Gregory Gaultier Wins Maiden Super Series Finals Title
France's Gregory Gaultier
secured the ATCO Super Series Finals – London 2008 title for
the first time after beating Egypt's top seed Amr Shabana
in straight games in the final of the flagship
PSA Tour
squash event at the Broadgate Arena in the city of
London.
The resounding 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 victory in 51 minutes ended a
four-match winning Tour run by the world number one over Gaultier,
the world number two - but extends the Frenchman's career
head-to-head record over his close rival to 9/7.
"I was very
relaxed tonight, calm and serene," Gaultier said later. "I've been
working on a lot of things recently, and it's starting to work.
"Thanks to Shabana for such a great match. He is such a great
champion and a role model for all of us. Without him I wouldn't
improve, as he is pushing me to get better," added the 25-year-old
from
Aix-en-Provence.
The victory marks Gaultier's 12th PSA Tour title - and
his second in a row in
England after becoming the first Frenchman to claim the British
Open trophy last September.
In the
best-of-three-games play-off for third place, world No5 Thierry
Lincou made it a French double when he beat Australian David
Palmer 11-8, 7-11, 11-8. It was a win which takes Lincou's
career head-to-head tally over the new British Open champion to
11/10.
Top Seeds Shabana & Gaultier To Contest Super Series Finals Final
The world's top two players will contest the climax of the
ATCO Super Series Finals – London 2008
after Amr Shabana, the world number one from
Egypt, and Gregory Gaultier, the
world No2 from France, prevailed in the semi-finals of the flagship
PSA Tour
squash event at the Broadgate Arena in the city of
London.
In the first semi-final, 25-year-old Gaultier defeated compatriot
and former world number one
Thierry Lincou
11-7, 11-10 (2-0), 10-11 (0-2), 11-9 in a closely-contested
hour-long battle.
"It’s so hard
to play Thierry, who is like my big brother," Gaultier told the
official website
www.superseriesfinals.net
later.
"It was a very tough match tonight - but like Thierry always says,
what happens on the court stays on the court, and I hope that in a
few hours, tomorrow, we’ll be friends as ever," explained Gaultier,
now in the final for the second time in only his second appearance
in the event.
In the second semi, top seed Shabana secured his place in the
prestigious final for the first time with a high quality 41-minute
11-3, 11-6, 11-9 win over David Palmer, the Australian who
last week won his fourth British Open title.
"David is one of the best players ever - he is twice world champion
and four times British Open champion, so you know what you are going
to get," said the 28-year-old from
Cairo. "He beat me in the British Open, so I wanted to make sure
that wouldn’t happen again tonight."
In the opening match of the evening,
England’s
James Willstrop
scored an 11-7, 11-10 (3-1) victory
over Malaysian Ong Beng Hee in the best-of-three-games
play-off for seventh place.
England’s Lee Beachill defeated Egypt’s Wael El Hindi
8-11, 11-7, 11-7 to claim fifth place.
Lincou Earns Last Semi-Final Slot In Super Series Finals
France's fifth seed Thierry Lincou claimed the last place in
the semi-finals of the
ATCO Super Series Finals – London 2008
after recovering from a game down to beat England's Lee Beachill
in the final qualifying round of the flagship
PSA Tour
squash event at the Broadgate Arena in the city of London.
With Egypt's world number one Amr Shabana, Australia's
British Open champion David Palmer, and last year's
runner-up Gregory Gaultier already assured of places in the
last four play-offs, the Anglo/French clash - a repeat of the 2004
World Open final - was set to complete the line-up.
Fired up by his four-game defeat by Shabana 24 hours earlier, Lincou
battled to a 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 win over seventh seed and fellow
former world number one Beachill in 55 minutes.
"It's never
easy to play against Lee," Lincou said. "We are from the same
generation; the same age - both over 30; and we've been both number
ones roughly at the same time. It's a match within a match every
time, never easy, never ever easy.
"And we are both daddies! I think that our return of form also
comes from the fact that we are happy, that we are enjoying life,
enjoying our squash, and that we realise how lucky we are to be
doing what we are doing," explained the 32-year-old from Marseille
who won the title in 2004 and is appearing in the event for the
seventh successive year.
In the opening match of the evening,
Egypt’s Wael El Hindi defeated Ong Beng Hee 11-7,
11-4, 11-6. It was El Hindi's first victory over the Malaysian
after seven successive defeats since the pair's first meeting in the
1998 World Junior Championship final in the USA!
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, the world No2, secured his status
as the only unbeaten player in the eight-man event after securing a
dramatic 58-minute 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 10-11 (1-3), 11-9 victory over
Australian David Palmer.
England’s James Willstrop made up for the two earlier losses
to Lincou and Beachill by scoring a consolation 11-8, 11-8, 11-8
victory over favourite Amr Shabana, the world champion.
Palmer Powers On In Super Series Finals In
London
Maintaining the form which saw the 31-year-old Australian take his
fourth British Open crown last week, the rejuvenated David
Palmer made sure of a place in the semi-finals of the ATCO
Super Series Finals – London 2008 when he beat Malaysian Ong
Beng Hee in the second pool round of the flagship PSA Tour
squash event at the Broadgate Arena in the city of London.
"Beng Hee is an attacker, and he gets pretty confident if he gets in
front, so I tried to keep on top of him," third seed Palmer said
after his 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 win in 42 minutes. "Last night against
Wael (El Hindi) was a good win, and I'm very happy about my win
against Beng Hee - even if it was not the best of matches: a win is
a win!"
In the other qualifying match in the ATCO Group, second seed
Gregory Gaultier also secured his second victory with an
11-10 (3-1), 11-7, 11-6 win over Egypt's sixth seed Wael El Hindi.
There was Egyptian success, however, in the Prince Group
where favourite Amr Shabana recovered from a game down to
beat Frenchman Thierry Lincou 7-11, 11-5, 11-10 (2-0), 11-2.
With the pair's career head-to-head tally poised at 9-9 before
the match, the victory took world number one Shabana ahead of the
former world number one from Marseille for the first time!
After suffering a problem with his right leg 24 hours earlier in his
match against Lincou,
James Willstrop
was back in action in the other Prince Group match - an all-English
affair against his Pontefract club and England team-mate Lee
Beachill.
Seeded seven, and a late-comer to the event after replacing the
injured defending champion Ramy Ashour, Beachill upset
Willstrop 11-10 (3-1), 11-5, 11-5 to end a four-match losing streak
to his fourth-seeded training partner.
"That was awful," confessed Beachill, a former world number one,
afterwards. "Normally, we play some high quality matches, but
knowing that he had a bit of a niggle made it very difficult. And
until the start of the afternoon, I didn't know who I was going to
play, to be honest."
After intense physio treatment since his earlier match, Willstrop
was glad to be continuing in the event: "Last night, after playing
Thierry I really thought I'd have to pull out, but I really want to
play here. There is such a buzz, so tonight, I was really happy to
be able to get back on court, and I hope the physios can get me
through the rest of the week," said the world number three.
Willstrop
Downed In Super Series Finals Opener
Home hopes of success in the ATCO Super Series Finals – London
2008 took a knock on the opening day when fourth-seeded
Englishman
James Willstrop
went down in straight games to
France's fifth seed Thierry Lincou
in the first Pool round of the flagship PSA Tour squash event
at the Broadgate Arena in the city of
London.
Just a week after losing a memorable British Open final to
Australian David Palmer, world No3 Willstrop lost 11-6, 11-4,
11-2 to the world No5 in just 37 minutes.
In contrast to his sensational performance seven days earlier in
Liverpool - where he held two match balls before losing to Palmer in
a 111-minute marathon - the Yorkshireman was clearly struggling with
his movement in London, and called for Physio treatment to his right
leg after the first game.
"I could see
from the start that he was struggling," Lincou said afterwards.
"We had to finish the match, but it was obvious he couldn't move,"
added the 32-year-old from Marseille after avenging his straight
games loss to Willstrop in the British Open semi-finals.
There was British disappointment in the final match of the evening
in the Prince Group when Amr Shabana, the world No1
and world champion from Egypt, overcame spirited resistance from
England’s former world No1 Lee Beachill before taking the
match 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 11-6.
Newly crowned British Open champion David Palmer recorded an
impressive 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5 win over Egyptian Wael El
Hindi in his opening round match in the ATCO Group on the
all-glass court at the Broadgate Arena.
In the third match of the evening, second-seeded Frenchman
Gregory Gaultier defeated Malaysian Ong Beng Hee - a late
replacement for the defending champion Ramy Ashour of Egypt -
11-10 (2-0), 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 in 53 minutes.
1st pool round:
Prince Group
[5] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [4]
James Willstrop (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-2 (37m)
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [7] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 11-6 (41m)
ATCO Group
[3] David Palmer (AUS) bt [6] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 11-8,
8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5 (64m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-10
(2-0), 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 (53m)
Willstrop
Downed In Super Series Finals Opener
Home hopes of success in the ATCO Super Series Finals – London
2008 took a knock on the opening day when fourth-seeded
Englishman
James Willstrop
went down in straight games to
France's fifth seed Thierry Lincou
in the first Pool round of the flagship PSA Tour squash event
at the Broadgate Arena in the city of
London.
Just a week after losing a memorable British Open final to
Australian David Palmer, world No3 Willstrop lost 11-6, 11-4,
11-2 to the world No5 in just 37 minutes.
In contrast to his sensational performance seven days earlier in
Liverpool - where he held two match balls before losing to Palmer in
a 111-minute marathon - the Yorkshireman was clearly struggling with
his movement in London, and called for Physio treatment to his right
leg after the first game.
"I could see from the start that he was struggling," Lincou said
afterwards.
"We had to finish the match, but it was obvious he couldn't move,"
added the 32-year-old from Marseille after avenging his straight
games loss to Willstrop in the British Open semi-finals.
There was British disappointment in the final match of the evening
in the Prince Group when Amr Shabana, the world No1
and world champion from Egypt, overcame spirited resistance from
England’s former world No1 Lee Beachill before taking the
match 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 11-6.
Newly crowned British Open champion David Palmer recorded an
impressive 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5 win over Egyptian Wael El
Hindi in his opening round match in the ATCO Group on the
all-glass court at the Broadgate Arena.
In the third match of the evening, second-seeded Frenchman
Gregory Gaultier defeated Malaysian Ong Beng Hee - a late
replacement for the defending champion Ramy Ashour of Egypt -
11-10 (2-0), 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 in 53 minutes.
Lee Beachill & Ong Beng Hee Gain Late Entry To Super Series Finals
Last-minute withdrawals from this week's ATCO Super Series Finals
- London 2008 have left hosts England with two players in the
flagship squash championship which brings together the top eight
qualifiers from the 2007
PSA Super Series World Tour.
Lee Beachill,
the world No11 from Yorkshire, will now join Pontefract club-mate
James Willstrop,
the world No3, in the draw of the $110,000 event which gets underway
at the Broadgate Arena in London today (Monday).
Beachill will be making his first appearance in the event since
finishing as runner-up two years ago. The former world number one
is also joined by fellow late-comer Ong Beng Hee, the world
No10 from
Malaysia.
Nick Matthew
was the first to pull out of the event. The Englishman is still
recovering from shoulder surgery. But, at the weekend, Matthew was
joined on the sidelines by Egyptians Ramy Ashour and Karim
Darwish, the world number four and eight, respectively - both of
whose 2008 British Open campaigns earlier this month were
prematurely cut short by injuries.
Egypt's world number one Amr Shabana is favourite to lift the
title for the first time. The 28-year-old from Cairo will meet
seventh seed Beachill in the first qualifying round in the Prince
Group, while fourth seed Willstrop will face 2004 champion
Thierry Lincou, the fifth seed from France, in the tonight's
other match in the group.
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, who is favourite to win the
ATCO Group, will begin his campaign against Ong Beng Hee. Fresh
from his triumph in the 2008 Dunlop British Open, Australian
David Palmer - the 2002 champion - faces Egyptian Wael El
Hindi in the other ATCO Group clash.
Pool matches
continue on Tuesday and Wednesday, leading to semi-finals on
Thursday and the final on Friday.
ATCO Super Series Finals - London 2008 Re-Draw Announced by PSA
Following the withdrawal through injury of defending champion
Ramy Ashour and fellow Egyptian Karim Darwish, the
Professional Squash Association (PSA) have announced today (18th
May) details of the re-drawn player groups and revised schedule for
the ATCO Super Series Finals – London 2008 to be staged at
the Broadgate Arena in the heart of London's Square Mile
from the 19th to 23rd May.
The ATCO Super Series Finals - London 2008 will bring
together the top eight qualifiers from the annual PSA Super
Series World Tour and will feature two pools of four players,
leading to finals which will produce a 1-8 finish.
World No.1 Amr Shabana of Egypt will lead a star-studded
eight-man line-up which will feature compatriot Wael El Hindi;
Australia's British Open Champion David Palmer; Thierry
Lincou and Gregory Gaultier of France; James Willstrop
and Lee Beachill of England and Malaysia’s Ong Beng Hee.
Prince Group ATCO
Group
(1) Amr Shabana (2)
Gregory Gaultier
(4) James Willstrop (3) David
Palmer
(5) Thierry Lincou (6)
Wael El Hindi
(7) Lee Beachill (8)
Ong Beng Hee
Monday 19th May:
6pm: David Palmer vs. Wael El Hindi
7pm: James Willstrop vs. Thierry Lincou
8pm: Gregory Gaultier vs. Ong Beng Hee
9pm: Amr Shabana vs. Lee Beachill
Tuesday 20th May:
6pm: David Palmer vs. Ong Beng Hee
7pm: James Willstrop vs. Lee Beachill
8pm: Gregory Gaultier vs. Wael El Hindi
9pm: Amr Shabana vs. Thierry Lincou
Wednesday 21st May:
6pm: Wael El Hindi vs. Ong Beng Hee
7pm: Thierry Lincou vs. Lee Beachill
8pm: Gregory Gaultier vs. David Palmer
9pm: Amr Shabana vs. James Willstrop
Thursday 22nd May:
6pm: 7th/8th Play-off
7pm: 5th/6th Play-off
8pm: 1st Semi-Final
9pm: 2nd Semi-Final
Friday 23rd May:
6pm: 3rd/4th Play-off
7pm: Final
Tickets for the ATCO Super Series Finals - London 2008 can be
booked by telephone on 07973 544719
Nick Matthew Withdraws From ATCO Super Series Finals - London 2008
Nick Matthew,
who made an indelible mark on squash history in 2006 when he became
the first home-grown British Open Champion for 67 years, has
confirmed his withdrawal from next week’s ATCO Super Series
Finals – London 2008 to be staged at the Broadgate Arena
in the heart of London's Square Mile from the 19th to 23rd
May.
Matthew, who rose to England's highest-ranked player by winning last
year's US Open, sustained a shoulder ligament tear whilst leading
England to their successful defence of the Men's World Team
Championships in Chennai, and his withdrawal will see Egyptian
Karim Darwish join a star studded eight man player line-up.
The ATCO Super Series Finals - London 2008 will bring
together the top eight qualifiers from the annual PSA Super
Series World Tour and will feature two pools of four players,
leading to finals which will produce a 1-8 finish.
The complete schedule is as follows:
Monday 19th May:
6pm: Gregory Gaultier vs. James Willstrop
7pm: Karim Darwish vs. Wael El Hindi
8pm: Amr Shabana vs. Thierry Lincou
9pm: Ramy Ashour vs. David Palmer
Tuesday 20th May:
6pm: Gregory Gaultier vs. Thierry Lincou
7pm: David Palmer vs. Karim Darwish
8pm: Amr Shabana vs. James Willstrop
9pm: Ramy Ashour vs. Wael El Hindi
Wednesday 21st May:
6pm: James Willstrop vs. Thierry Lincou
7pm: David Palmer vs. Wael El Hindi
8pm: Amr Shabana vs. Gregory Gaultier
9pm: Ramy Ashour vs. Karim Darwish
Thursday 22nd May:
6pm: 7th/8th Play-off
7pm: 5th/6th Play-off
8pm: 1st Semi-Final
9pm: 2nd Semi-Final
Friday 23rd May:
6pm: 3rd/4th Play-off
7pm: Final
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