Willstrop & Matthew To Contest Shock All-English US Open Final

The US Open Squash Championship will climax in a surprise all-English final - for the second time in three years - after fifth seed James Willstrop and sixth seed Nick Matthew prevailed in marathon semi-finals of the PSA Super Series Platinum event at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

Matthew, the world number ten from Sheffield, scored one of the best wins of his career by beating the in-form Egyptian Ramy Ashour - the second seed and winner of five PSA Tour titles this year - in four games.

In his first ever victory over the 20-year-old world number two, Matthew recovered from a game down, then survived a lengthy tie-break game before going on to secure the event's most dramatic upset 9-11, 11-10 (6-4), 11-6, 11-6 in 69 minutes.

In the other semi-final, Matthew's England and Yorkshire team-mate James Willstrop was also facing an Egyptian.  In last month's British Open on home soil, Willstrop beat Karim Darwish in four games in just over an hour - and the tenth seed from Cairo was clearly after revenge, especially following his surprise victory over favourite Amr Shabana in the previous round.

Darwish took the opening game and had two game-balls in the second to go 2/0 ahead.  But Willstrop, the 24-year-old Yorkshireman who has tasted PSA Tour title victory twice this year, fought back to claim the second game in a tie-break before ultimately securing a 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-2, 9-11, 11-6 triumph after 98 minutes.

With both players seeking their first US Open crown, Willstrop is celebrating his 11th appearance in a PSA final and Matthew his 21st.  However, a second Yorkshire US Open win is assured after county colleague Lee Beachill won his first of two titles in 2004, beating compatriot Peter Nicol in the final in Boston.

The New York final will be the English pair's 13th PSA Tour clash since June 2001, with Willstrop currently leading the head-to-head tally 7/5.