MANCHESTER, England: Gregory Gaultier, the second seeded Frenchman who had set his heart on a third-time-lucky triumph at the World Open, instead suffered a controversial third round defeat on Thursday.

The world number two from Aix-en-Provence was beaten by Adrian Grant, his friend and sparring partner from England - a setback which left Gaultier first speechless, then displaying his distress, and then launching a tirade against the refereeing.

Gaultier was beaten 9-11, 12-10, 14-12, 1-11, 13-11, despite making a convincing start, then generating what seemed unstoppable momentum in the fourth and fifth games, and eventually earning himself three match points. On the third of these, it seemed that Grant may have unintentionally denied a fair view of the ball to Gaultier, but instead of the Frenchman being given a penalty point which would have given him the match, a let was awarded.

“That was match to me,” said Gaultier, criticising the three-way majority decision from English, Scottish and Welsh referees.

It may have been all the harder for Gaultier because he had been desperately unlucky with refereeing decisions on match points in the 2006 World Open final in Giza.

After losing the 2007 final in Bermuda as well, had set his heart on getting the title this time. Nevertheless Grant managed the best performance of his life to score the biggest win of his career. He recovered from 4-7 down in the second game, saved two game balls in the third, and got back from 1-5 down in the fifth, at which stage Gaultier had taken 16 out of 18 points.

“I knew that if I could stay with him I would have a good chance in the fifth because the crowd were giving me a lift and the pressure would be on him and he would get nervous,” Grant said.

This is more or less what happened, with Gaultier’s error ratio creeping up when it mattered.

“I lost my head and that’s it,” he said bitterly.

The result should increase the chances of Amr Shabana, the top-seeded titleholder from Egypt, winning the title for a fourth time and becoming only the fourth man to achieve this feat, after the two legendary Pakistanis, Jansher and Jahangir Khan, and the great Australian, Geoff Hunt. — AFP

Meanwhile, Australia’s David Palmer, the British Open champion, reached the quarter-finals, and kept alive his hopes of a third world title, with a 11-5, 11-13, 11-3, 12-10 victory over Daryl Selby, the world number 36 from England.

Palmer next faces James Willstrop, the world number three from England, who won 11-7, 13-11, 11-8 against Davide Bianchetti of Italy.

— AFP