Willstrop & White Wipe Out Wharf Top Seeds

Scotland's John White and England's James Willstrop wiped out the two top seeds in the semi-finals of the ISS Canary Wharf Classic in London to produce the first all-British final of the 5-star PSA Tour event at the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf.

Whirlwind White produced a stunning display of power hitting and incredible physical determination to beat top seed Thierry Lincou. The fifth-seeded Scot, who is based in Philadelphia, won 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 9-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-9 after 95 minutes of breathtaking squash.

He meets James Willstrop in a rematch of their recent British National Championship final in Manchester, where the Pontefract-based Willstrop claimed his first national title.

Willstrop was able to end a long losing run against England team-mate Nick Matthew as the Sheffield-based British Open champion struggled with his movement in his second tournament back after a long lay-off caused by ankle injury.

"I was able to compete for the first two games, but James was playing superbly and able to expose my lack of movement in the third," said second seed Matthew after his 11-7, 11-9, 11-1 defeat in 44 minutes. "No excuses, he was far better on the night.

"I know I have suffered from an injury, but when I was winning my British Open title James was in hospital suffering from an illness, so these things go round."

Willstrop said: "Nick is going through the same sort of tough time I experienced earlier in the season with illness and injury. But he is a top quality player and I was fortunate to catch him on a night when he wasn't quite 100 per cent and his movement was restricted.

"I am looking forward to the final and I just hope that John is totally exhausted! Nick and I were watching the other semi-final on the TV while we were waiting and the squash was just unbelievable."

White's victory against Lincou was an astonishing performance of grit and power. White, the hardest hitter in the history of squash, raced into a 5-0 lead in the first game as he registered speeds of 144mph with his racket.

The Frenchman led 8-2 in the second game but White staged an incredible fight-back to draw level and then win the tiebreak. He actually dropped his racket on the shot that took him level at 10-10, but the ball somehow hit the front wall and wrong-footed his opponent.

White advanced to 8-6 in the third game but was denied a crucial point as he moved in for the kill, hoping to clinch victory in straight games. However, Lincou successfully appealed for a let as he struggled to reach a White drop shot in the front left corner.

The 33-year-old Scot angrily lost concentration and was warned for hitting himself with the racket as Lincou hit back to take game 11-9.

The Frenchman led 5-2 in the fourth game but White once again turned on the firepower to lead 6-5. A series of errors allowed Lincou to regain the lead but once again White drew level to force a tiebreak at 10-10. This time Lincou closed out the game to take the match the full distance, White's third consecutive five-setter in the tournament.

Lincou looked the fitter player as he advanced to a 5-1 lead, but White somehow found the physical resources to begin clawing points back. Lincou still led 7-4 and 8-6 but the crowd roared as White fired home some incredible winners to reach match ball at 10-8. Lincou won the next point but White buried a fierce volley kill into the nick to reach the final.

White admitted: "That's three tough matches in a row but I will try to get a good night's sleep, have a massage and try to do it all again tomorrow and come out firing just as strongly in the final."

The climax will mark White's 30th appearance in a PSA Tour final, and his second of the year. For Willstrop, it will signal the end of a disappointing Tour run in which he has not reached a final for 16 months. The Canary Wharf climax will mark his ninth career Tour final - but his first since winning the prestigious Qatar Classic in November 2005.

Semi-finals:
[5] John White (SCO) bt [1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 9-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-9 (95m)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [2] Nick Matthew (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-1 (44m)