Sky Open: Matthew closes in on Ashour showdown

World No 2 Matthew, from Sheffield, can climb above Ashour if he achieves a better result at the Cairo event.

He made it through to a last four showdown with France's Thierry Lincou after defeating fellow Englishman Peter Barker 12-10 11-4 11-6. Lincou had earlier defeated Egypt's Wael El Hindi.

Ashour booked an all-Egyptian match with Karim Darwish in the semis after a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Leeds's James Willstrop.

The 11-6 11-9 13-11 victory was sweeet rvenge for ashour for his defeat to Willstrop in the final of the Thournament of Champions in New York in january.

Darwish defeated France's Gregory Gaultier 11-5 11-9 11-4 in their quarter-final.

Wednesday, May 19.

YORKSHIRE'S leading duo, Nick Matthew and James Willstrop, both negotiated their way through to the last eight at the Sky Open in Egypt.

Matthew, the world No 2 from Sheffield, took just 30 minutes to overcome Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema - the No 11 seed - 11-4, 11-2, 11-5.

Winner of the previous PSA Super Series event, the North American Open in Virginia in February, Matthew has his sights on the world No 1 ranking and knows that a better finish in Cairo than Egyptian rival Ramy Ashour - his opponent in the US final and the man who currently tops the rankings - could achieve this.

Matthew's win set up a quarter-final clash with fellow Englishman Peter Barker, who defeated Adrian Grant 14-12, 11-9, 11-5 after a hard-fought 88-minute duel.

Willstrop, recently restored to the top five in the world, will take on Ashour in one of Thursday night's earlier last eight match after he saw off the challenge of Egypt's Mohd Ali Anwar Reda 11-8, 11-5, 11-5.

Leeds-based Alister Walker, who plays in the Premier Squash League for Chapel Allerton, missed out on a quarter-final berth after being defeated 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 by France's former world No 1 Thierry Lincou.

RESULTS

(7) Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt (14] Alister Walker (ENG) 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (65m)

(12] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt (3] Amr Shabana (EGY) w/o

(8] Peter Barker (ENG) bt (13] Adrian Grant (ENG) 14-12, 11-9, 11-5 (88m)

(2] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt (11] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 (30m)

(1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (35m)

(5] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (43m)

(4] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt (10] David Palmer (AUS) 11-8, 12-10, 13-11 (57m)

(6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt (15] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-8, 2-11, 11-5, 11-4 (71m)