By IANS
Chennai : Fourth seeded Australia set up a title clash with defending champions England in the 21st ICL World men’s team squash championship here.
In the semi-finals Tuesday, eight-time winners Aussies upset top seed and favourites Egypt 2-1 while No.2 ranked England overcame third seed France with surprising ease at 2-1.
It was Australia’s first entry into final since 2003 in Vienna when they beat France for the title. England last played Australia in a final in 1991 at Helsinki where they finished runners-up.
For the Aussies, it was 31-year old David Palmer, ranked No.3, who did the star turn by toppling World champion Amr Shabana 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, in the second singles to put the teams on level terms.
Earlier, in the first singles, Mohammed Abbas gave Egypt a 1-0 advantage defeating Cameron Pilley 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8.
Steward Boswell then made it 2-1 for Australia by getting past Karim Darwish 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8 in the deciding third singles.
Egypt, boasting of three top-10 players in their ranks, including Shabana and Darwish (8), did not measure up to expectations against a team that had fresher set of players. They did not field No.9 Wael El Hindi who was reportedly indisposed.
Apparently, the gruelling programme over the past three months took its toll on the Egyptians, notably Shabana, who looked half the player he was in Bermuda 10 days ago while winning the World Open for the third time.
Pilley, the 29-year old 15th ranked player, matched the higher placed Abbas (14) shot for shot to begin with by taking the first game. However, the 26-year old Abbas came surging back into contention by winning the next game. Thereafter, Abbas stepped up the pace to take the next two games as Egypt appeared well on course to reach the final.
However, in the second singles, Palmer played out of his skin as it were to subdue Shabana who looked distinctly off-colour in the latter part of the match.
In fact, Palmer kept it tight right through the encounter while Shabana was at his best only in the third game that he won. The Aussie took early initiative in the fourth to run out a deserving winner.
“I tried to keep him off-balance and I guess it worked,” said Palmer after the match. “Now, it doesn’t matter whom we play in the final.”
In the crucial third singles, it was touch-and-go as Boswell and Darwish shared the first two games. The next three games were as close as they could get, but the Aussie played the big points better and was far more consistent. Darwish, growing in desperation, committed far too many mistakes as Boswell eventually ran out victory to give Australia the rubber at 2-1.
The second semi-final saw France offering lukewarm resistance. England gambled by nominating their No.4 player Peter Barker ahead of Lee Beachill, and it worked. Parker, looking fitter and fresher than Renan Levigne, easily won the first singles 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 with a brilliant mix of power and touch play.
Thus, the French hopes rested on World No.3 Gregory Gaultier in the second singles. However, Gaultier disappointed as Nick Matthew ran out a comfortable 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 winner.
Gaultier just did not have the fitness to keep pace with Matthew whom he had beaten in the semi-finals of the World Open in Bermuda barely 10 days ago.
“I did not have any specific strategy against Gregory and only tried to remain strong mentally when he was on top of his game. I thought he looked rather jaded and I knew I was in with a chance. He had beaten me in our recent meetings and today, I was determined to stay in front,” the 24-year old Matthew explained.
In the inconsequential third singles, Thierry Lincou overcame James Willstrop 12-10, 11-8.
The results (semi-finals):
Australia beat Egypt 2-1 (Cameron Pilley lost to Mohammed Abbas 11-7, 7-11, 4-11, 8-11; David Palmer bt Amr Shbana 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6; Stewart Boswell bt Karim Darwish 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8).
England beat France 2-1 (Peter Barker bt Renan Lavigne 11-6, 11-6, 11-6; Nick Matthew bt Gregory Gaultier 11-3, 11-6, 11-4; James Willstrop lost to Thiery Lincou 10-12, 8-11).