Top Seeds Shabana and Ramy Ashour Reach Semis

[Men's Main Draw]     

In an evening of extremely closely contested contests, the Kuwait City spectators were treated to one big upset, as Thierry Lincou came from behind to win over James Willstrop, and three near misses.

Lincou Licks Willstrop In Kuwait Upset

Sixth seed Thierry Lincou set up a second Franco/Egyptian Kuwait Open semi-final when he upset England's fourth seed James Willstrop in the quarter-finals of the $200,000 PSA Super Series Platinum championship - the richest squash event of the year to date - at the KSF Squash Complex in Kuwait City. 

Willstrop, the British National champion from Yorkshire, arrived in Kuwait as the Tour's in-form player, with title successes in his last three events - the Swedish Open, the Davenport Pro Championship and the Canary Wharf Classic.

The 24-year-old world No4 looked to be coasting to his 16th successive Tour win as he took the first two games against Frenchman Lincou. 

But the world No7 from Marseille mounted a sensational comeback, winning 9-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 in 70 minutes

"I'm over the moon - over the moon because I made this effort myself," explained Lincou, the former world number one now in his first Super Series semi-final since last November.  "I came on court to do well, but not to win, and it showed.  I was playing well every other rally.  So this victory is before and foremost a victory on myself.

"He surprised me by his start - he was playing the ball so early, he was totally outplaying me.  And then, I starting increasing my pressure, and he had a drop of energy, and the graph reversed," added the 32-year-old.

"It's hard when you pass 30 - you get through a tough motivational period, but now, it looks like I'm getting a second wind."

Willstrop agreed that the match turned completely in the third game:  "I felt in complete control for two games, but he's such a great competitor.  It's testimony to the guy:  you don't get to be world champion and world number one for no reason," said the Englishman.

Lincou will face second seed Ramy Ashour for a place in the final after the 20-year-old world number two from Egypt battled to an 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 victory over England's 10th seed Lee Beachill in 53 minutes.

"We always have tough five-setters together," said Ashour.  "How can he be ten years older than me and still be that good?"

Beachill, who upset Australia's two-time world champion David Palmer to reach a surprise quarter-final, was pleased with his performance:  "I think that my level went up a bit during this event.  I played pretty well, apart from a bad start in the fourth and fifth - and when Ramy gets two points lead, he is very hard to stop - he gets in a sort of momentum.  But you've got to give him credit; he came from just clipping the tin a few times to getting the nick every shot."

The other semi-final will feature Amr Shabana, the top seed from Egypt, and France's third seed Gregory Gaultier.  World number one Shabana survived a close clash with Ong Beng Hee, beating the 14th seed from Malaysia 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0).

Gaultier also prevailed in straight games, defeating Egypt's seventh seed Karim Darwish 11-9, 11-9, 11-10 (5-3).

RESULTS:        Kuwait Open Squash Championship, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Quarter-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [14] Ong Beng Hee (MAS)        11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0) (43m)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [7] Karim Darwish (EGY)    11-9, 11-9, 11-10 (5-3) (54m)
[6] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [4] James Willstrop (ENG)     9-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (70m)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [10] Lee Beachill (ENG)            8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4 (53m)

Semi-final line-up:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [6] Thierry Lincou (FRA)

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