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 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," Gaultier told the event's official website www.superseriesfinals.net. "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.

3rd and final pool round:
ATCO Group
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [6] Nick Matthew (ENG) 8-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-10 (2-0) (87m)
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [5] James Willstrop (ENG) 11-7, 11-4, 3-11, 11-4 (53m)

Manchester Group
[8] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [2] David Palmer (AUS) 10-11 (0-2), 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 (69m)
[7] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (28m)