WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Nissan Hungarian Open Squash Championship, Budapest, Hungary

Semi-finals:
[5] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [8] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 2-11, 11-7 (69m)
[2] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt [6] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-8, 11-9 (49m)

Power & Gaultier In Hungarian Open Final

Canada's Jonathon Power clinched a straight games win over Australia's Anthony Ricketts in the semi-finals of the Nissan Hungarian Open Squash Championship in Budapest to secure his first appearance in a PSA Tour final for almost a year.  The No2 seed from Montreal will face fifth-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, who overcame England's Adrian Grant in five games in the other semi-final.

Playing in his fourth PSA Tour event this month in which he was seeded to make the final, Power is at last celebrating a semi-final victory - after exits at this stage in the St Louis Open, Motor City Open and last week's Cleveland Classic.

Ricketts, the Sydney-born sixth seed, is fighting back to full fitness after a seven-month lay-off this year following knee surgery.  But in his second clash with the Canadian this month, the Australian forced the first game into a tie-break before Power claimed the early advantage by winning the first two points. 

Sensing victory, Power went on to wrap up the match 11-10 11-8 11-9 in 49 minutes to secure his third straight games win in the event, and his first appearance in the Hungarian Open final since winning the title in 1997.

Gaultier was fully stretched in the semi-final in the top half of the draw.  The 21-year-old European Champion from Aix-en-Provence led after the first and third games, but on both occasions eighth seed Grant pulled level - in the fourth game allowing the Frenchman just two points.

But after 69 minutes, Gaultier claimed his 11-9 9-11 11-3 2-11 11-7 win and his third appearance in a PSA Tour final this year.

He and Power met only two weeks ago - in the Motor City Open semi-final, when the Canadian was forced to concede his first loss to the Tour's rising star when he sustained a back injury in the first game.