Darwish & Gregory On Course For Final Meeting

The top two seeds remain on course to meet in Saturday's final of the Kuwait Men’s World Open 2009 - but Karim Darwish and Gregory Gaultier both dropped games before prevailing in the second round matches on the all-glass court at Green Island.

Egyptian favourite Karim Darwish dashed Indian hopes by beating 29th seed Saurav Ghosal 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-1.


Second seed Gregory Gaultier, the new world number one, battled for 50 minutes to overcome the USA's highest-ranked player ever Julian Illingworth 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-3.

But another pair of Egyptians also looked in ominous form as former champion Amr Shabana and reigning champion Ramy Ashour despatched fellow countrymen in straight games - third seed Ashour defeating unseeded Omar Abdel Aziz 12-10, 11-8, 11-3 and fourth seed Shabana overcoming 24th seed Omar Mosaad 11-8, 11-8, 11-6.

"My preparation for this tournament has been more off-court than on-court since getting home from Hong Kong.  I have been working a lot with my physio to keep my body in shape," said Shabana, winner of the world title in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

The former world number one admitted that he had to be alert against his young fellow countryman, the 21-year-old Omar Mosaad who beat local prospect Abdullah Almezayen in the previous round.  "He's so fast and hits the ball hard.  And now he's in the World Open, he gives it 110%."

The left-hander denied that the hot conditions on the outside court in the humid Kuwait evening suited him and his fellow Egyptians anymore than the Europeans playing in the event.

"They're going to suffer tremendously," he acknowledged.  "We're just going to suffer."

Darwish Bids For Double Revenge

Egypt's world number one Karim Darwish will be after revenge next month in Kuwait where he is seeded to win the Kuwait Men’s World Open 2009, the premier event on the PSA World Tour which will be staged at the Salmiya Club and Green Island Resort from 1-7 November.

Darwish, who has topped the PSA world rankings since January, is expected to face second seed Gregory Gaultier in the World Open final on Saturday (7th November).  The anticipated meeting will give the 28-year-old from Cairo the chance for double revenge against the Frenchman, who is expected to replace Darwish at the top of the November PSA world rankings which will be announced on the eve of the championship.

But Darwish will also want to avenge the outcome of his last Kuwait clash with Gaultier - in the quarter-finals of the 2008 Kuwait Open, which the Frenchman won in straight games.

However, the Cairo King celebrated a notable victory over his European rival in their last meeting on the international circuit, in the final of the Sky Open in his home town in September - when Darwish won 11-6, 7-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-3 to record the 16th PSA World Tour title of his career and his third Super Series crown.

"This is the first big tournament I've won in Egypt," said Darwish afterwards.  "I had full confidence in myself in the final and really wanted to win.

"I think Greg and I played a good game, but the difference came probably from my motivation to win," added the charismatic Egyptian star.  "And winning a tournament is such a great feeling!"

Darwish's incentive to win the Kuwait Men’s World Open 2009 - which boasts a prize-fund of US$277,500, the largest ever offered by any World Tour event - is further boosted by his runners-up finish in the 2008 World Open in England.  The favourite begins his campaign against experienced Pakistani Mansoor Zaman, the former world No11 from Peshawar.

A tough last 16 encounter with 11th seed James Willstrop, the former world number two from England, should be followed by a quarter-final encounter with eighth-seeded Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the 2004 World Champion.

And - according to the draw - awaiting the favourite in the semi-finals will be third seed Amr Shabana, Darwish's Egyptian team-mate who is bidding to become only the fourth player in history to win the title for a fourth time.

Darwish seeded to win maiden World Open title

Egypt's world number one Karim Darwish is seeded to win his maiden World Open squash title, according to the draw for the Kuwait Men's World Open 2009.

The $277k championship - the richest in the history of the men's professional game - features players from 24 nations, and will take place in Kuwait from 1-7 November.

Darwish, who has held the world's top ranking throughout 2009, is drawn to face Pakistan left-hander Mansoor Zaman, the world number 49 from Peshawar, in the first round.

The 28-year-old from Cairo, who was runner-up last year, will be boosted by his home town title triumph last week in the Sky Open, the first PSA Super Series Platinum event of the year.

The likely last sixteen clash which awaits the favourite is against England's former world number two James Willstrop, the 12th seed from Leeds who opens his 2009 campaign against fellow countryman Robbie Temple.

Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the 2004 champion who is the No8 seed, is Darwish's predicted quarter-final opponent - before the Cairo king takes on fellow countryman Amr Shabana in a possible semi-final. Shabana is a three-time win of the title - in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The 30-year-old left-hander from Giza will no doubt be hoping to maintain his 'odd-year' success in the championship in 2009.

France's Gregory Gaultier, runner-up in 2006 and 2007, is the event's second seed [although by the time of the event he will have become world number one] and the candidate expected to face Darwish in the final. The 26-year-old world number two from Aix-en-Provence, who stretched Darwish to five games in last week's Sky Open final, opens his Kuwait campaign against Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne - and is expected to line up against Englishman Nick Matthew, the British Open champion who is ranked five in the world, in the quarter-finals.

The other semi-final predicted by the draw would see Gaultier take on Egypt's world No4 Ramy Ashour, the defending champion from Cairo. The pair staged a mighty last four clash last week in Cairo, with the Frenchman ultimately emerging successful in five games, after 70 minutes.

Australia's David Palmer is another former champion who represents a formidable threat. Winner of the title in 2002 and 2006, the US-based world No6 is in Shabana's quarter of the draw - and faces French qualifier Julien Balbo in the opening round.

Wildcard Abdullah Almezayen, the Kuwaiti number one, has been drawn to face Omar Mosaad of Egypt, the 25th seed.Darwish seeded to win maiden
World Open title in Kuwait ...

Egypt's world number one Karim Darwish is seeded to win his maiden World Open squash title, according to the draw for the Kuwait Men's World Open 2009.

The $277k championship - the richest in the history of the men's professional game - features players from 24 nations, and will take place in Kuwait from 1-7 November.

Darwish, who has held the world's top ranking throughout 2009, is drawn to face Pakistan left-hander Mansoor Zaman, the world number 49 from Peshawar, in the first round.

The 28-year-old from Cairo, who was runner-up last year, will be boosted by his home town title triumph last week in the Sky Open, the first PSA Super Series Platinum event of the year.

The likely last sixteen clash which awaits the favourite is against England's former world number two James Willstrop, the 12th seed from Leeds who opens his 2009 campaign against fellow countryman Robbie Temple.

Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the 2004 champion who is the No8 seed, is Darwish's predicted quarter-final opponent - before the Cairo king takes on fellow countryman Amr Shabana in a possible semi-final. Shabana is a three-time win of the title - in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The 30-year-old left-hander from Giza will no doubt be hoping to maintain his 'odd-year' success in the championship in 2009.

France's Gregory Gaultier, runner-up in 2006 and 2007, is the event's second seed [although by the time of the event he will have become world number one] and the candidate expected to face Darwish in the final. The 26-year-old world number two from Aix-en-Provence, who stretched Darwish to five games in last week's Sky Open final, opens his Kuwait campaign against Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne - and is expected to line up against Englishman Nick Matthew, the British Open champion who is ranked five in the world, in the quarter-finals.

The other semi-final predicted by the draw would see Gaultier take on Egypt's world No4 Ramy Ashour, the defending champion from Cairo. The pair staged a mighty last four clash last week in Cairo, with the Frenchman ultimately emerging successful in five games, after 70 minutes.

Australia's David Palmer is another former champion who represents a formidable threat. Winner of the title in 2002 and 2006, the US-based world No6 is in Shabana's quarter of the draw - and faces French qualifier Julien Balbo in the opening round.

Wildcard Abdullah Almezayen, the Kuwaiti number one, has been drawn to face Omar Mosaad of Egypt, the 25th seed.