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.

World Open Hails New World No1 Gaultier

Next month's Kuwait Men’s World Open 2009, the premier event on the PSA World Tour which will be staged in Kuwait from 1-7 November, will herald the first appearance of a new world number one in Squash.

According to the Fédération Française de Squash, the achievement of reaching the Hong Kong Open final last week will lead to Gregory Gaultier being named as the new world number one when the PSA issues its next ranking list on the 1st November, which coincides with the opening of the World Open.

Twice a runner-up in the World Open, Gaultier will become the second Frenchman to top the world rankings - after Thierry Lincou.  The success also makes France only the fifth country (after Pakistan, Australia, England and Egypt) to boast two world number ones.

"We are delighted that Gregory Gaultier will make his first appearance as world number one at the Kuwait Men’s World Open 2009," said Robert Edwards, Kuwait Men’s World Open 2009 Technical Director and Presenter.

"The championship already features the very best players in the world - and we will now have five players who have been world number one!"

Second seed Gaultier will meet Scot Alan Clyne in the first round and is expected to face Egypt's defending champion Ramy Ashour in the semi-finals.  The 26-year-old from Aix-en-Provence is scheduled to line up against current world number one Karim Darwish, who is also from Egypt, in the final on Saturday 7 November.