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WATCH
Roundup Videos
3/4: ENG
1-2 AUS
5/6: PAK 2-0 RSA
7/8: CAN 0-2 ITA
9/10: MAS 2-0 NZL
11/12: USA 0-2 GER
13/14: NED 1-2 SCO
15/16: IRL 0-2 KUW
Detailed Results
Photo Galleries |
Sat 3rd Oct, Day SEVEN, THE FINAL:
[1] Egypt 2-1 [3] France
[1] Karim Darwish 1-3
Gregory Gaultier
11-8, 5-11, 8-11,
2-11 (53m)
[3] Ramy Ashour 3-0 Renan Lavigne
11-3, 11-4,
11-5 (23m)
[2] Amr Shabana 3-1 Thierry Lincou
11-6, 7-11,
12-10, 12-10 (65m)
Shabana comeback
clinches title for Egypt
You couldn't have asked for a better final or a more dramatic
ending - with the match poised at one-all, Thierry Lincou looked
set to take the deciding match into a fifth game as he stood at
10-5, but seven points in a row from Amr Shabana foiled French
plans and gave Egypt the World Team Title for the second time
.... read all about it ... |
THE DREAM TEAM MAKES IT AT LAST
Framboise reports
The French had the Team Spirit, but the Egyptians had the Team….
The Dream Team that has the luxury to make the current World
Champion play number three. Do you realise what I’m saying?
Legend Ramy was playing third…
The David v Goliath like match started well for the challengers,
Greg and the French camp will be sending a great fruit basket to
David Palmer who kept Karim on court till past 11pm last night.
The Frenchman played the only logical tactic due to the
circumstances, he made it last, and last.
The quality of the shots that Karim and Greg exchanged today was
of the highest standard, high pace, tight squash, with the
Frenchman directing the rallies, but Karim finding the nicks.
Still Greg picked up an awful lot today, and kept the pressure
the whole time, … First game to Karim, but at what price, a lot
of sweat and energy left on the floor there, and an “easy” game
for Greg in the second, 1/1.
A little drop of energy at the start of the third for the
Frenchman, soon corrected to take a good lead two games to one.
Karim then pays for the hard work done the night before, and
during the first and third game. An ecstatic Greg was giving a
first point to France….
 For the second match really, Ramy was Legend incarnated. He
never gave a chance to the French Captain, and found more nicks
than I’ve got grey hair, and that’s A LOT! Nicks, winners and
rollers were flying around, and quickly, Egypt equalised 1/1.
It was up to Shaabz and Thierry to settle the difference. And
France was hoping that the former number one, three times world
champion, would, like he did in the previous Team Events,
tremble and fold…
None of that today.
If Thierry started against Peter relaxed and serene, he was very
nervous today, lining two tins in the first two rallies. Shabana
was not that relaxed mind you, but only made three unforced
errors in the first game, and playing extremely patient and
tight squash. He takes the game quite logically.
Having given his normal first game away, the Frenchman seems to
find his previous day's game, and like a elastic, keeps on
attacking from way back there and retrieving Shabana’s stunning
and out of the blue attacks, to lead comfortably 5/0, 8/3. The
Egyptian switches on the magic, but the Frenchman finishes off,
11/7.
The next two games are dramatic. A good drama for the Egyptian,
not that good for the French.
A tight third, with Thierry seeming to have the upper hand, 6/3,
then 10/7 game ball. Two solutions at that point. Either Shabana
is going to go for shots, or he is going to play clever, patient
and tight squash. He chooses the later, and it works wonderfully
well. He saves a first game ball, a second one. 10/9. At the end
of yet again a long and disputed rally, Thierry seems to have
won the point with a stunning volley drop shot, and shouts
YES!!!!!! thinking that his opponent's shot is not up.
But it is
called good by the three refs, and as Thierry interrupted the
rally, point for Egypt. 10/10. The French camp is desolated,
Thierry is stunned, but doesn’t complain. Shabana finds a superb
drop shot, no let for the French, and another drop shot. Game
Egypt. Shabana just scored five points in a row.
But the drama is not over, oh no. Thierry is pumped up with the
loss of the third, and controls perfectly the shots, way in
front and attacking superbly, to lead 6/2 then 10/5 game ball.
Surely this time…
But it was not to be for France. Missing a bit under the foot,
the Frenchman will admit later, he can’t do anything against
Shabana’s winners, who this time, goes for the “shots at will”
option. And there again, it works. This time, the Egyptian score
seven points in a row. It’s all over.
The French are crushed. The Egyptians are erupting…
 "I can’t
talk anymore, I broke my voice shouting!!!!
"This is my second World Team title, first time in NZ as a
junior, and now as a senior… It’s like life is going in the
right direction….
"This is such a crucial moment for us, this is going to be a
turning point for Egyptian Squash, and for Shabana, Karim, Wael,
and myself, this is massive for us. We are so proud to have
taken the title today, and we hope we are going to keep the cup
for many many years to come…"
 "In
the third and fourth, I thought OK, if I’ve got to lose the
game, I’m going at least to make him work hard. And I took it
point by point, and stayed focused… Thierry makes you work so
hard, he applies such pressure with his shots….
"He is the King of Come Backs, how many times he done the same
thing to so many players, being down, and coming back, so today,
doing it to him, and especially in such an occasion, it’s a bit
of a dream….
"There was so much pressure on us, everybody was telling us, you
must win, you must win…. So it’s such a relief to actually win
the competition, after so many years trying, especially against
France, a team with an amazing spirit… It means the world to me
to win that title, after 10 years not winning it…"
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"This is a
difficult moment for us. The journey in this tournament is
exceptional for the French Team, with a huge disappointment in
the end.
"Our aim was to get to the final, so today was a bonus of
course. I feel sorry for our athletes that haven’t fulfil their
dreams, while having the potential to do so…
"Still, a great performance for France today."
 , DTN
(National Technical Director)
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The final as it happened ....
Karim Darwish 1-3
Gregory Gaultier
11-8,
5-11, 8-11, 2-11 (53m)
Gaultier puts the French ahead
The perceived logic is that if France was to have any chance of
taking its first World Team title then Gregory Gaultier simply
had to beast the world number one Karim Darwish in the opening
match.
A daunting task, even if you happen to be world number two, but
Gaultier proved himself up to the challenge, continuing his fine
from from yesterday.
Darwish led throughout the opener, although from 10-5 Gaultier
pulled a few points back, and seemed to carry that momentum into
the second, levelling with some ease.
The Frenchman was always ahead in the third and, played some
delightful flicks and boasts to take a 2-1 advantage, and with
Karim looking tired - he did have a five-setter with David
Palmer late last night after all - Greg was pulling all the
strings as he eased away in the fourth to put France one match
away ...
[3] Ramy Ashour
3-0 Renan Lavigne
11-3, 11-4,
11-5 (23m)
Fired up Ashour
Talking of daunting tasks, finding yourself up against the
reigning World Champion in the third string match is as daunting
as they come, and when said World Champion is as fired up as
Ramy Ashour was today, you know your hopes are slim.
Renan Lavigne ran willingly, as he always does, but he couldn't
make an impression on Ramy, whose shotmaking was breathtaking
today ... all over in 23 minutes and we have a decider.
[2] Amr Shabana
3-1 Thierry Lincou
11-6, 7-11,
12-10, 12-10 (65m)
What a decider ... what a comeback
You couldn't really ask for more
for a decider - two former world number ones and world
champions, in a reprise of their 2003 World Open final.
And what a match they gave the crowd in Odense, action-packed
and tense all the way through.
Shabana took a commanding lead in the first, 8-2, and soon
enough finished it off, but it was Lincou who took early control
in the second, quickly 5-0 up and soon enough we were level.
The Frenchman continued to dominate in the third, led 6-3, then
pulled away again from 6-all to earn three game balls at 10-7.
Shabana saved two of them, and when Thierry screamed a premature
"YES" thinking he'd won the last of them, he was penalised a
stroke and we were into extra points. Shabana made it five
points in a row to take the lead.
Undeterred, Lincou again took control in the fourth, this time
reaching 10-5, surely we were going to have a decider ...
But no. Amazingly, Shabana did it again, this time reeling off
seven points in a row to break French hearts and set Egyptian
ones pounding ...
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3rd/4th:
England 1-2 Australia
James Willstrop 3-1 David Palmer
11-8, 11-2, 11-13, 11-2 (43m)
Alister Walker 2-3 Cameron Pilley
12-10, 13-15, 3-11, 11-6, 4-11 (94m)
Peter Barker 1-3 Stewart Boswell
9-11, 12-10, 7-11, 10-12 (56m)
ONLY PRIDE
Sorry, people, but who ever decided to schedule the 3rd/4th
place match at 10.30 am, whereas the match between Egypt and
Australia finished around 11.30 last night, has probably not a
clear idea of the kind of energy those boys leave on the court…
Long story short. James, mentally exhausted. David, mentally
fine – he pushed the world number one to five games, and nearly
had him in the fourth – but physically as flat as a Halloween
pancake.
James attacking as he knows, David digging in the first, to
going through a dead patch in the second – went up to 9/0 for
James – but regrouping all that Australian pride to save two
match balls in the third, and clinching the game 13/11.
Needless to say the fourth was pure formality…
"We knew that we
had a game to play today, it’s a bit of a let down, playing for
the 3rd 4th, instead of for the title, but we came here ready to
play, we don’t want to finish third…
"Motivation first of all comes from not wanting to disappoint
people at home, and all the people that are working very hard
for us to get the funding which allows us to work towards being
the best players in the world, that’s motivation enough.
"But also, I want to stay fit, and work toward future events
like Hong Kong, and when you’ve got the opportunity to play
against a player such as David, you are not going to throw away
the chance…
"We didn’t have a good run this year really, it just didn’t fall
into place, it did last time, and the time before that, but not
this time…"
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"The mind and
spirit was there, but the body let me down this week… I actually
injured my back playing against Pakistan, and I’m really happy I
was able to play at all last night, as in the morning, I just
couldn’t get out of bed. But against Karim, I was 6/3 in the
fourth, that’s normally my strength to be able to finish up the
points, but I was constantly out of balance, a few errors here
and there, and it’s gone..
"Considering all this, I’m happy with my performance this week
and today. I just hope that Cameron, who played very well
yesterday against Ramy, he took the second and was up game ball
10/8 in the first, is gong to get us back right in it…"
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