WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: SSA Global Windy City Open Squash Championship, Chicago, USA

Semi-finals:
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [5] Graham Ryding (CAN) 15-10, 15-11, 15-9
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [4] Omar Elborolossy (EGY) 15-9, 16-17, 4-15, 15-6, 15-7

Matthew & Gaultier In Windy City Showdown

Second-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier has reached his third successive final of the SSA Global Windy City Open Championship and will face England's No3 seed Nick Matthew on the all glass court in the Cathedral Hall at the University Club of Chicago in the USA.

Gaultier's opponent in the first semi-final was Egypt's fourth seed Omar Elborolossy.  The flamboyant Frenchman took control early in the first game, taking the ball early and using his tremendous racket skills to work Elborolossy around the court.  He extended an early 5-3 lead to 11-6 and although the Egyptian closed back to within three points, Gaultier comfortably closed out the first game in 12 minutes.

The experienced Egyptian began to pressure Gaultier into more errors in the second game.  He led 5-3 and 6-5 before Gaultier regained control and the lead at 11-8.  Elborolossy then hit two backhand cross-court nicks and a backhand drop shot winner to get back to 11-11.   At 16-16, Elborolossy closed out the game with a fine backhand crosscourt nick off Gaultier's serve.

Buoyed by winning the second game, the 28-year-old from Cairo raced to an 11-1 lead in the third, aided by a number of Gaultier tins - and took the game 15-4 in 8 minutes.  Not to be outclassed by the racket skills from Elborolossy, Gaultier showed his French flair and, delicately chipping in soft drop shots and punching heated cross-courts, was able to work his opponent into every inch of the glass court.  As bad as he was in the third game, he was that good in the fourth. 

He rushed to a 10-3 lead before making his first error.  Elborolossy capitalised and pulled two points back, but it was not enough and Gaultier drew level in 10 minutes.  

In the decider, Gaultier jumped out of the blocks to take an 11-5 lead.  Elborolossy gave a gutsy effort, but the Frenchman had the last word to take his spot in his third consecutive Windy City final in a 15-9 16-17 4-15 15-6 15-7 scoreline.

The second semi matched Matthew with Canadian Graham Ryding, the fifth seed who removed top-seeded Egyptian Karim Darwish.  Ryding will have known that he would have his hands full again against the fit 23-year-old from Sheffield who has been in great form recently on the PSA Tour. 

The first game was extremely even with neither player able to force more than a two point advantage.  At 11-10 though, Matthew stepped up and with some tremendous forehand volley winners to close out the game in one hand.

The Englishman kept up the pressure early in the second game taking a quick 7-3 lead, which he then extended to 12-6.  Ryding dug in though and got back to within two at 11-13.  A devastating forehand kill shot from Matthew gave him game ball, and he eventually won the game after Ryding tinned a volley boast at the end of a long hard fought rally.

Matthew continued to play consistent, virtually error-free squash in the third game.  Ryding hung in, but was always behind and constantly chasing Matthew's attacking volleys.  Eventually Matthew won the third to win 15-10 15-11 15-9 in 55 minutes.