Injury Rules Gaultier Out Of Saudi International

World number two Gregory Gaultier has been forced to withdraw from next week's Saudi International, the final PSA Tour Super Series squash event of the year, due to a quadriceps injury.

The withdrawal will almost certainly dash the Frenchman's hopes of being reinstated as world number one in the January 2010 PSA World Squash Rankings. The 26-year-old from Aix-en-Provence reached No1 for the first time in November, but was then replaced this month by Egyptian Karim Darwish.

The $250,000 Saudi International will take place for the fifth year in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, from 13-18 December.

Gaultier's exit elevates Egypt's Ramy Ashour to second seed, behind top-seeded compatriot Karim Darwish, the defending champion. Fellow Egyptian Amr Shabana is the No3 seed, while England's Nick Matthew is promoted to fourth seed.

Interestingly, Ramy Ashour now faces his older brother Hisham Mohd Ashour in the first round - only a week after the pair met in the opening round of the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters in India. Furthermore, a first round win by Matthew is now likely to take the England number one to a second round clash with his national rival James Willstrop, the 10th seed and England number two.

Italian Amr Swelim is the new player in the revised draw - the Cairo-based world No39 lining up against Australia's fifth seed David Palmer in the first round.