England's Nick Matthew closes world No 1 gap on Egypt's Ramy Ashour

Egypt's Ramy Ashour has maintained his lead at the top of March's world squash rankings, but second-placed Englishman Nick Matthew has narrowed the gap considerably as he bids to become the first home player to become world No 1 since Lee Beachill in 2004.

The world's top two squash players met for the second time this year in last month's final of the North American Open.

But this time Matthew emerged triumphant in the second Super Series event of the year in Richmond, Virginia, as the Yorkshireman ended a four-match winning streak by Ashour. Matthew has closed the gap to just 94 points on his rival.

While Egyptian Amr Shabana, who lost to Ashour in a five-game semi-final in the USA, holds onto third place, in-form Englishman James Willstrop rises two places to take over fourth place after a semi-final berth in Richmond and a title triumph in the year's opening event at the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York.

Veteran Frenchman Thierry Lincou also has cause for celebration after moving back into the world's top eight, leapfrogging David Palmer after beating his Australian rival en-route to winning the Bluenose Classic in Canada last month to notch up his 22nd world tour title.

Rising English star Daryl Selby moves up three places to No 12 to move ahead of compatriot Alister Walker – boosted by an unexpected runners-up berth in the Bluenose Classic.

And Australian Cameron Pilley is rewarded with a career-high world No14 ranking after reaching last month's Swedish Open semi-finals unseeded.

Meanwhile, England's Alison Waters has closed the gap on the top four players in the world after winning her second title of the year and strengthening her position at No5 in the March

England's Nick Matthew sets up Ramy Ashour final in North American Squash Open

Ramy Ashour and Nick Matthew, the world's top two players, will contest the North American Open final in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday in a repeat of last year's final.

World No 1 Ashour closed in on the head-to-head record against his illustrious Egyptian compatriot Amr Shabana by beating the reigning and four-time World Open squash champion in a 76-minute marathon in which he twice had to come from behind.

Shabana, the 30 year-old third seed, led in the first three games, though the 22-year-old top seed pegged it back each time, firing in some incredible power forehand crosscourt nicks.

The former world No 1, who defeated his younger compatriot in last year's World Open, looked to have it sewn up after he breezed through the third game, though let Ashour back in the fourth. It was not until the decider game that both players played at their full potential.

It was Ashour who moved into his 24th PSA Tour final in just over five years and a repeat of the 2009 final.

In the other all-English semi, world No 2 Matthew faced seventh seed James Willstrop, his Yorkshire rival against whom he boasted a 12-8 head-to-head advantage.

Willstrop, winner of the last Super Series event at the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York, never really looked comfortable for the whole of the match. The 26 year-old from Leeds did take a lead in the first two games, though he was half the player of the previous round.

Matthew was hitting a more precise length and bringing the ball short enough on the volley drop to make Willstrop lunge, intercepting the next ball to end the rally at the back of the court.

It was a pattern that was repeated through the match. Willstrop briefly looked in control in the third game, though Matthew levelled the score and went on to win 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 after 62 minutes.

The winner of the Richmond final will top the PSA Super Series 2010 rankings – but, if it were Matthew, he would share the lead with fellow countryman James Willstrop.

Semi-finals:

[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [3] Amr Shabana (EGY) 12-14, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 (76m)
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [7] James Willstrop (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 (62m)

Nick Matthew beats James Willstrop to retain British National Squash Championships title

Any signs of the bitter Yorkshire rivalry which marred last year's British Open final were put to one side on Sunday as Nick Matthew easily defended his national title against James Willstrop in Manchester.

In a one-sided affair, Matthew underlined his world No 2 status to prevail 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 in 50 minutes as an error-prone Willstrop failed to match the 29-year-old’s physical strength and consistency.

Those attributes were evident in the opening game here and in such a crucial match, Willstrop simply left himself with too many deficits to claw back. Seven errors, mostly to the tin, accounted for the 19-minute first game – despite its obvious quality.

The next two followed similar patterns as Matthew managed to pull away mid-game to land his third title and fall only one behind Phil Kenyon, who won the British squash title four times between 1977 and 1985.

Matthew, whose winning run over his rival now stretches back to the 2007 English Open, said: “That has to go down as one of my finest performances. It is not often you beat James Willstrop 3-0.

“It was tight in every game but I managed to get through each one. I always feel good in this venue and it feels great to be national champion.”

Sensing the danger Matthew possessed at one-game to the good, Willstrop came out attacking in the second. He made a statement of intent with a convincing kill to level at 3-3 but at a crucial juncture lost his length as Matthew never let his opponent back in the game.

A steady concoction of winning boasts and decisive front wall winners then handed Matthew six match balls. Willstrop came back with two stunning winning rallies but, to his chagrin, it proved a step too far. As he put it afterwards: “He completely found me out.”

The 26-year-old added: “To get to the final is still great but in tournament such as this the biggest disappointment is that I didn’t produce.”

On quelling a lively British Open final the pair encountered last September, Matthew said: “I’ve learnt to be clinical and in control of my own game. I have to play aggressive to play my strengths but I am delighted everything has come together.”

Nevertheless Willstrop, who admitted to “a lack of spark” on court, is currently leading an English resurgence after last year’s ankle injury. He won the season-opening Tournament of Champions in New York last month before being forced to concede last week’s Sweden Open final to Matthew with a niggling injury.

Before lifting his second title last year – he won his first in 2006 – Matthew said that he had “geared my whole preparation” towards beating Willstrop in the semi-final stages. Such was his form that he utterly dominated a comfortable 3-0 win. It was a case of déjà-vu for those who witnessed the same outcome this year.

Alison Waters lands second British squash title after Jenny Duncalf epic

Alison Waters, the 2008 champion, beat England No 1 Jenny Duncalf in a tight, pulsating finale to the British National Championships in Manchester on Sunday.

Duncalf, of Yorkshire, has had a remarkable 12 months on the world tour but failed to keep up her winning run as the Londoner prevailed 12-10, 7-11, 11-4, 7-11 in 65 minutes and land a third title.

So close are England’s top two players, in both form and friendship, a five-game final was always on the cards. But this time Waters was not going to let her friend out of sight.

The only difference between the two in the early exchanges were the pair’s clothing – Waters in blue and Duncalf sporting white – as they traded leads in a tight opener. Waters’s movement and Duncalf’s short game kept it even at 10-10 before the world No 3 stretched her opponent to take a 1-0 lead.

The quality continued into the second with a number of winning volleys from Waters while Duncalf’s tight boasts found equal success. It opened up a 6-3 lead but Waters, who last won against her tour room-mate in February 2008, found less errors and some telling drives to level the match.

Waters slammed her hand into the wall in the third at 8-3 down as Duncalf started to take control, a powerful cross-court, backhand winner past Waters signalling her dominance.

Back came Waters to take the match to a decider. Perhaps a step too far? Duncalf opened up a 6-1 lead but the Southgate Club player kept to length as errors began to creep into Duncalf’s game as the finale went to 9-9.

Duncalf was then denied a let on match ball as Waters dug deep to level at 10-10. The tension continued. However Waters kept her head intact and her opponent at the back to clinch “what has to be the best performance” of her career.

England No 1's Nick Matthew and Jenny Duncalf reach British National Squash finals

Nick Matthew and Jenny Duncalf, respective England No 1's, made it through to Sunday’s British National finals in Manchester but good old-fashioned sportsmanship nearly scuppered both players bids to simultaneously defend their titles for the first time in the event’s history.

The Yorkshire pair, though, had a few teething problems as Matthew, the world No 2, beat last year’s finalist Adrian Grant 11-6, 13-11, 11-5 in 70 minutes while Duncalf held off Ireland’s Madeline Perry 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5.

Up one game and 11-10 in the second, a Matthew return hit the glass door handle and plopped down at an angle for a clear winner. The referee called game at 12-10 and the blaring music started. One more needed for Matthew.

But the Yorkshireman and the Londoner were resolute on court. Matthew had called a let and such was Grant’s aching end to the game he wasn't going to complain about his opponent's exceptional sporting play. A few moments passed before applause rang out and the players resumed battled. It mattered little as Matthew won 13-11.

Grant was playing well enough to suggest, at one-game all, that he might have gone on to win. The world No 10 was mixing up his pace against Matthew’s loose strokeplay in the opener, but errors ultimately played their part as Matthew won five points in a row to take it 11-6.

The second was a tighter affair. Grant seemed in control at 8-5 but a dogged Matthew kept determined with his pick-up and retrieval play to level at nine-all. A dive from Grant kept both players off court as the Londoner’s finger was blood-bandaged before Matthew’s sportsmanship ensued.

Whether the England No 1’s call caught Grant off guard in the third is debatable as the Londoner looked flat and injured. Matthew breezed the third 11-5.

Earlier, Madeline Perry gave Duncalf, 27, a few scares before the Harrowgate-born player advanced to her third national final. Perry is no stranger to major semi-finals after the Irishwoman beat world No 1 Nicol David in the British Open on the same court last September.

But nerves and consistency clearly played their part in the final and the semi-final here as errors held back her bid for a first final appearance. Perry did manage to clinch the third but Duncalf’s length and ability to create space for winners proved the difference.

England's James Willstrop beats Ramy Ashour in Tournament of Champions final

It took a few seconds but James Willstrop felt the emotion pour out of him on Thursday night as he stopped Ramy Ashour, the world’s best player, dead in his tracks to lift his first Tournament of Champions title at Grand Central Terminal.

The two best players of pace and accuracy all week played out an exhilarating final as England’s No 2 lifted his first title since 2008 after beating Ashour 12-10, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3.

Ashour and Willstrop both had two successes against each other in 2009, while the 22-year-old had a 2-0 advantage over the Englishman in New York, including the 2008 final and one of the best matches on record during a 57-minute, quarter-final encounter in 2007.

All the talk had been of Ashour’s incredible racket skills before the final and perhaps Willstrop sensed it, too, as he momentarily failed to drop his racket and lift his hands up to the heavens in trademark style after putting away the final volley of the match. Or perhaps it was his recent lack of titles after winning five in a row two years ago?

Willstrop was equal to Ashour’s short game in a tight opener which the Yorkshireman dominated but didn’t run away with until Ashour hit a backhand volley into the tin - a tactic Willstrop used to his advantage throughout the evening.

The second was in stark contrast. Willstrop was playing with Ashour-like unforgiveness in taking quick points amid fiery rallies. Gasps of “jeez, what a rally” could he heard in the crowd after several early points landed the Yorkshireman’s way.

Ashour soon let out his anguish at 7-4 down. But Willstrop was playing too tight and the mistakes were mounting for the Egyptian, who was lacking his usual creativity.

The point of the match, though, came straight after. Willstrop, dominating from the ‘T’, sent Ashour to all four corners before the Cairo right-hander won the point akin to a tennis player running out of court and sending the ball back past both net and opponent.

But Willstrop still managed to garner five game balls and won the second with an exchange down the wall and an Ashour mistake into the tin. What accuracy from both players though.

Ashour wasn’t done in the third, however, and stormed to a 6-2 lead in classic Egyptian style; the pace remaining frenetic with Willstrop edging back into the match at 9-9. A key, tense moment then ensued, which finished when a disbelieving Willstrop sliced an attempted winner into the tin. Ashour took it 11-9.

But focus and intent had been Willstrop’s mantra this week and he raced into a 4-0 lead in the fourth. The Willstrop entourage had been in attendance, too: girlfriend, manager and Malcolm, his father and coach. Forget Team Andy Murray, Team Willstrop clearly works for the Yorkshireman. And so does a day off between the second round and quarter-final stages.

He paid them all a tribute in his victory speech after finishing off the match with exceptional retrieval play and finding a steady stream of winners from the front. Beating three Egyptians in three days was also enough for Willstrop to hail his greatest performance on court after 10 years on tour.

“I have beaten the top seed, the world champion and now the world No 1 so this has to be the best,” the 26-year-old said.

“I have won major events before but there is no better place to win with an atmosphere like this. I was the better guy on the day and that is the great thing.”

Willstrop had simply taken Ashour’s thunder. This was really meant to be about the Egyptian’s breathtaking racket skill, for it had been omnipresent all week.

There are few ways to describe it, but it is almost as if the racket is an extension of the Egyptian’s hand by right. Imagine the ease of a sickle cutting through candy floss or a knife carving through butter.

There are no ugly swipes or lunges when he is on song and desperation doesn’t even come close to his game, though in a sport renowned for its honesty, declaring a double bounce once in a while might be a good idea.

Nevertheless, Ashour is simply a joy to watch in this mood and there are few racket sportsmen out there who possess the same talent. Ashour was born with it and long may it continue, but for now the joy is with Willstrop and further titles lie ahead for the Yorkshireman. And he might even start by celebrating with a small glass of champagne.

James Willstrop and Ramy Ashour set up New York squash final

So, there’s little doubt about it. The two best players of pace and accuracy this week will contest the Tournament of Champions title here after Egypt’s world No 1 Ramy Ashour and England’s James Willstrop, both former world junior champions, won relatively easy semi-finals on Wednesday night.

Ashour’s win, though, scuppered hopes of an all-English final and came at the expense of Nick Matthew, who never found first gear despite winning the second game during his 11-8, 6-11, 11-2, 11-3 defeat over 50 minutes.

Willstrop, on the other hand, may be well-known for his musical ability but, on court, he has been dancing round his opponents with ease and reached his second New York final without dropping a game all week, beating top seed Karim Darwish 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 in 37 minutes.

The Pontefract right-hander was clinical from the outset as he opened up a 3-0 lead with three successive boast winners. The Egyptian might well have said there and then that “he just couldn’t play his game tonight” as Willstrop continued to push Darwish - the world No 1 in December - deeper and kill him off with volley winners at the front.

The 26-year-old raced into a 5-1 lead in the second and kept that distance throughout. Willstrop was simply controlling the match, his pace of shot akin to an Ethiopian during the New York Marathon, as he won the game in 10 minutes.

The momentum, though, soon shifted when the Englishman’s right leg slid towards the back wall for the second time this week, holding the position as Grand Central fell silent fearing the worst for Willstrop’s ankle.

He got up gingerly, but after recovering from surgery last year, mind games and psychology beckoned. He subsequently lost the next five points but wrapped himself on the head, got back to the job in hand and reeled off the next six points himself. He then edged ahead with a stunning backhand drive to length after the rally of the match and finished the game off in 12 minutes.

“That was a good performance from me,” Willstrop said afterwards. “I played accurately enough to stop him playing and it’s great to beat players like [Amr] Shabana and Karim in straight games. The final fills me with excitement.”

A sound assessment from the world No 7 as the Championship match should be just that if Willstrop can play his own game. For Ashour is on a complete high at present and is simply a joy to watch. He displays such touch and breathtaking racket skill, that players are presently in awe of the 22-year-old wonderkid from Cairo. Unwise.

His counter-drops and over-the-shoulder, volley winners into the opposite corner were his strengths against Matthew, who managed to stay in the match to level at 1-1 before Ashour took control of the rest of the match. He has now won his last four encounters against the Yorkshireman - who will no doubt already be focusing on their next meeting - and will no doubt stay quiet in the build-up to the final, judging by his comments afterwards.

“I found something new about my game during the last points of my match with Greg [Gaultier] and I wanted to make sure I could do it again,” he said. “So I didn't train, I just stayed quiet, and had lunch, and then I came here.”

Just a normal day at the office then.

America's Julian Illingworth leads new hope for emerging squash talent

Canada’s Jonathon Power, the former world No 1, once used to cross the border and win Grand Central’s Tournament of Champions with the ease it takes to leave New York with an extra bag from a bout of retail therapy.

American squash fans may have taken Power as one their own during that time but while The Magician was administering four successes over a six-year period, home grown talent had yet to be fostered.

Julian Illingworth could change all that. The New York-based right-hander, who was beaten in the first round at the Tournament of Champions here, has quietly risen in the world rankings to No 28. From a sport dominated by the hardball version this side of the Atlantic, the 25-year-old is now spearheading US squash’s future at softball.

The record books were scoured last November when Illingworth was thought to be the first American to reach the second round of a world championship before being beaten in four by Gregory Gaultier in Kuwait. Bill Andruss, though, can lay claim to that honour and was the first to do so in 1977. But Illingworth then usurped Andruss when he burst into the world’s top 30 last year to become highest-ranked American in history.

Illingworth, who was elected onto the Professional Squash Association board last year, is now optimistic about the future in a country where elitist clubs still take preference, despite the emergence of “street-level” clubs such as StreetSquash in Harlem springing hope in urban areas across America.

He said: “The juniors have expanded in the last five years and the sport is in a 10 times better position than what they were previously.

“There is obviously more of a choice in the US for sports than any other country in the world but I think it is only a matter of time before we find success.”

England's Nick Matthew advances in New York

Nick Matthew advanced to the second round of the Tournament of Champions in New York after a tentative, but ultimately telling win over improving Australian Ryan Cuskelly, the world No 54, at Grand Central Station.

England’s No 1 laboured in the opening game but came back strongly to win 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 in 60 minutes and remains on course to meet world No 1 Ramy Ashour in the semi-finals. He will, though, play another Aussie, Stewart Boswell, in the second round.

After the Yorkshireman lost the first, he found himself 5-4 up in a close second before the ball hit Matthew’s ankle from close range.

The referees gave a let and, much to his disbelief, Matthew then came out of the court, showing where it hit him “to prove” that it would have gone on to hit the tin. The remonstration proved a boost for the Englishman as he subsequently won 17 from a possible 20 points thereafter.

He raced into a 6-0 lead in the third and took it 11-2 before giving himself five match balls in the fourth. Cuskelly, who is coached by Aussie great Rodney Martin, showed grit to hold off two of those before an error into the tin handed Matthew victory.

Matthew said: “I struggled a bit there. There was no fire or intensity and he deserved to win the opening game. I was flat but I came back and got fired up.”

England's Nick Matthew set to lead 2010 charge with Egypt's Ramy Ashour

After spending the last month in India and Saudia Arabia, where he reached successive PSA squash finals, Nick Matthew has been lent a 4x4 vehicle so that he can negotiate the adverse weather to his house in Sheffield's Snake Pass over Christmas.

The England No 1's form, though, is likely to see him scale new heights next month as he bids to topple Egypt's Ramy Ashour as world squash No 1 after a stellar 2009 season. The Yorkshireman won five times on tour and will climb to world No 2 in the January rankings.

Matthew and Ashour's final in the Saudi International last week - the Egyptian won in five games in just under two hours - was hailed as one of the finest matches in recent times. Ashour, 22, has flair, touch and counter-attacking skill in abundance. Yorkshire's Matthew, 29, is one of the sport's most consistent performers, who plays tight, controlled squash.

England and Egypt couldn't be further apart when it comes to style, but it has made for a seductive spectacle on court.

The two nations currently dominate the men's tour with seven players in the world's top 10. And at the top of the rankings it's Matthew who believes he can lead the home charge in 2010.

"Too many people show him [Ashour] too much respect and I am one of the few that knows he can have good and bad days," said Matthew. "I can hurt him as well with my game.

"It's not like he has won every tournament in the last few years and regarded as a Jansher Khan [Pakistan's former world No 1] figure. He's been beatable and brilliant in equal measures."

In the Saudi final, Matthew took the first games Ashour had lost all week and came within three points of becoming world No 1.

He said: "I have beaten him before and people obviously didn't believe that he could be beaten all week. So I went out there with a different belief and it nearly paid off.

"I was devastated after the defeat as I had come so close. But I knew it was the last match for a while after the end of a really long season."

And after spending most of 2008 on the sidelines, Matthew's mindset is such that he would rather focus on Delhi next year than the pressures of the world rankings.

"The Commonwealth Games are my biggest goals in 2010 and it is the only one I have considered. It is bound to be more special as it is the biggest honour we have."

Matthew and Ashour are likely to be seeded to meet in the final of the Tournament of Champions in New York next month.

England's Nick Matthew loses to Ramy Ashour in epic Saudi battle

A new Egyptian squash era was realised on Friday night when 22 year-old Ramy Ashour became world No 1 after an epic duel with England's Nick Matthew in the Saudi International final.

Ashour, who takes over from Karim Darwish, fell to his knees and kissed the glass court floor while a gracious Matthew - who played on in the fifth despite suffering a bleeding nose from Ashour's racket - hugged his rival after an 110-minute marathon final full of stunning counter-attacking and lunging retrievals.

Matthew, who joined the world tour in 1997, said: "It's a pity I couldn't make the step but at least I'm back."

The Yorkshireman was referring to a remarkable turnaround in fortune after missing most of 2008 with a shoulder injury and dropping outside the top 10.

Starting the tournament as world No 4, the Sheffield-based player will now start 2010 as the second best player in the world.

Matthew levelled the match but under mounting pressure Matthew put a volley into the tin to go 2-1 down.

8-4 down in the fourth, the England No 1 then fought back dramatically to take the match to a deciding fifth with the final already the longest of the week.

At 9-8 down Ashour took an injury break after crashing into the back wall but came back to clinch the two points needed for the title. It could have gone either way but with a cacophonic backing of over 1,000 fans, Ashour seemed to have the extra edge.

Meanwhile, the January PSA rankings are set to feature four Englishmen in the world's top 10. Matthew will lead the way, with Peter Barker at No 6, James Willstrop at seven and Adrian Grant moving up two places to No 10.

In the women's game, Jenny Duncalf has also enjoyed a meteroic rise to world No 2 this year and will aim to topple Nicol David's four-year reign at the top next year.

Nick Matthew and James Willstrop to resume England rivalry in Saudi

England's top two players, Nick Matthew and James Willstrop, will resume their national rivalry on Monday in the Saudi Squash International after being pitted together for the first time since a bitterly-contested British Open final in September.

In the first all-English final for 70 years, Willstrop called world No 4 Matthew "disrespectful" after complaining to the referees that Willstrop was "so slow" in getting out of his reach to the ball.

Matthew eventually won a classic two-hour encounter in Manchester while the pair had to put their differences aside during the World Team Championships a month later.

Willstrop, who lost on match ball for the second year in succession, will now be aiming to halt Matthew's rise to the top of the world rankings after both players enjoyed first round wins in Al-Khobar on Sunday.

Willstrop beat Finland's Olli Tuominen 3-0 in 26 minutes while Matthew survived a minor dip during his 3-1 win over Omar Mosaad, of Egypt.

Despite losing to Egypt's Ramy Ashour in the PSA Masters final last week in Mumbai, Matthew, 29, still has every chance of becoming the first Briton since fellow Yorkshireman Lee Beachill in 2004 to top the world rankings.

He is vying with Ashour and Amr Shabana and whoever favours best in Saudi is set to start 2010 as world No 1.

England's Nick Matthew remains upbeat as Saudi looms

English hopes of beginning 2010 with a world squash No 1 hinge on Nick Matthew's run in the Saudi International, which starts on Sunday.

The England No 1 enters the last tournament of the year in good form after reaching the biggest final of his career on Thursday.

Despite losing to Egypt's Ramy Ashour in Mumbai, the 29 year-old from Sheffield still has every chance of becoming the first Briton since Lee Beachill in 2004 to top the world squash rankings.

The three contenders are Ashour, Amr Shabana, the reigning World Open champion and a former world No1 for 33 months, and Matthew. Whoever favours best in Al-Khobar is likely to start January as No 1. Karim Darwish and Gregory Gaultier will both be missing through injury leaving Matthew's quest for the summit that much easier.

After his defeat to Ashour in Mumbai, Matthew, perhaps thinking of bigger prizes ahead, kept himself on an even keel.

He said: "I guess there was a lot at stake - the PSA Masters title, the world No 1. It was a lot to handle, and maybe I was thinking about it too much.

"I’ve learnt from this, and I’ll be keeping challenging for the No 1 spot."

Ashour faces his older brother Hisham Mohd Ashour in the first round – only a week after the pair met in the opening round at the PSA Masters.

A first round win is also likely to take Matthew to a clash with national rival James Willstrop, the 10th seed and England No 2. Willstrop accused Matthew of being disrespectful after a bitterly-contested British Open final in September and will be looking to secure a position in the world's top five in Al-Khobar.

Ramy Ashour ends Nick Matthew's bid in PSA Squash Masters in Mumbai

Nick Matthew's path to the top of the sport was halted by the skill, reach and deceptive flair of Ramy Ashour in the PSA Masters final in Mumbai.

The Egyptian world No 5 beat the Sheffield-based player 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 in 79 minutes and then moved to 'unoffficial' world squash No 1 in the process, ahead of Amr Shabana and Matthew respectively.

Matthew had failed to drop a game all week at the Bombay Gymkhana as he saw off two Englishmen and two Frenchmen on his way to a 29th tour final.

But in a scrappy match, Ashour simply played the crucial points to his advantage, as England's No 1 admitted afterwards.

"I don't think we did justice to the final," said Matthew. "We both played rubbish squash, it was a terrible match, but he played the big points better than me."

After Matthew had levelled the match, Ashour clinched the third game 11-9 and raced to 10-7 in the fourth when Matthew saved two of the three match points. A backhand winner handed the Egyptian his fourth title of the year.

Ashour said: "This has been a good visit to Mumbai. I was focussed the whole week and just concentrated on doing well.

"I tried to keep my game simple and return everything that was hit at me."

The complex nature of the PSA world rankings system means that January's world No 1 will not be known until the business end of next week's Saudi International in Al-Khobar.

England squash No 1 Nick Matthew sets up Ramy Ashour final in Mumbai

Nick Matthew's devastating form continued in Mumbai as England's No 1 cruised into the final of the PSA Squash Masters.

Matthew, 29, has yet to drop a game and on Wednesday it was the turn of compatriot Peter Barker, the world No 7, to feel the effects of a 3-0 drubbing.

The Yorkshireman took 55 minutes - his longest match of the week - as he set up an Anglo-Egyptian clash on Thursday against Ramy Ashour, the entertaining 22-year-old from Cairo.

Barker, whose consistency on tour has seen him enjoy a top 10 position over the last year, was always second best against Matthew, a player he has yet to beat in six meetings. The final will be Matthew's 29th of his career as he bids to win his sixth title of the year.

Ashour made it into his fifth tour final of 2009 with a resounding reverse of last month's World Squash Open final defeat to Amr Shabana.

Ashour, the world No 5, left the arena in tears in Kuwait after a comprehensive win by Shabana - his fourth world title - but came out fighting at the Bombay Gymkhana.

In a match full of customary flair and counter-attacking rallies, Ashour won 11-9, 13-15, 11-8, 11-2 in 44 minutes.

Ashour, widely tipped to dominate the game over the next few years, took the first game in 11 minutes after a 23-stroke rally on game ball at 10-9. And although Shabana levelled at one-all, he was clearly feeling the effects of a hamstring injury mid-match and his young compatriot took control thereafter.

Matthew's run to the final now has implications on January's world rankings after Gregory Gaultier, who lost his world No 1 spot this month to Karim Darwish, withdrew from next week's Saudi International.

With defending champion Darwish needing to win the title in Saudi and retain his ranking points, Matthew's route to the top has just been made that much easier.

However, the complex nature of the men's rankings - due to be eradicated in 2010 when the world tour is revamped - means that Matthew will have to wait until the latter stages in Al-Khobar before realising his dream of becoming world No 1.

Shabana's exit coupled with Darwish's withdrawal and Gaultier's first round loss in India leaves the Yorkshireman in a better position than most.

England's Nick Matthew on course to meet Amr Shabana in PSA Masters final

Nick Matthew, the England No 1, cruised through to the PSA Squash Masters last eight in Mumbai with his second 3-0 win of the week but James Willstrop was left battered and bruised after crashing out to a rising Egyptian.

Matthew, vying to end the year as world No 1, sent compatriot Adrian Grant packing in 42 minutes and will now play French stalwart Thierry Lincou for a place in the semi-finals. A fresher Matthew should progress after Lincou took 104 minutes to thwart the hopes of Ong Beng Hee, of Malaysia.

Willstrop, the only Englishman left in the top half of the draw, was one-game up when the PSA's Young Player of the Year Mohamed El Shorbagy's racket caught the Yorkshireman's forehead. He was first treated by a dentist, bizarrely, before a doctor raced to stitch up the bleeding.

After an hour delay, the match resumed and went to a fifth before Shorbagy claimed a superb 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 5-11, 13-11 win in 64 minutes.

"I had lost a bit of confidence in the last few weeks, but it all came back today," said Shorbagy.

"Unfortunately I hit him in the second game - I did not do it on purpose - but he fought hard when he returned after the long injury break.

"It was anyone's game towards the end and I was lucky to have won," the Egyptian said.

Willstrop was left to rue a showdown against Amr Shabana, the former world No 1, who beat the 26-year-old in last month's World Open semi-final.

Matthew's likely semi-final opponent is the reliable Peter Barker, who has spent the last year in the world's top 10. The Londoner beat Alister Walker 3-1 in the second all-English clash at the Bombay Gymkhana. Daryls Selby's run ended, though, when Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema advanced to play Barker.

England great Jonah Barrington hailed by Egypt's Mohamed El Shorbagy

Mohammad El Shorbagy, the rising star of Egyptian squash, has praised six-time British Open champion Jonah Barrington for his rise to the top ranks of the sport.

The 18 year-old Alexandrian emulated compatriot Ramy Ashour by becoming only the second player to lift the world junior championships twice in August.

And his achievements were recognised last weekend in London when El Shorbagy picked up the PSA Young Player of the Year award. Two days later he reclaimed a world top 20 spot and remains the youngest amongst the elite players.

Shorbagy, who first came to prominence after reaching the 2008 World Open quarter-finals, said: "I went to Millfield School [in Somerset] at 15 and have been with Jonah for nearly four years.

"He has given me loads of experience in squash. I still go to him and am always learning something new.

"He knows how to get me back again after a loss and prepare me for a match. He just has been really great in my life."

Barrington's name alone has also given the Egyptian new levels of confidence. In the last year, the Bristol-based player has risen from No 58 to the top 20.

He said: "Playing under his name is just a confidence for me. Everyone knew I was with him and that gave me a boost. Not just the squash side but in my life as well.

"The thing is the experience is not finished. He has always told me how to raise my game and have more concentration on court and I am trying to do that."

England's Nick Matthew close to world No 1 as Karim Darwish returns top

Nick Matthew, the England No 1, knows that he is within "touching distance" of finishing 2009 as the world's best player as he prepares for the final two events of the year.

Matthew heads to India this weekend for the PSA Squash Masters as the tour's in-form player after winning the recent Qatar Open - where England made history after Jenny Duncalf lifted the women's title.

A win in Mumbai for the world No 4, followed by a successful Saudi International a week later could see Matthew become the first Briton since Lee Beachill five years ago to top the world rankings.

The Yorkshireman said: "It’s hard not to get excited by the prospect but it is really tight at the top in terms of points.

"I am seeded outside the top four or five so it will be even harder. As long as I can be in contention I would have had a great year. But now there is the added bonus that it is almost within touching distance so I have to rely on preparation now."

Matthew has enjoyed a memorable year on tour - he bagged his fifth title in Qatar - and has the added incentive of not getting too far ahead of himself when it comes to further riches.

He said: "If anything my injury told me not to look at the world rankings. I dropped down to 12 after my injury and that really annoyed me. I didn’t look at them after that and just focused on winning matches.

"It’s hard not to get excited by the prospect but it is really tight at the top in terms of points."

Matthew's win last month was complemented by fellow Yorkshire right-hander Duncalf's explosive three weeks on the women's tour when she won her third title in Doha against a hapless Rachael Grinham.

Matthew, 29, added: "The overriding factor was that we both won it. A lot of people have invested equal time in us together."

Meanwhile, Karim Darwish, the new world No 1 in the December rankings, says that Matthew will be the biggest threat to the world's elite in 2010.

The Egyptian, who was present in London over the weekend to collect his PSA Player of the Year award, returned to the top after Gregory Gaultier's one-month tenure. Darwish had previously spent 10 months as world No 1 after winning last year's Saudi International.

He said: "Nick is one of the best players coming up. He has been playing really well for the last few years and has really come back really strong after injury.

"England as a whole have improved greatly and the competition will be between us and England in 2010 I think."

England's Jenny Duncalf and Nick Matthew reach Qatar Squash Classic finals

Jenny Duncalf, the British national champion, showed why she is currently regarded as the world's best player by defeating Malaysia's Nicol David, the world No 1, for the second week running to reach the Qatar Classic women's final in Doha.

The world No 6, who has won her last two tour events, recorded a fine 11-6, 2-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-6 win over the Malaysian, who has topped the world rankings since 2006.

The England No 2 had failed to beat David in 18 previous meetings stretching back to 2002 until her semi-final win in New York last week, but will now face Australian Rachel Grinham, who beat Ireland's Madeline Perry, in Monday's final.

Duncalf, the Yorkshire right-hander, has enjoyed a stunning year on tour where she has made the quarter-finals or better in all 16 events she has entered.

Meanwhile, Nick Matthew, the England No 1, eased into his first final since winning the British Open in September after compatriot Peter Barker was forced to retire in the men's event.

World No 4 Matthew, who reached the World Open last eight two weeks ago, will play No 1 seed Karim Darwish, the defending champion, in the final after Londoner Barker, suffering from a leg injury, offered his hand in the second game. The Yorkshireman was leading 11-5, 7-2 at the time.

Like Duncalf, Matthew is also enjoying a fine year after returning from a lengthy shoulder injury which left him outside the world's top 10. A victory against Darwish, the former world No 1, will see him close in on the world's top three for the first time in his career.

Nick Matthew and James Willstrop are leading English revival, says Jahangir Khan

Jahangir Khan, the former world No 1, believes that Nick Matthew and James Willstrop are changing the landscape of English squash after both reached the latter stages of the World Open in Kuwait.

Willstrop fell one match short of his first world final when he was beaten by eventual winner Amr Shabana, while England No 1 Matthew, playing his first tournament since recovering from an ankle injury at the World Team Championships, lost to world No 1 Gregory Gaultier in the quarter-finals.

Khan, who won six world titles, said: “England are really reviving their past with these two players and I think people are really enjoying that.

“Nick and James were the same at junior level. It has become like a rivalry which has only stayed in the court. These things really help as well and they keep you motivated."

Meanwhile Khan has urged organisers to move the British Open, the sport’s oldest event, back to London in 2010.

The Pakistani won every one of his 10 titles at Wembley Conference Centre, which regularly housed sell-out crowds of 3,000, but the event has seen a decline since moving away from the capital. It has twice come close to folding in the last decade.

“London is the real home,” Khan said of the 79-year-old event, held in Manchester for the last three years. “It was a mistake to move it from there and it is the right location.”

The 2010 calendar has yet to reveal whether the British Open will be moved back to its original date but Khan is adamant. “You can’t have two major tournaments at the same time with the British Open and the World Open. It has been played since the 1930s after all.”