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 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.

Semi-finals:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [3] David Palmer (AUS) 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 (41m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [5] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-7, 11-10 (2-0), 10-11 (0-2), 11-9 (65m)

Fifth place play-off:
[7] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt [6] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)

Seventh place play-off:
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-7, 11-10 (3-1) (23m)