RESULTS: El Gouna International Open, El Gouna, Egypt
Semi-finals:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 (96m)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [7] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 (56m)
The inaugural El Gouna International Open will climax in a dream all-Egyptian final after favourite Ramy Ashour and third seed Karim Darwish prevailed in the semi-finals of the $142,500 PSA Super Series squash event - the seventh of the year - at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of El Gouna.
Ashour, the world number one from Cairo, was taken the full distance by Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in the opening semi - and ultimately prevailed 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 in 96 minutes in the second longest match of his career.
It was a tense, high-quality, encounter in which the Egyptian was 6-3 up in the third when the pair collided. Fourth seed Gaultier fell to the floor, clutching his leg for a couple of minutes before being escorted off the court by the match referee.
After a 13-minute break the battle continued, but Ashour immediately put in two drops, both of which found Gaultier's movement out, and the local hero quickly finished the game.
"It's a shame there was that accident," Gaultier told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "We were both playing well and it broke the rhythm of the match."
The world No6 from Aix-en-Provence came out for the fourth with renewed purpose, however, and duly levelled the match.
"That's the fourth or fifth time we've had a great match like that," said Ashour later. "It's always good squash with me and Greg.
"It was a mental and a physical game, there were a lot of crucial points in the middle and I was nervous at times. I was quite lucky to win the third.
"I knew that I had to push from the start of the fifth, and I'm pleased with how I did that," added the 23-year-old. "It feels great to make the final, thanks to my coaches, my brother and to all the crowd who supported me!"
Ashour's national rival Karim Darwish, the world No5 who is also from Cairo, then reserved his place in the final with an 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 win over surprise opponent Thierry Lincou, the No7 seed from France who upset third seed Amr Shabana in the previous round.
"It's great to be in the final - but Thierry's so strong, mentally and physically," said Darwish after the pair's 14th career meeting which brought the head-to-head tally to seven wins apiece!
"He played a hard 3/2 yesterday, yet he was playing so well today," added Darwish of the 34-year-old Tour veteran from Marseille.
"I had to focus from the first point. I knew that if I left any openings he would take them. I managed to win some important points at crucial stages which made a big difference."
Lincou was pleased with his performance: "I thought I played well, but I just missed a bit of energy - I was at maybe 90%, but you have to be 100% to beat someone like Karim."
Ashour is celebrating the 29th PSA Tour final of his career - and his seventh this year - while 29-year-old Darwish is marking his 31st Tour climax. Ashour is one win away from his third successive Super Series title success, while Darwish is seeking his first title in the 2010 PSA Super Series.
Ashour boasts an 8/5 career lead over Darwish on the PSA Tour - and won their most recent clash in the Hong Kong Open semi-finals in August. But it was Darwish who triumphed in the pair's last Tour meeting on home soil, winning in straight games in Cairo in May to reach the final of the Sky Open.