Egypt sensationally retained their title in the Men’s World Team Squash Championship after upsetting favourites England 2/1 in a thrilling final in Paderborn, Germany. With sell-out crowds throughout the week, the final between the top 2 seeds was the dream climax to an event which is being hailed as the best world championship ever. The top two players in the world took to the court for the opening clash, with Egypt taking early honours when Ramy Ashour beat Nick Matthew 11-7, 11-9, 14-12. Peter Barker brought the top seeds back into contention when he overcame Ramy’s older brother Hisham Ashour 11-6, 11-9, 11-7. The decider featured Karim Darwish and James Willstrop – a pair who have been opponents on a squash court since the world junior championships in 2000, with Englishman Willstrop boasting a 12-6 head to head advantage. But, after losing out to Frenchman Thierry Lincou in the semi-finals, Darwish was determined to make amends. The 29-year-old took the 1st 2 games, then survived the loss of the 3rd to record an 11-5, 13-11, 9-11, 11-4 championship-winning.
