Sat 16th Apr, Day SIX, Semi-Finals

Semi-Finals:

 [1] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) 3-1 [7] Ali Farag (Egy)
           11/5, 11/8, 5/11, 12/10 (61m)

[4] Marwan Elshorbagy (Egy) 3-0 [2] Simon Rosner (Ger)
           15/13, 11/7, 11/5 (57m)
  

It's Europe 1 Egypt 1 in the semis
as Greg and Marwan make the final

Defending champion and top seed Gregory Gaultier won the first of two Europe v Egypt matches in the Grasshopper Cup semis with a hard-fought four game win over Ali Farag that took just over the hour to complete.

The Frenchman controlled the play in the first two games, despite Farag's best efforts to break the pattern of play. Gaultier took the first 11/5 and led 10/5 in the second.

A couple of errors gave Farag hope, but as Gaultier closed out the game 11/8 Farag let out a scream which earned him a conduct stroke and a 0-1 start in the third.

Gaultier looked be be cruising to victory at 4-1 and 5-2 up, but more errors and great determination from Farag saw the Egyptian pull a game back with a run of nine unanswered points.

Farag took that momentum into the fourth, leading 4-1, but Gaultier settled and started to control the rallies once more, leading from the middle of the game.

Farag played a tremendous rally to save the first match ball at 10-9 but couldn't repeat the trick as Gaultier closed out the match 12/10 to return to the final.

"I played quite well, I was moving well which saved me," said Gaultier.

"I was up in the third and got a bit greedy, I had to get back to basics in the fourth and it worked.

"It was a matter of a couple of crucial points at the end, if it had gone to fivce it would have been very hard.

"I'll email PSA and tell them not to fine him for that conduct stroke! He's a great player already, I told him it might be a couple of years before he beats me, these youngsters have to take it a bit easy on me if I'm going to play on for a few years!"
  

The second semi-final saw Simon Rosner aiming to set up a repeat final from last year, but the second seeded German had spent a lot more time on court than his opponent, and when Marwan Elshorbagy edged a tough, 25-minute opening game 15/13, the omens didn't look good for Rosner.

The start of the second and third games were close, but in both it was the young Egyptian who pulled away, finishing them off quickly - from 4-6 in the second and 5-all in the third to win 11/7, 11/5 in just under the hour mark.

"The plan was to make the first games as long and hard as I could, win or lose," said Marwan, "and it did work in my favour, it took a lot out of him.

"I'm happy with my game this week, it's been a very good tournament so far and I've reached the final without dropping a game so I'll give it one last push tomorrow.

"Of course I won't start the favourite against Greg, he's a great player, the world champion and a role model for me.

"I have to make the most of every chance I get to play him in big matches, I'm going to try yo enjoy every single second of it."