Quarter-finals:
[10] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [1] Amr Shabana (EGY) 11-9, 11-8, 2-0 ret. (28m)
[5] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (76m)
[6] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-5, 3-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 (94m)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [11] Lee Beachill (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7 (65m)
With three of the top four seeds failing to make the semi-finals of the US Open, it was a night of significant shocks in the PSA Super Series Platinum squash event at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City where only rising star Ramy Ashour achieved his expected seeded position.
England's James Willstrop arguably scored the biggest scalp, recovering from a game down to beat defending champion Gregory Gaultier. The in-form 24-year-old world No4 from France last month became the Frenchman to win the British Open title in the 77-year history of the event.
But the ever-improving Willstrop, seeded five, repeated his first ever defeat of Gaultier in the Super Series Finals in August by toppling the third seed 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 in 76 minutes.
The 24-year-old Yorkshireman's opponent in the semi-finals will be Egyptian Karim Darwish - who despatched compatriot Amr Shabana in little more than two games when the top seed and world number one retired injured after 28 minutes with the score standing at 11-9, 11-8, 2-0 in tenth seed Darwish's favour.
The other semi-final in the first US Open to be staged in New York since 1991 will also feature an Egyptian/English clash. In the longest match of the session, a second Frenchman made an unexpectedly early exit when Englishman Nick Matthew, the sixth seed, upset fourth seed Thierry Lincou, the former world number one from Marseille, 11-5, 3-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 in 94 minutes.
Matthew, the 27-year-old from Sheffield who surrendered his 2006 British Open crown to Gaultier last month, will now face Ramy Ashour for a place in the final.
Ashour, the world number two who celebrated his 20th birthday this week in New York, was taken to five games by a determined Lee Beachill. But, after levelling the match from 0/2 down, the Englishman was unable to maintain the momentum as Ashour posted an 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7 victory after 65 minutes.
The departure of Gaultier and two-time champion Beachill leaves the long-standing US Open to hail a new champion from the final at the Roseland Ballroom.
Semi-final line-up:
[10] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [5] James Willstrop (ENG)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [6] Nick Matthew (ENG)