Lincou and Shabana to Contest World Title Sunday

by Howard Harding
All content © 2003 Squashtalk

Dec 20, 2003

Lincou and Shabana Reach World Open Finals in Lahore

[complete semis results]      [also read: Quarterfinal report by Kneipp]

Amr Shabana reaches the world finals. (photo © 2003 Fritz Borchert)

In an event marked by an unprecedented string of upsets, Australia's Joe Kneipp hit the wall as France's fourth seed Thierry Lincou and ninth-seeded Egyptian Amr Shabana advanced to contest Sunday's final of the $170,000 Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship in the Lahore, Pakistan.

A four-game upset over his seventh-seeded compatriot Karim Darwish in today's (Saturday) semi-finals confirms Shabana's qualification for next year's PSA Super Series Finals (an event limited to the top eight in the world) for the first time, and Lincou's straight games win over Australia's Joseph Kneipp, the 11th seed, will lead to his becoming the first ever Frenchman to top the world rankings when the next Dunlop PSA list is published on 1st January 2004.

The first semi-final was the third PSA Tour meeting between the two Egyptians this year - with Darwish triumphing in the final of a Pakistan Circuit event in May and Shabana gaining his revenge in the Spanish Open climax in June.

Despite having lost in the first round of the first three Super Series events this year, 24-year-old Cairo-based Shabana is now enjoying a good run of form, with a last sixteen finish in the Qatar Classic earlier in the month and significant upsets over Australians David Palmer, the No3 seed and defending champion, and Anthony Ricketts, the fifth seed, en-route to the semi-finals in Lahore.

Thierry Lincou - World #1 as of January 1st. (photo © 2003 Deb Tessier)

Shabana took the opening game, but Darwish came back to level the match. The lower-ranked Egyptian again took the lead 2/1 before the fourth game went to a 'sudden-death' tie-break and Shabana clinched the match 15-11 11-15 15-8 15-14 in 57 minutes to become the first Egyptian to reach a World Open final since Ahmed Barada in 1999.

The second semi was a more straightforward affair with Lincou, the sport's most consistent player of the moment who is competing in his ninth successive semi-final, overcoming Kneipp 15-12 15-10 15-7 in 47 minutes. The win takes the 27-year-old world No5 from Paris into his 20th PSA Tour final.

Despite appearing in four finals already this year - two of which were Super Series events - Lincou has not lifted a trophy since January 2002. This time, with the seeding on his side and an opponent against whom he has never previously lost a PSA match, Lincou appears favourite to become world No1 and world champion simultaneously.

RESULTS: Bank Alfalah Men's World Open Squash Championship, Lahore, Pakistan

Semi-finals:
[9] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [7] Karim Darwish (EGY) 15-11, 11-15, 15-8, 15-14 (57m)
[4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [11] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 15-12, 15-10, 15-7 (47m)