Despite the absence of the injured Greg Gaultier, France were top seeds as they sought a fourth title in five years, but although their top-ranked player Gregoire Marche got them off to a winning start they lost 2-1.

France’s opponents in tomorrow’s bronze medal match will be Scotland, beaten 3-0 by an England team bidding to claim back the title they have won 40 out of 46 times since the tournament’s inception in 1973.

Meanwhile, England’s women are just one match away from defending their title.

The top seeds will play second seeds France in tomorrow’s final, having won their semi-final against Belgium 3-0.

France advanced with a 2-1 win over Scotland.

Meanwhile top seeds Saurav Ghosal and Annie Au remained on track for glory in the men’s and women’s events, respectively, by winning their quarter-final matches at the Asian Individual Squash Championships in Kuala Lumpur.

India’s Ghosal overwhelmed home favourite Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 at the Malaysian capital’s National Squash Centre, Bukit Jalil.

Ghosal plays seventh seed Ng Eain Yow of Malaysia in today’s semi-finals, while the other semi-final will be an all Hong Kong affair between second seed Yip Tsz Fung and fourth seed Leo Au, last year’s Asian Games champion, who won this title in 2015.

The first women’s quarter-final also featured two Hong Kong players, with top seed Annie Au beating Liu Tsz Ling 12-10, 12-10, 11-5 to earn a semi-final meeting with Malaysia’s fourth seed, Low Wee Wem.

The other semi-final features Wem’s compatriot Sivasangari Subramanium and Joshna Chinappa, the second seed from India.