French World No.3 Gregory Gaultier and England’s World No.5 Laura Massaro won on finals day at the 2017 Allam British Open, claiming respective wins over Nick Matthew and Sarah-Jane Perry at the World Series tournament held in Hull’s Airco Arena.
Gaultier becomes the oldest player ever to top the PSA World Rankings next month after the 34-year-old recovered from a game down to beat Matthew, capturing his third British Open crown in the process.
Gaultier, who also lifted the sport’s oldest and most established title in 2007 and 2014, will overtake Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy at the summit of the World Rankings and, at 34 years and three months, he eclipses the record of Women’s former World No.1 Sarah-Fitz Gerald by a month after a 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-3 victory saw him take the iconic title.
In the Women’s event, Massaro became the first Englishwoman since Janet Morgan in 1951 to lift the prestigious Allam British Open title on two occasions after she saw off Perry in four games.
Massaro, the 2013 champion, and Perry were contesting the first female all-English British Open final since 1991 after they achieved respective semi-final wins over defending champion Nour El Sherbini and five-time winner Nicol David.
And it was 33-year-old Massaro who imposed her game plan on the encounter to seal the win by an 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6 scoreline.
