HAMILTON, Dec 2: World number one Amr Shabana regained the world title Saturday, helping ease a painful memory by becoming the first squash player since Pakistani legend Jansher Khan to win a third World Open.

To do that the Egyptian had to beat his closest friend on the tour, Gregory Gaultier, and he did it with surprising emphasis, by 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 in only 43 minutes, delivering a dazzling performance which belied his recent schedule.

It was Shabana’s fifth tournament success in six weeks, the 20th tour title of his career and a victory that matched Khan’s 1996 third Open win and carried him nearer to the accolade of being regarded as one of the all-time greats.

“I don’t think I have ever played as well as that,” he said. “You raise your game more to your opponent. Greg beat everyone easily in this tournament. And it had to be something special to beat him.”

Gaultier often initiated rallies in Shabana’s strongest area - the forecourt, later claiming this choice was decided by his not feeling good.

“I couldn’t feel my legs any more,” Gaultier said. “I don’t know why. I felt very heavy. I couldn’t take control and had to go for shots.”

It was Gaultier who the made the better start. He got an early three-point lead but then hinted at his nerves by becoming embroiled in several minor disputes with the referee about lets decisions when he wanted penalty points.

Once the referee took a subtle revenge, asking Gaultier if he wanted a let when he had not asked for one. When Gaultier answered yes, the referee said “no let,” with some emphasis.

Worse for Gaultier was that as his stares and grumbles increased, the accuracy and length of his driving wavered and Shabana advanced enterprisingly to 8-4 before he began to get back into it. By then it was too late, for Shabana’s early match nerves had been settled.

He produced a rifling winner, boasted off the side wall to take the first game, and maintained the momentum too, striking three fine winners to reach 4-1 in the second game.

Now Gaultier was becoming concerned. He was became loose with line and length again, allowing room for Shabana’s brilliance to flourish.

Soon the top seed was hitting winners from positions he had no right to do, and his two-game lead, in a match most people thought would be a long one, came in only 28 minutes.

In the third, Gaultier tried to go short early and often, but this played into Shabana’s great area of strength, the Egyptian’s speed, disguise and variation in the forecourt keeping the points ticking over steadily for him.

Gaultier recovered a little from 2-7 to 5-8 amidst a glut of lets, one of which saw Shabana cling on to his opponent, trying to show the referee the amount of obstruction he encountered, only to be shaken angrily off by Gaultier.

At the end, when Shabana won the match with a brilliant piece of defence and a sudden counter-attack, Gaultier’s hurled his racket away in disappointment, angrily waved away Shabana’s coach Amir Wagih, embraced Shabana massively, and left looking utterly desolate, close to tears.—AFP