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As the phenomenal Amr Shabana held aloft his World Open trophy the 1,400 sports fans that had packed into the magnificent purpose built stadium on Turtle Hill rose to acclaim a new sporting idol.

What they had just witnessed was not simply the crowning of a World Champion, but the ascension of the mercurial Egyptian to the status of a 'sporting great'.

Squash's comparatively low profile means that Shabana is unlikely to be spoken of in the same breath as Tiger Woods or Roger Federer.

But anyone who witnessed his demolition of Gregory Gaultier, and certainly those who have seen him reel off four tournament wins on the bounce, believe that he is worthy of similar greatness.

Gaultier - the strutting young Frenchman - had eased into the final with an effortlessness bordering on arrogance.

But he was dismissed by Shabana in a mere 43 minutes - the 'prince of Cairo' raising his game to new heights during a dazzling 3-0 victory.

A couple of rifle-quick volleyed exchanges in the first game drew gasps of appreciation from the crowd, with Gaultier just about hanging in there.

But the wristy Egyptian quickly established dominance - feathering and flicking, like a painter daubing his canvas with elegant brush strokes.

A sublime 'boast' secured the first game 11-7 and from that point there was little the Frenchman could do.

His confidence visibly crumbled and his trademark 'champagne fizz' fell flat as warm beer while Shabana continued to produce a series of outrageous winners from all over the court.

Boasting and dropping to marvellous effect, he knocked his opponent out of his stride, easing 'exhibition style' to an 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 win.

Frustrated, almost on the point of tears, Gaultier flung his racket across the court at the conclusion of the match before quickly composing himself and embracing the new champion.

It was Shabana's fifth tournament success in six weeks, the 20th tour title of his career and his third World Open title - elevating him among a select band of players to have claimed the crown three times.

It all looked a little too comfortable at times - his easy grace revealing little of his tortuous training schedule, including lung-scorching runs on desert sand dunes. Unable to wipe the impish grin from his face, he reflected: "I don't think I have ever played as well as that."

He went on to hail the tournament as 'year zero' for squash, heaping praise on the Bermuda organizing committee for putting on an event, which showed the sport at it's best.

Shabana added: "This should be year zero for squash. All future tournaments should take this as a starting point and build from there."

In his words was a subtle call for recognition. Outside of the squash media, the Egyptian press and a few column inches next to the crossword puzzles in the U.K. papers, Shabana's victory will gain little attention.

Tournament director Ross Triffitt admitted he'd written larger cheques to many of the vendors over the course of the week than the $26,000 he signed for the winner.

"The players deserve a lot more recognition. The amount of training they put in....they're not rewarded like other athletes."

Everyone involved with the sport feels they have a 'great product' and cannot understand why the likes of golf and tennis dominate the television schedules and mainstream media to such a degree.

Both Shabana and Triffitt believe it is down to marketing and promotion.

With more tournaments like the one put on by the Bermuda team, better television deals and more prize money, they believe interest would increase exponentially.

After the past week's entertainment it is hard to disagree.[[In-content Ad]]

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