RESULTS: Gerrard Grand Prix Squash Championship, National Squash Centre, Manchester
Men's 2nd qualifying round - Manchester Group
James Willstrop (ENG) bt [4] Amr Shabana (EGY) 11-2, 2-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9 (41m)
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt John White (SCO) 11-7, 4-11, 11-4, 11-4 (45m)
Gerrard Group
Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [2] Lee Beachill (ENG) 10-11 (0-2), 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 (60m)
[3] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt Karim Darwish (EGY) 11-9, 8-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-7 (56m)
Women's 1st round:
Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 9-3, 9-4, 9-3 (40m)
Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-5, 8-10, 9-3, 9-1 (55m)
Willstrop Ends Shabana Run In Gerrard Grand Prix
Less than 24 hours after losing a match he described as 'probably one of the worst I've ever played', England squash star James Willstrop was back to sparkling form in today's (Saturday) second qualifying round in the Gerrard Grand Prix Championship when he beat fourth seed Amr Shabana at the National Squash Centre in Manchester to end the Egyptian's nine-match unbeaten run this month.
With two world tour titles under his belt in the last two weeks, Shabana is the in-form player of the moment. But 22-year-old Willstrop, a former world junior champion, dropped just two points to the 2003 World Open champion in a quick opening game – and after 41 minutes wrapped up a sensational 11-2 2-11 11-10 11-9 upset over the world No7 to keep alive his hopes of reaching Monday's final.
Both players captivated the Sportcity crowd with dramatic displays of racket skills and athleticism – the standout rally of the match being one in the third game as Shabana attempted to convert game-ball at 10-7 and flung himself across the court to retrieve a seemingly unreachable shot from the Yorkshireman.
"I said to myself after last night that I had to put that behind me and think positively today – I knew I had to win to have a chance of going further in the tournament," said Willstrop, ranked eight in the world. "But Shabana's the man of the moment, so I'm really happy to have beaten him."
A dejected Shabana admitted afterwards: "My body's starting to ache – he just ran away from me. In the first game, I just didn't see anything – it was too early. But afterwards, I thought I was in control, then I slowed down and made too many errors.
"I didn't think James would keep going – but he did," admitted the 26-year-old from Cairo after his first loss in the Manchester group.
Unseeded Englishman Nick Matthew became the first player to claim two wins out of two when he beat fellow Yorkshireman Lee Beachill, the world No2, in the first match of the day in the Gerrard group.
The packed Sportcity crowd sensed revenge as second seed Beachill edged ahead after winning the first game in a tie-break. But Matthew, who scored a career-first win over his higher-ranked county rival in a significant upset in last month's English Open in his home town Sheffield, reclaimed the advantage to win 10-11 11-7 11-4 11-9 in exactly one hour.
"It was certainly tougher the second time around, but it's good to get back-to-back wins over someone like Lee," said the 25-year-old world No9. "He's beaten me for years and years and I've just beaten him twice – two wins is nothing really. He's No2 in the world for a reason – he'll be back."
Matthew will not compete in the Dunlop British Open on the same court next month after missing the entry deadline for the sport's most prestigious event. "In view of that, this event has taken on added importance for me – so I'm determined to make the most of it."
Beachill brushed aside thoughts of revenge over the match: "I think Nick's pretty much proved himself recently, not just against me, but other top players in the world," said the 27-year-old from Pontefract.
"I'm more concerned with the way I played – I didn't deserve to beat Nick playing the way I did. I feel a long way from where I should be, and that's something I've got to deal with."
In the other Gerrard group match, third seed Anthony Ricketts brought himself back into contention for a place in the final with an 11-9 8-11 11-10 11-7 win in 56 minutes over Egypt's Karim Darwish. The Australian will take on unbeaten Nick Matthew in the final qualifying round on Sunday.
In the final match of the day, top seed Thierry Lincou claimed his second win of the event when he beat Scotland's John White 11-7 4-11 11-4 11-4 in 45 minutes. The world champion from France is just one win away from his second successive appearance in the Gerrard final.
The title-holder meets fourth seed Amr Shabana to decide the final order of the Manchester group.
On the first day of action in the women's event, the Sportcity crowd cheered on the result they wanted most when Lancashire No1 Vicky Botwright, from Worsley in Manchester, beat English rival Tania Bailey in 55 minutes.
The 28-year-old world No7 was after revenge after losing to the Lincolnshire lass, a former world No4, earlier in the year in Qatar. At one game up and leading 8-6 in the second, Botwright lost concentration and Bailey took the game to draw level.
But Botwright stuck to the task and dropped only a further four points as she stormed to a 9-5 8-10 9-3 9-1 win in 55 minutes, and a place in the final.
"It's nice to play at home and have a win, but I think Tania's movement was a bit restricted - I tried to move her around as much as possible, and it seemed to work," said the Worsley winner.
Bailey conceded that she suffered a mild adductor strain in her right leg just a week ago, and began to feel the effects of this in the third game. "But I can't take anything away from Vicky, she played well - and did what she had to do to win.
"I'm really disappointed to have had this minor setback – but I'm confident that I'll be OK in time for the British Open," added Bailey, the world No10.
In the final, Botwright will meet another English rival Jenny Duncalf in what will be a repeat of last month's English Open climax.
"I hope to reverse that result," exclaimed Botwright, who lost in a five-game 75-minute marathon in Sheffield. "I've beaten her twice this year on the world tour, so I'm confident that I can do it again – especially here in Manchester."
Tickets for the 2005 Gerrard Grand Prix are available exclusively from www.isportticketing.com or by telephone on 07973-544719.