RESULTS: Sky Squash Open, Cairo, Egypt
Semi-finals:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [12] Alister Walker (ENG) 11-8, 11-2, 11-6 (40m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [3] Ramy Ashour (EGY) 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9 (70m)
The world's top two squash players Karim Darwish and Gregory Gaultier will meet in the final of the Sky Open after surviving contrasting semi-finals of the $147,500 PSA World Tour Super Series Platinum event at Sky Petrosport Club in Cairo.
Local hero Darwish, the world number one from Cairo, faced England outsider Alister Walker, the No12 seed who recorded a life-time best win by beating Egypt's three-time world champion Amr Shabana in the quarter-finals.
But this was one match too far for the 26-year-old world No12 from Leeds. Darwish played like the globe's leading player that he is to win 11-8, 11-2, 11-6 in 40 minutes - and reach the 26th PSA Tour final of his career.
"It’s always great to get a 3/0 win in the semis, to be fresh for the final," Darwish told www.squashsite.co.uk later. "I still have my ankle to be careful about, but my body is fresh, now.
"I really want to win this event, and I’m so looking forward to tomorrow," added the 28-year-old who lost out in last year's final.
Second-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier took on Egypt's Ramy Ashour, the No3 seed, in the other semi-final. With six previous meetings since December 2005, the pair's head-to-head tally was level at three-all - but Ashour was in the ascendancy with three successive victories since November 2006.
And the 21-year-old former world champion from Cairo moved 2/1 ahead after losing the first game.
But Gaultier, 26, from Aix-en-Provence, fought back to draw level - then maintained his focus to beat the local star 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9 after 70 minutes to reach his fourth Tour final of the year.