December 21, 2003	Sunday	Shawwal 26, 1424

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LAHORE, Dec 20: Frenchman Thierry Lincou and Egypt’s giant-killer Amr Shabana will clash in the final of the World Open squash championship after scoring convincing victories in the semifinals on Saturday.

World No.4 the 27-year-old Lincou crushed Australia’s last hope Joseph Kneipp 15-12, 15-10, 15-7 in mere 47 minutes while Shabana won the all-Egyptian semifinal in four games against Karim Darwish.

Lincou after his victory over Australian Kneipp has become the first Frenchman to achieve world number one ranking.

Kneipp, who stunned Scotland’s John White in the third round and eliminated the fast-improving Englishman Lee Beechill in the quarterfinal was outplayed in every department of the game by Lincou.

Lincou in process became the first French player to reach World Open final.

Earlier in the first semifinal Cairo’s 24-year-old Shabana, who toppled Australians defending champion David Palmer in the third round and Anthony Ricketts in the quarterfinal won 15-11, 11-15, 15-8, 15-14 in a match that lasted nearly an hour.

Shabana after his victory over fellow countryman Darwish became only the second Egyptian after Ahmad Brada to compete in a World open final. Brada was beaten by Peter Nicol in the 1999 final in Cairo.

Shabana was always in control of the semifinal against Darwish who briefly threatened the former by winning the second game and came close to taking the match into the deciding fifth but eventually lost 15-14.

Darwish was in front in the first game until he committed two unforced errors that allowed Shabana to lead 13-11 and claim the game at 15-11.

Darwish battled back into contention by levelling the score 1-1 by grabbing the second game 15-11 with some lovely drop shots and a couple of nicks that wrong-footed Shabana.

The third game saw both players indulged in some rough play and were rightly warned by Irish official Jack Allen.

Shabana regained one game advantage by snatching the third 15-8. He also led from the outset in the fourth but conceded two match points and at 14-all asked for one set point. An unstoppable shot on Darwish’s service enabled Shabana to clinch the game and a place in today’s final.

“I dedicate this win to my nephew who was born on Thursday and if I win the final it will be a direct result of my hard work and consistent efforts,” Shabana said after winning the match.

“I am playing in the international circuit for the last seven years and I am happy to qualify for the final in Pakistan, the country which has produced a lot of outstanding squash players,” he added.

“Yeah, I did not play my true game while Shabana was in very good form,” Darwish said.

Lincou played intelligently and succeeded in pushing Kniepp to the corner to make errors by hitting side-wall shots. Kniepp also hit the tin 22 times.

“I knew, Kneipp had played a tough match against Beachill and I had to wear him out for a win and I did that,” Lincou said.

Regarding tomorrow’s final, Lincou said that Shabana was in good form but added he would try his level best to win the title for the first time. But he said the final could go either way.

Results (semifinals):

Amr Shabana (Egypt) bt Karim Darwish (Egypt) 15-11, 11-15. 15-8, 15-14; Thierry Lincou (France) bt Joseph Kneipp (Australia) 15-12, 15-10, 15-7

Final (Sunday): Amr Shabana v Thierry Lincou 4.10p.m.