Ramy Ashour 3-1 Gregory Gaultier
 Ramy secures
Super Series Title
hDebut Appearance

Ramy Ashour Wins Historic Super Series Finals Title

Teenager Ramy Ashour continued his rapid run towards absolute supremacy in world squash when he beat France's Gregory Gaultier in the final of the ATCO Super Series Finals – Manchester 2007 to become not only the first Egyptian, but also the first event debutant since 1996, to win the flagship PSA Tour title.

 

The 19-year-old seventh seed from Cairo, the only player in the eight-man event at the National Squash Centre in Manchester to reach the play-offs unbeaten, had never before beaten Gaultier - the world No4 from Aix-en-Provence who was also making his first appearance in the Super Series Finals.

 

The battle lasted 62 minutes, but it was Ashour who emerged triumphant, beating the Frenchman 11-10 (2-0), 11-8, 4-11, 11-4 in a dramatic climax to the 2007 event.

 

"I never expected to win this, I didn't really expect to be here when I had an injury a few days ago, so to win it - playing four matches in a row against the top guys in the world - is just amazing," said the modest youngster .

 

"Greg and I haven't played much, but it's always been tough. We both pushed really hard today and it was a really tight game. I was just trying to keep the ball deep and wait for the opportunity to attack. We were both doing that, and it was the first one to put the ball loose who lost the point.

 

"I had a little problem with my ankle in the third, so I tried to change my game, to slow the ball down. I knew that if that didn't go well I could speed it up again in the fourth.

 

"I'm really glad I did well and won today. It feels good," exclaimed Ashour, the world number two who now has four PSA Super Series event titles to his name this year.

 

Gaultier expressed mixed emotions afterwards:  "It's pleasing to be in the final, especially for my first time in the event - but I just wanted to win!

 

"I had a tough match yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, so I knew I had to start well and I really had to win the first.  I lost my concentration a little after that, and towards the end I started feeling the effect of those games.

 

"I enjoyed it all though, I love playing in front of this crowd and I'm looking forward to coming back to try to win the British Open – I won the British Junior Open, but that's not the same!"

 

Karim Darwish, also making his debut in the event, beat Egyptian compatriot Amr Shabana 11-4, 8-11, 11-4 in the best-of-three play-off for third place.

 

 

 

Ashour & Gaultier To Contest Super Series Finals Climax

Egypt's world number two Ramy Ashour and France's Gregory Gaultier, the world No4, will contest the final of the ATCO Super Series Finals – Manchester 2007 after highly-contrasting victories in the third and final pool round of the flagship PSA Tour squash event at the National Squash Centre in Manchester, England.

 

Seventh seed Ashour extended his status as the only unbeaten player in the eight-man event after two days' play by romping to an 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 win in just 28 minutes over France's former champion Thierry Lincou, the No4 seed.

 

It was a stunning win by the 19-year-old from Cairo in his debut in the event - and perfectly complemented the victory hours earlier by his compatriots on the other side of the globe in Hong Kong where Egypt clinched the Women's World Junior Team title.  It was Ashour's own record second-time win in the Men's World Junior Championship in 2006 which means that Egypt are now celebrating holding all four world junior squash crowns!

 

Third seed Gaultier was made to battle for 87 minutes - and twice had to come from behind - before overcoming England's  No6 seed Nick Matthew 8-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-10 (2-0) in the most dramatic clash of the day.

 

"This tournament is so hard, I'm not used to playing four days in a row against the top players," commented Gaultier.  "That was a really hard match – big pain now!

 

"It was patchy, some games went for me, some for him, and I felt good in patches and sometimes lost my concentration.

 

"It's just good to be here and play the games, get my fitness back and test out my shots against the top guys. I came to win of course, but the most important for me is to get the games in and get my movement and shots back," added the 24-year-old from Aix-en-Provence in his debut in the event.

 

In the other match in the ATCO Group, Egypt's world No1 Amr Shabana made sure of a place in the play-off for third place with an 11-7, 11-4, 3-11, 11-4 win in 53 minutes over England's James Willstrop.  It was a strange match for Willstrop who, after beating Gaultier in the opening round, would have earned a place in the final had he beaten Shabana - but, instead, will contest the seventh-place play-off!

 

Shabana's opponent in the 'bronze medal' clash will be fellow countryman Karim Darwish, the 25-year-old from Cairo who beat Australia's former champion David Palmer 10-11 (0-2), 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 in the other match in the Manchester Group.

Shocks Shatter Second Super Series Finals Session In Manchester

In a dramatic second day's play in the ATCO Super Series Finals – Manchester 2007, all four matches in the flagship PSA Tour event at the National Squash Centre in Manchester went against the seedings - with Egypt's Ramy Ashour emerging as the only unbeaten player!

 

Ashour, the teenager from Cairo who has taken the squash world by storm with his rapid rise to No2 in the world rankings, faced Australia's David Palmer, the reigning World Open champion and one of only two players in the draw to have won this prestigious title before.

 

But Ashour, the seventh seed, battled to an 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-3 victory in 55 minutes over the second seed from New South Wales to become the clear leader in the Manchester Group with two wins out of two matches.

 

"He played well in the second, but apart from that I played a perfect game," the confident 19-year-old said.  "I tried to make it a high-paced match, but you can't play at that pace all the time on this court, but I couldn't afford to get into the hard-hitting rallies David likes."

 

Palmer, a former world number one with 20 PSA Tour titles to his credit, had no excuses:  "He was just too good.  It would be easy to make excuses, but I was just too flat tonight."

 

There was Egyptian success in the other match in the group when eighth seed Karim Darwish beat former champion Thierry Lincou, the No4 seed, 11-3, 11-10 (4-2), 11-8.  The win opened up chances in the group for the 25-year-old from Cairo, but ended Frenchman Lincou's hopes of a further Super Series crown.

 

Frenchman Gregory Gaultier pulled off a significant upset in the ATCO Group by beating Egypt's world No1 Amr Shabana 8-11, 11-4, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7, 11-5 in 63 minutes.  The earlier win by sixth seed Nick Matthew in the all-English clash with fifth seed James Willstrop leaves the chances of success in the group completely open - with all four players sharing the same statistic of 'played one; won one'.

 

Gaultier was delighted to have made amends for his defeat by Willstrop the night before:  "I was out injured for two or three months, so I'm happy to be back.  I can't expect to reach my peak straight away, but I'm happy with how it's going and I'm glad to have won today.

 

"Amr was probably a bit tired from his five-setter last night which is probably why I won!"

 

The longest clash of the night saw Sheffield's British Open champion Nick Matthew recover from a game down to beat Yorkshire rival James Willstrop 7-11, 11-10 (4-2), 11-8, 11-8 in 79 minutes.

 

"I had a few words with myself last night about not being despondent about losing from 2/0 up, but tonight I knew that it was important not to go 2/0 down, so I really fought hard for that second," said Matthew.

 

"It's always hard when we play - we play so often, but as much as you know James' game you can never know it enough, he's got so many little flicks, shots that can catch you out."