Egypt’s world number 17, the world champion in 2016, stunned world number two and England’s Mohamed ElShorbagy to become the first unseeded player since Australian Rodney Martin in 1991.

Following a quarter-final win over world number one Diego Elias of Peru, Abdel Gawad recorded a dramatic 10-12, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7 victory in 74 minutes to end ElShorbagy’s hopes of overtaking Elias in the world rankings next week.

Abdel Gawad said he was "over the moon" after his triumph at Union Station, which sets up a final against compatriot Ali Farag, the fourth seed.

Farag beat top seed and fellow Egyptian Mostafa Asal 11-5, 11-8, 11-13, 11-2, to reach a fourth successive World Championship final.

The women’s final will also be an all-Egypt affair between the top two players in the draw Nouran Gohar and Nour El Sherbini.

Top seed Gohar was made to battle for her place in the final overcoming compatriot Hania El Hammamy in the equal longest women’s World Championship match of all time, as the contest lasted 105 minutes.

Gohar triumphed 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 14-12, saving three match balls en route to her third World Championship final.

In the final she will face world number one El Sherbini, who became the first woman in the sport’s history to reach nine World Championship finals.

El Sherbini sealed her place in the final with an 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-4 victory against New Zealand’s Joelle King.

The finals are due to take place tomorrow.