RESULTS: Punj Lloyd PSA Masters Squash Championship, Mumbai, India
Quarter-finals:
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [12] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 11-5, 5-11, 12-10, 11-7 (53m)
[3] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [5] David Palmer (AUS) 11-8, 16-18, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8 (78m)
[4] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [7] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 (40m)
[8] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [13] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 (61m)
Eighth-seeded Londoner Peter Barker claimed an unexpected place in the semi-finals of the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters to ensure that the final of the $152,500 PSA World Tour Super Series squash event at the Bombay Gymkhana in Mumbai, India, will be an Anglo-Egyptian affair.
In the last quarter-final of day, Barker secured the semi-final slot that was expected to be taken up by top seed Gregory Gaultier - until the world number two from France crashed out in a major first round shock.
Barker, poised at a career-high world No7, faced 13th seed Laurens Jan Anjema - but needed more than an hour to beat the Dutchman 11-8, 11-7, 11-5.
"Today, my concentration was good," the left-hander told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "I think I was able to nullify LJ, keeping him at the back of the court. He is so dangerous when he volleys.
"Yesterday he beat Daryl (Selby) - and Daryl was playing very well, but LJ played better.
"It’s my second Platinum event semi in two weeks, after Qatar last week," added the exuberant Englishman.
Barker will now face England team-mate Nick Matthew, the fourth seed who defeated an out-of-sorts Thierry Lincou, the No7 seed from France, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 in just 40 minutes.
"I feel really lucky tonight, because Thierry had a very long match yesterday, and it was also the first time he was playing on the glass court. I have the greatest of respect for what he brought to the game," said the world No4 from Sheffield.
Australian Tour veteran David Palmer and rising Egyptian star Ramy Ashour treated the crowd to an earlier 78-minutes clash described by tournament spokesman Gary Nitschke as "a brilliant match and best of the tournament so far".
Third seed Ashour took the opening game, but an impressive performance by Palmer saw the indefatigable 33-year-old take the second 18-16 - and then the third 11-9. However, it was the 22-year-old from Cairo who ultimately prevailed, winning 11-8, 16-18, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8 to earn his third successive semi-final appearance on the PSA Tour.
"I got incredibly tired in the fourth and, for the first time ever, I let a game go - but I needed ten minutes to recover and freshen up really," conceded the former world number one and twice world champion from New South Wales.
"He is so good, you can put him under pressure, and force a few errors out of him, but people don’t realise how fast he is, and that he is the best of the world to pick up shots!
"We came here last in ’97, and for a first time tournament, it’s amazing really," added Palmer. "I’m about to retire next year - but for the other guys, I hope this tournament keeps going for many years. It’s really a great setting."
Ashour will face senior compatriot Amr Shabana, the rejuvenated 30-year-old second seed who won his fourth World Open tile in Kuwait last month.
Despite suffering a mild gash to his face after an accidental clash with his opponent's racket, second seed Shabana resisted fellow countryman Mohamed El Shorbagy, beating the 18-year-old 12th seed 11-5, 5-11, 12-10, 11-7 in 53 minutes.
Semi-final line-up:
[2] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [3] Ramy Ashour (EGY)
[8] Peter Barker (ENG) v [4] Nick Matthew (ENG)