with a six-iron that covered the flag on the par-3 10th, pitched just short of the hole and rolled three feet to the right. The piece of turf torn from the ball landed rested next to the hole.

Micheel has thrived on getting off to a good start in his matches this week. He won four straight holes early against Woods, then buried Luke Donald by going 4 up through the first six holes.

That wasn't the case against Karlsson.

The former PGA champion missed a four-foot par putt on the opening hole, then fell apart on the par-5 fourth when his drive went into a rock-filled stream well right of the fairway. He tried to play out, but shot that into a burn crossing the fairway, and he eventually conceded Karlsson's 25-foot eagle putt.

But the Swede found a bunker on the next hole, and the match stayed close the rest of the way. Micheel won the 12th with a par when Karlsson three-putted from 15 feet, and he took his first lead on the next hole with a 30-foot birdie putt.

Only one of the last seven holes were halved, and Micheel pulled ahead with his birdie on the 18th that gave him a 73. Karlsson had a 72.

Micheel was the only player who could keep alive one proud tradition at the HSBC World Match Play Championship. All but four winners in the 42-year history have won a major. One of those was Montgomerie.