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 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 told the official website www.superseriesfinals.net . "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.

3rd pool round:
Prince Group
[5] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [7] Lee Beachill (ENG) 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (55m)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [1] Amr Shabana (EGY) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (26m)
ATCO Group
[6] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (32m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [3] David Palmer (AUS) 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 10-11 (1-3), 11-9 (58m)