Focussed Darwish Despatches Elshorbagy At Drexel

Despite just a single world ranking position separating the Egyptian pair, world No5 Karim Darwish endorsed his superiority over Mohamed Elshorbagy by despatching his sixth-placed national rival in straight games to reach the semi-finals of the Delaware Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships, the fifth PSA World Series event of the year at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Darwish, the 32-year-old former world number one from Cairo, went into the match 8-2 ahead in the pair's all-time head-to-head record - but 22-year-old Elshorbagy, from Alexandria, recorded a notable 3/0 win over his senior Egyptian team-mate last December en-route to an impressive PSA World Championship final debut.

Fourth seed Darwish took early control, leading 5-2, 7-5 and 9-6 and, despite Elshorbagy's best efforts, took the lead 11-9.

In the second, fifth seed Elshorbagy built up leads of 6-1, then 8-3 and 9-4 before proceeding to self-destruct - with five unforced tins in a row. Darwish took the game 11-9 with a dropshot for an unlikely two-game lead.

Darwish took full advantage in the third, taking a 5-1 lead, then extending it to 7-3. At 10-6 a delicate crosscourt dropshot clinched the match for Darwish - and a first appearance in the US Open semi-finals since 2007.

"I was really focused for this match," said Darwish after his 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 victory. "I really wanted to win this one and it's such a great feeling to be in the semi-final of the US Open. There were a few collisions in the second. I wasn't too happy about it, but I told myself I had to win and I'm happy I could do it."

Darwish will now face career-long French rival Gregory Gaultier, the top seed, for a place in the final.

"Greg's one of the in-form players, so it should be a good match against him on Thursday," concluded the exuberant Egyptian.

Gaultier, the world No2 bidding to reach his fourth PSA World Tour final in a row, defeated unseeded compatriot Mathieu Castagnet 13-11, 11-8, 11-6.

Underdog Castagnet, a surprise quarter-finalist after ousting No7 seed Borja Golan in the previous round, got off to a flyer, building up a 6-0 lead.

The unperturbed event favourite calmly worked his way back into the game to draw level at eight-all before taking the lead 9-8 with another crisp volley.

Castagnet came back to save a game-ball at 9-10 before getting his own game-ball at 11-10. But Gaultier pushed to take the game 13-11.

The experienced 30-year-old from Aix-en-Provence led in both the next two games before closing out the match 13-11, 11-8, 11-6.

"He started really fast and took me a bit by surprise," admitted Gaultier. "It was maybe a bit faster than he usually plays, so I knew I had to make the game tough even if I lost it. Once I got a few points I was confident I could win the game, but I had to work hard.

"He didn't slow down at all in the second, he played just as well as he had in the first, so I had to really dig in to stay in front.

"We've played together for so long it's really hard to play in a match like this, but you just have to forget about that and find a solution to win."

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US Open image courtesy of Squashpics.com