Oregon Open Squash Championship 2008, Portland, Oregon, USA, $50k

23-Feb, Final:

[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [1] Thierry Lincou (FRA)          11-4, 11-0, 10-11 (3-5), 11-9 (68m)

Darwish Wins Oregon Title In Portland

Egyptian Karim Darwish upset top-seeded Frenchman Thierry Lincou in the final of the Oregon Open to win his first title of the year at the $50,000 5-star PSA Tour squash event at Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, USA.

Darwish came into the match as underdog - not only as second seed, but also chasing a 7-2 head-to-head lead by his opponent.  But the 26-year-old from Cairo quickly won the first game, then, inexplicably, the second in a whitewash - in what was Lincou's first ever 'scoreless' game!

Many in the overflow crowd imagined the end was near for Lincou:  They were wrong.  The fourth game was intense - with six lead changes.  The Frenchman's shots were much sharper and he was able to move Darwish around the court.

"The tiebreaker had some phenomenal points with fantastic shots off the backwall on shots after drives that would be winners against mere mortals," said event spokesman James Daigle.

Lincou won the game 15-13 - and, in the fourth game, led 9-8 after several lead changes, suggesting that the match was heading for a decider.

However, this time Darwish did not relent and the second seed reclaimed the advantage to win 11-4, 11-0, 10-11 (3-5), 11-9 after 68 minutes.

The triumph marks the 13^th PSA Tour title of Darwish's career - and his first since marrying fellow Egyptian international Engy Kheirallah in December.

Quarter-finals:

[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [7] Alister Walker (ENG)          11-5, 11-2, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4 (56m)

[3] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [5] Cameron Pilley (AUS)          11-7, 11-10 (2-0), 6-11, 6-11, 11-3 (105m)

[Q] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Chris Ryder (ENG)                        11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4 (45m)

[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [6] Renan Lavigne (FRA)           11-5, 11-2, 11-8 (33m)

    Semi-finals:

[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [3] Wael El Hindi (EGY)           11-10 (3-1), 11-7, 11-8 (73m)

[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Jan Koukal (CZE)               11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (52m)

Lincou Denies All-Egyptian Final In Portland

Frenchman Thierry Lincou battled for 73 minutes to beat Wael El Hindi in the semi-finals of the Oregon Open Squash Championship to put paid to an all-Egyptian final of the $50,000 5-star PSA Tour event at Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, USA.

Lincou, the top seed, beat the third seed from Cairo 11-10 (3-1), 11-7, 11-8 to reach the 36^th PSA Tour final of his career - and his second this year.

The 31-year-old from Marseille's opponent will be Karim Darwish, the second seed from Egypt who ended qualifier Jan Koukal's run in an 11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 defeat in 52 minutes.

Darwish is celebrating his 19^th PSA final appearance and will be meeting Lincou for the tenth time on the Tour.  Lincou boasts a 7-2 head-to-head record over the Egyptian, but Darwish's victories came in the pair's two most recent meetings.

19-20 Feb 1st round:

[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Kashif Shuja (NZL)                  11-10 (3-1), 11-8, 11-7 (38m)

[7] Alister Walker (ENG) bt Wade Johnstone (AUS)           11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4 (43m)

[3] Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt [Q] Tom Richards (ENG)           11-9, 11-5, 11-10 (2-0) (53m)

[5] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [Q] Yasser El Halaby (EGY)    8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8 (58m)

[Q] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [8] Omar Elborolossy (EGY)          11-6, 11-10 (3-1), 11-4 (40m)

Chris Ryder (ENG) bt [4] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)      10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-10 (2-0), 11-0 (44m)

[6] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Julian Illingworth (USA)          8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-7, 11-3 (60m)

[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [Q] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)          11-2, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)

Ryder & Koukal Progress In Portland

The anticipated Egyptian involvement in the quarter-finals of the Oregon Open Squash Championship was reduced by 50% when Czech qualifier Jan Koukal and unseeded Englishman Chris Ryder upset two of the event's top seeds in the first round of the $50,000 5-star PSA Tour event at Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, USA.

Koukal, the Czech number one from Prague competing in his fourth Tour event this year, despatched Omar Elborolossy, the eighth seed from Cairo, 11-6, 11-10 (3-1), 11-4 in 40 minutes. 

The 24-year-old world No60 will now face Ryder for a place in the last four.  In what will rank as his best international scalp to date, the 27-year-old World University champion from Wolverhampton defeated fourth seed Mohammed Abbas, the world No13 from Giza, 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-10 (2-0), 11-0 in 44 minutes.

Second seed Karim Darwish is leading Egyptian interest in the event.  The No2 seed from Cairo beat Australian qualifier Ryan Cuskelly 11-2, 11-4, 11-5 and will now face Frenchman Renan Lavigne, the sixth seed.

Darwish is expected to meet top seed Thierry Lincou in Saturday's final.  Fresh from his tenth title in the French National championships, Lincou beat New Zealand's Kashif Shuja 11-10 (3-1), 11-8, 11-7.