The women’s semi-finals also saw the 2016 winner Nour El Sherbini fall by the wayside at the tournament.

Gaultier, the 2015 world champion, produced an excellent performance in the early stages of his clash with Elshorbagy.

He took the opening games 12-10, 11-9 to stand on the brink of eliminating the top seed, but world number one Elshorbagy typically found a response to haul himself back level in the contest.

The victory would ultimately go to the Frenchman, with Gaultier triumphing in a nervy final game to finish as a 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-7 winner.

"I felt my glute go during my match with Tarek Momen and it was sore this morning - but after warming up today it was fine and I had no problem in those first two games," said Gaultier.

"In the third game I could feel it tighten and then at 8-7 that decision should have gone my way and I lost my dynamic.

"I could have gone through to win 3-0 and then it was 2-2.

"At that point I just wanted to shake hands – I was in a lot of pain."

Gaultier will face another Egyptian in the final, with world champion Karim Abdel Gawad securing a straight games 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 win over England’s James Willstrop in the second semi-final.

Gawad will be the only chance of Egyptian success, after El Sherbini fell to a 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6 loss in the first women’s semi-final.

The defending champion was beaten by France’s Camille Serme, who will compete in the final for the first time in New York.

She will take on Laura Massaro, who emerged as a straight games victor in an all-English semi-final.

The 2014 runner-up won 11-6, 11-6, 11-9 against Sarah-Jane Perry, who will look back on impressive triumphs over Egypt’s Raneem El Welily and American Amanda Sobhy early in the event.