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07-Feb, Semi-Finals:
[1] Gregory
Gaultier (Fra) 3-0 [8] Steve Coppinger (Rsa)
11/4, 11/3, 11/6 (33m)
[2] Nick Matthew (Eng) 3-1 [4] Simon Rösner (Ger)
11/7, 7/11, 11/5, 13/11 (62m)
Top seeds through to Swedish final
Top
seeds Gregory Gaultier and Nick Matthew, who between them
have won the last six editions of the Swedish Open, moved
into this year's final with contrasting semi-final wins in
Linkoping.
Gaultier blitzes past Coppinger
Top seed Gregory Gaultier
was in impressive form in the first semi-final in Linkoping,
dismissing Steve Coppinger in little over half an
hour's play.
 The
Frenchman raced into a 6-0 lead in the first game, finishing
it 11-4 with Coppinger struggling to put Gaultier under any
serious pressure.
The South African coped better in the second, getting into
the rallies, but Gaultier was still too sharp and led 6-0
and 10-3 as he did in the first. Some tremendous retrieving
from Gaultier followed by an outrageous finish from the back
of the court and it was 11-3.
Coppinger scored his
first poing earlier in the third, but from 2-1 Gaultier
continued to pile on the pressure, extending to 5-3, 10-4,
and finishing the match 11-6 to reach another Swedish final.
"I felt quite smooth and was moving well," said Gaultier,
"it makes it much easier to do your job when you feel like
that. I'm very satisfied that my match did not take so long,
I hope that Nick and Simon go really hard on each
other in the next match!"
Matthew squeezes past Rosner
Defending champion
Nick Matthew took almost twice as long to get past
Germany's Simon Rosner in an entertainingh second
semi-final.
 The
Englishman pulled clear from 4-all in the first to take the
lead 11-7, but Rosner immdeiately struck back, leading from
the outset of the second before levelling 11-7, both games
taking 14 minutes.
Matthew was back on top oin the third game though,
controlling the play and led 6-1, finishing the game off
11-5, and kept that momentum to open up a seeminglt
match-winning 5-1 lead in the fourth.
Rosner attacked again though, quickly levelled at 5-all and
moved ahed to earn three game balls at 10-7. Just as quickly
though Matthew was back level with two strokes and a crisp
volley nick.
Rosner would have one more chance at 11-10, but another
stroke cost him, and at 12-11 Matthew forced another loose
return out of his opponent to take the match 13-11 on a
stroke.
"I was a bit annoyed to lose that 5-1 lead in the
fourth," admitted Matthew, "it was a very short loss of
concentration but he's so strong he can reel of points very
quickly.
"I shouldn't complaion too much though, I managed to win in
four which is better than winning in five and better than
losing! I'm pleased that I've been been able to raise my
game to win a few close games this week, that's important
coming up to the final."
The final
starts at 15.00 (14.00 UK) tomorrow
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