RESULTS: Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, New Delhi, India
Quarter-finals:
[2] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [10] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 12-10, 11-1, 11-3 (38m)
[14] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [4] Thierry Lincou (FRA) 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5 (51m)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [8] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (47m)
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [9] Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-9, 11-7, 13-11 (56m)
Victory in today's quarter-finals of the $192,500 Punj Lloyd PSA Masters in the Indian capital New Delhi ensures that Englishman Nick Matthew will regain his world number one ranking in next month's Professional Squash Association (PSA) list.
The 30-year-old event favourite from Sheffield needed 56 minutes to see off England team-mate Daryl Selby 11-9, 11-7, 13-11 for a place in the semi-finals of the tenth and final PSA Super Series squash championship of the year at the Sirifort CWG Block.
The best year of his squash life is coming to a spectacular climax after Matthew became the first Englishman for six years to top the world rankings in June. He made up for the disappointment of slipping to second place three months later by winning two Commonwealth Games gold medals in October - on the same all-glass court in Delhi which is hosting this week's PSA Masters.
Then, earlier this month in Saudi Arabia, Matthew romped through a star-studded World Open field to become England's first ever world champion.
"This tournament means a lot to me, because the ranking points involved will now make it possible for me to end the year as world number one," said the jubilant Yorkshireman to Indian media today.
"I have very fond memories of the Sirifort Complex where I won two gold medals during the Commonwealth Games. It is surreal to be back at the venue of those achievements."
Matthew will now take on third seed Amr Shabana, the former world number one from Egypt who beat fellow countryman Mohamed El Shorbagy 11-8, 11-9, 11-9.
The other semi-final will also be an Anglo/Egyptian affair, between Englishman James Willstrop and Cairo-based Hisham Mohd Ashour. Second seed Willstrop, runner-up to Matthew in this month's World Open final, secured his anticipated place in the last four with a 12-10, 11-1, 11-3 victory over Australia's No10 seed Cameron Pilley.
But 14th seed Ashour, the older brother of the current world number one Ramy Ashour, pulled off his second upset in a row when he beat fourth-seeded Frenchman Thierry Lincou 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5 in a dramatic 51-minute encounter.
Ashour senior's win - his first ever over the distinguished Frenchman who was celebrating his ninth successive Super Series quarter-final appearance - takes the 28-year-old from Cairo into his first 2010 Super Series semi.
Semi-final line-up:
[2] James Willstrop (ENG) v [14] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [3] Amr Shabana (EGY)
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