Gregory Gaultier Retains ATCO Super Series Finals Trophy 

Gaultier & Lincou Set Up All-French Super Series Finals Final

Willstrop Celebrates Maiden Ashour Win In Super Series Finals Opener

Gaultier Focussed On Third Successive Super Series Finals Final

ATCO Super Series Finals To Add Momentum To Squash’s 2016 Olympic Campaign

World Number One Darwish Heads Super Series
Finals Line-Up

Gregory Gaultier Wins Maiden Super Series Finals Title

Top Seeds Shabana & Gaultier To Contest Super Series Finals Final

Lincou Earns Last Semi-Final Slot In Super Series Finals

Palmer Powers On In Super Series Finals In London

Lee Beachill & Ong Beng Hee Gain Late Entry

News Stories

Gregory Gaultier Retains ATCO Super Series Finals Trophy 

France's Gregory Gaultier successfully defended his ATCO Super Series Finals squash title when he beat compatriot Thierry Lincou in the final of the flagship $110,000 PSA Tour event being staged for the first time at The Queen's Club in London.

The world No3 from Aix-en-Provence - who became the first player for eight years to retain the prestigious crown - maintained his stunning form of the past four days to clinch an 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 victory in the first final in the 16-year history of the event to feature two fellow countrymen.

The dramatic 63-minute encounter constantly had the capacity crowd on the edge of their seats as the two players played out a series of lengthy rallies which included some of the most explosive shot-making of the tournament.

Among the spectators was The Queen’s Club Patron, the Duchess of Gloucester, who presented Gaultier with the champion’s trophy.

"I can't think about whether I am the best in the world right now," said 26-year-old Gaultier when asked if he felt he could make the top spot.  "I just want to win as many tournaments as I can and then I can get to the number one.

"But it is totally true that I did feel as if I was flying this week. And today I won because I wanted it more," added the Frenchman who now boasts 16 PSA Tour titles.

The gripping and often good-humoured final provided a fitting finale to a week which has seen the event give Squash a dynamic makeover and provide a platform for the sport to outline why it believes the International Olympic Committee should give it Olympic status for the 2016 Games.

Ziad Al-Turki, Vice-Chairman of sponsors the ATCO Group and Chairman of the Professional Squash Association, said:  "It has been great to introduce the squash family to these outstanding players. They are incredible athletes who deserve nothing but the best, which is why we are pushing to get squash into the Olympics, so they can get the recognition they deserve."

Gaultier praised Al-Turki's efforts in revolutionising the sport in this country and abroad, saying: "Ziad has been a huge boost to the sport and us as players. Let’s hope squash continues to grow as fast as it is now."

In the earlier play-off for third place, world number one Karim Darwish beat his top-ranked predecessor and fellow Egyptian Amr Shabana 11-8, 11-9, 11-5.

Gaultier & Lincou Set Up All-French Super Series Finals Final

Defending champion Gregory Gaultier will face former champion Thierry Lincou in an all-French final of the ATCO Super Series Finals after contrasting successes in the third and final round of pool matches in the flagship $110,000 PSA Tour squash event being staged for the first time at The Queen's Club in London.

It will be the first final between two fellow countrymen in the 16-year history of the event - and Gaultier, the world No3 from Aix-en-Provence, will be bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the prestigious title since England's Peter Nicol eight years ago.

Gaultier faced Egypt's world No1 Karim Darwish in the decider in the ATCO Group - both players hitherto unbeaten.  But the title-holding Frenchman maintained his breathtaking form on the all-glass court at Queen's Club, recovering from a game down to beat the top seed 10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 in 59 minutes.

"I gave my best you know," said Gaultier, now in his 33rd PSA Tour final.  "Karim is world number one and it was so close.  It was tough to lose the first game, and I just had to refocus."

It was the last match of the night between England's James Willstrop and 2004 champion Thierry Lincou which produced the identity of Gaultier's final opponent.  With Lincou unbeaten in the Prince group, Willstrop needed a straight games win to ensure his place in the climax, whereas the Frenchman simply required a single game.

And the Yorkshireman's hopes of his first appearance in the event's final looked likely when he took a two-game lead against the world No8.

Willstrop was playing close to his best, despite having taken a heavy knock on the nose after only two points - an injury which necessitated a 15-minute break and left him knowing that more blood would cause the match to be awarded to his opponent.

Lincou came back with a vengeance in the third - leading 3-0 and 7-1 before clinching his all-important game to reduce the deficit.  The 32-year-old from Marseille also took the fourth before Willstrop came back to win the match 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 3-11, 11-6 in 63 minutes of playing time.

In the earlier match in the Prince group, Egypt's former world number one Amr Shabana had brushed aside compatriot Ramy Ashour 11-9, 11-4, 11-2 in just 24 minutes - and this win gave the 29-year-old from Giza a superior games advantage over Willstrop, thus a place in the play-off for third place against fellow Egyptian Karim Darwish.

Meanwhile, in the first match of the evening, veteran Australian star David Palmer avoided the wooden spoon in defeating another Egyptian Wael El Hindi 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9.

Shabana Back In Stunning Style In Super Series Finals At Queen's

After a lacklustre performance in the opening round, Egypt's former world number one Amr Shabana returned to stunning form in the second pool match in the ATCO Super Series Finals to beat England hope James Willstrop in the flagship $110,000 PSA Tour squash event being staged for the first time at The Queen's Club in London.

Fifth-seeded Yorkshireman Willstrop looked in good shape after clinching the first game, but the 29-year-old second seed from Giza stormed back to clinch the next three games and with it victory 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 in 54 minutes

Willstrop, 25, had been hoping to continue his winning ways after defeating Shabana’s Egyptian team-mate Ramy Ashour, the 2007 champion, in his first match on Saturday night.

But Shabana put his own disappointing first day defeat at the hands of France’s Thierry Lincou behind him.

The Egyptian wizard was clearly happy with his performance:  "I surprised myself today.  I haven't played that well since last year," Shabana admitted after the match.

The result means with both Willstrop and Shabana having one victory each, Monday’s final group matches will be make or break in deciding who goes through to Tuesday night’s prestigious final stages.

In the other match of the day in the Prince Group, Thierry Lincou defeated Ramy Ashour in convincing manner 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5 in 44 minutes to maintain his unbeaten record in the group.

Earlier in the other group, France’s defending champion Gregory Gaultier, the fourth seed, maintained his imperious form in defeating his great friend and training partner Wael El Hindi, the eighth seed from Egypt making his Super Series Finals debut, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 in just 38 minutes.

Meanwhile, world number one Karim Darwish came through against Australian veteran David Palmer 11-3, 15-13, 11-9.  The second game – the game of the championship so far - contained a series of fast-paced rallies with both players close to clinching it before Darwish sneaked home.

Willstrop Celebrates Maiden Ashour Win In Super Series Finals Opener

England's number one squash player James Willstrop wowed the capacity crowd at The Queen’s Club in London in the final match of the opening day of the ATCO Super Series Finals by defeating his Egyptian nemesis Ramy Ashour, the reigning world champion, for the first time.

At times, 25-year-old Yorkshireman Willstrop and Ashour, 21, played at a near suicidal pace as two of the sport’s most entertaining stars battled for glory in the flagship $110,000 PSA Tour event.

Willstrop dug deep after losing the first game to claim victory 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 in a duel lasting 53 minutes.  The sole Briton competing in the event clinched victory with a series of pulsating winners in the fourth game to which Ashour had no answer.

Afterwards, Willstrop, who has struggled for form recently, paid tribute to fellow English and world top 10 player Nick Matthew for providing the inspiration to get back to winning ways:  "Tonight’s win is down to the many hours and days working with those closest to me.  I’ve learnt so much from Nick Matthew who kept the faith coming back from injury."

Ashour, who hails from Cairo, had won all of the pair’s previous three encounters on the Professional Squash Association Tour.

The Super Series Finals involves the top eight players who have qualified from last year's Super Series events - split into two groups of four with the top player from each group playing in Tuesday’s prestigious final.

Earlier, French duo Thierry Lincou and Gregory Gaultier got their own bids for glory off to a flying start.

Lincou destroyed an out of sorts Amr Shabana 11-3, 11-9, 11-5 in just 37 minutes, while defending champion Gaultier defeated reigning British Open champion David Palmer 11-7, 3-11, 11-6, 11-2.

Lincou, 32, had far too much court craft and speed for Egyptian Shabana, who is on the road back from a knee injury.

In the event's opening match, 26-year-old Gaultier had too much pace and quickness of reaction for his Australian opponent in a match interrupted by a number of disputes over refereeing decisions.

In the day’s other encounter, a titanic struggle between fellow Egyptians Karim Darwish and Wael El Hindi saw Darwish, the world number one, narrowly sneak home 11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-5.

This year’s Super Series Finals is being played in front of sell-out crowds at The Queen’s Club in London – better known for hosting the Artois Tennis Championships – for the first time.

The choice of venue, together with a powerful visual setting and intimate lighting, mark a spectacular attempt by Squash to present a stunning new image for the 21st century.

The dramatic makeover for the game coincides with a bid by squash to be included in the 2016 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets in June to consider the bids of seven sports, including squash, vying for up to two places on the roster of events for the Games. A final decision is due to be made in October at the same session which will decide whether Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Chicago or Madrid should host the 2016 Olympics.

After clinching victory against Shabana, Thierry Lincou said: "It is fantastic to see so much innovation coming into squash at these championships.  The next step is to get our sport into the Olympics."