SquashZAG

Case Swedish Open Squash Championship
Linköping, Sweden
Issued by Howard Harding

An all-English final - the second in three years - will be the climax of the Case Swedish Open after Yorkshiremen Nick Matthew and James Willstrop prevailed in the semi-finals of the $60,000 PSA World Tour squash event in its seventh year at Linköping Sporthall in Linköping.

Top seed Matthew, the defending champion and world number two from Sheffield, faced surprise opponent Cameron Pilley, the unseeded Australian who reached the last four after overcoming third seed Gregory Gaultier in his first ever win over the world No5 from France.
 
After being overwhelmed by Matthew in the first game, world No17 Pilley dug deep in the second to extend his higher-ranked opponent into a tie-break.  

 

But Matthew repelled the Aussie's fightback to win the game and cruise through the third to claim an 11-3, 14-12, 11-2 victory after 47 minutes.  The win marks the 29-year-old from Sheffield's third appearance in the Swedish Open final since 2004 - and the 31st PSA World Tour final of his career.
 
"It was definitely the best match here in Linkoping, and I feel stronger every day," said Matthew later.  "Cameron opened heavy and had a hard time, but in the second he played up and it was difficult to match him.
 
"But having won the second game in the tie-break, I gained momentum.  The second game was crucial for the outcome of the game.
 
"Now I just need to rest and recharge the batteries before the final," added the title-holder.
 
Willstrop, the fourth seed and winner of the title in 2008 (when he beat fellow countryman Peter Barker in the final), was up against second seed Amr Shabana, the former world number one from Egypt.
 
Shabana boasted a 14-6 career head-to-head advantage over the Englishman before the match - but the pair's last meeting last month saw Willstrop, ranked six in the world, prevail en-route to winning the prestigious Tournament of Champions title in New York.
 
The 30-year-old world number three from Cairo took the opening game, but the wily Willstrop battled back to gain the upper hand, ultimately beating his higher-ranked opponent 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 in 39 minutes.
 
"It felt good the entire match, even though I lost the first game - but there was certainly no pushover," explained the jubilant Englishman afterwards.  "I had to fight for every point and it was really a great game to play.  Amr is one of the best in the sport, a good ambassador who is fantastic to meet because he has a good attitude to the game and shows good sportsmanship."
 
Willstrop's win signals his 21st PSA Tour final - and his meeting with Matthew will be his 20th on the Tour (of which two were in the Swedish Open, in 2004 and 2009), with Matthew boasting an 11-8 lead.
 
When asked how he felt about being in the final and meeting his Yorkshire rival, Willstrop responded:
 
"It just gets better every day on the glass court in Linkoping.  Last week I was in New York and played at Grand Central Station - the difference between the courts is big, I think.  The court feels much faster and the ball is easier to control here.
 
"But it'll be fun to meet Nick, who I have played against about a thousand times before," joked the 26-year-old from Leeds.

 
Semi-finals:
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Cameron Pilley (AUS)
3 - 0    11-3, 14-12, 11-2    47 mins

[4] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [2] Amr Shabana (EGY)
3 - 1    9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7    39 mins