After becoming world number one for the first time January 2004 ?confirming his status as the most successful French squash player of all-time - Thierry Lincou has continued to assert himself as a major force on the international squash circuit. Four further PSA titles in 2006, culminating with a successful defence of his Pakistan Open crown in November, brought the 30-year-old from Marseille's career Tour tally to 18 titles from 32 final appearances!

Despite keeping his first world No1 ranking for only the first two months of 2004, Lincou went on to capture four major titles: the Super Series Finals in London, the Hong Kong Open, and the Canadian Classic in Toronto (beating home hero Jonathon Power in the final).

Lincou first stepped onto the winner's rostrum in 2006 when he clinched the Canary Wharf Classic title in February, upsetting favorite Anthony Ricketts in the final ?but, perhaps more significantly, ending a ten-year run of defeats by Peter Nicol by beating the Englishman he calls his 'role model' in the semi-finals!

He reached his first British Open final in September - doing so by ending Palmer's two-year reign as champion in the semi-finals - then beat fellow countryman Gaultier for the fourth time in the year in the Pakistan Open final in Islamabad.