Willstrop Stuns Lincou In St Louis Shock

James Willstrop produced the best PSA Tour result of his career when he toppled top seed Thierry Lincou in a dramatic five-game upset in the quarter-finals of the MPM St Louis Open at the Garden Court in the St Louis Galleria in Missouri, USA.

It was the 22-year-old Englishman's first Tour victory over a world number one - and established the latest high in the young Yorkshireman's glittering early years on the international squash circuit.

Favourite Lincou took the opening game, but the eighth-seeded underdog fought back to move 2/1 ahead in the final quarter-final encounter of the day. With the packed St Louis crowd on the edges of their seats, the French world champion struck back to draw level - but Willstrop dug deep and after 85 minutes beat the year-long world number one 9-11 11-9 11-8 7-11 11-7.

A surprise semi-final opponent awaits the tall, 6' 4", world No8 after seventh seed Amr Shabana battled to a 10-11 11-7 11-5 11-8 victory in 50 minutes over Australia's third seed David Palmer. It was a clash between two former world champions, with the left-handed Egyptian gaining long-awaited revenge for his defeat by Palmer in last year's British Open final.

Willstrop will fly a lone flag for England in the five-star event's semi-finals after compatriot Peter Nicol crashed out in straight games to long-time rival Jonathon Power. Former world No1 Nicol went into the match with revitalised enthusiasm for the game after victories in the last two events he has played.

But the mercurial Canadian, seeded four, was simply too hot for the fifth seed and won 11-2 11-8 11-7 in 45 minutes to close the career head-to-head tally between the pair to 22-21 to the Englishman.

Power will now face Australia's Anthony Ricketts, the sixth seed who was fully tested by Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema before finally overcoming the giant-killing qualifier 11-10 9-11 11-9 11-5 in 66 minutes.

Quarter-finals:
[8] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7 (85m)
[7] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [3] David Palmer (AUS) 10-11 (0-2), 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (50m)
[4] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [5] Peter Nicol (ENG) 11-2, 11-8, 11-7 (45m)
[6] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [Q] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-10 (4-2), 9-11, 11-9, 11-5 (66m)