10-Oct:
Willstrop
ready for
Biggest Challenge ...
Howard Harding reports
England number one James Willstrop prepares to lead home
interest in next week’s Hi-Tec World Squash Championships –
Manchester 2008, acknowledging that “it’s probably one of the
biggest events I’ll ever play in”.
The championships, the first in the UK to combine both the Men's
World Open and Women's World Open, will be held at the
world-renowned National Squash Centre at Sportcity in Manchester,
from 11-19 October.
Willstrop, the 25-year-old world number three from Leeds, is third
seed in the men’s event - and keen to become only the second man in
history to add the senior title to the World Junior Championship
crown he won six years ago.
The Yorkshireman’s preparations have been hampered by an ankle
injury – but, despite losing at the semi-final stage in the
Internationaux de France
last month, Willstrop was happy with his performance in France’s
equivalent of the British Open.
 “The
ankle is OK – I’ve worked hard on it with my Physio and it feels
fine. I’ve done everything I can,” explained the top-ranked
Englishman. “If anything, what happened in France enhanced my plans
– I wanted some good games and I got them.
“I was very pleased with the way I played against Borja (Golan) –
he’s one of those players pushing on the door and he played really
well.
“But the World Open is where the focus is – it’s the biggest event
we’ve got to play. It’s so special – it’s probably one of the
biggest events I’ll ever play in.
“I know it’s a bit of a cliché – but I really just want to enjoy it.
But I must be much more relaxed than I was last year in Bermuda. I
want to revel in it and make the atmosphere work.
“But I’m not going there to lose,” Willstrop emphasised.
With Squash looking to achieve its long-awaited wish to be part of
the Olympic Games programme, delegates from the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) will visit the Manchester World
Championships as part of the process which will lead to a decision
for the 2016 Games being made next year.
“I don’t understand what more we can do to convince the IOC that our
sport deserves to be in the Games,” urged Willstrop. “We can’t give
them anymore than we’ll give them in Manchester – the tournament
will be outrageously good. This is the best place to see it.
“Squash is an ABSOLUTE Olympic sport – it’s physical and mental and
requires speed and agility. And it’s a ‘minority’ sport – which is
what I believe the Olympics should be all about.”
When asked if he feels under any pressure, leading home interest in
Manchester, Willstrop replied: “I don’t sit around thinking about
it. You have that all the time as the world number three. I’m used
to pressure – it’s part of sport. But I’m pleased to be at the top
of the pile – especially knowing that there is a good group of
English players behind me.”
And on winning the title, Willstrop said: “It’s an incredible
thought – there wouldn’t be anything that would top that feeling.
It’s a feeling someone’s going to experience – but it’s such a
massive task.
“To be world champion in your own backyard would be phenomenal!”
Willstrop begins his 2008 World Championship campaign with a first
round match against a qualifier. Men’s favourite Amr Shabana, the
world number one from Egypt seeking to become only the fourth player
in history to win the World Open title for a fourth time, also faces
a qualifier in the opening round.
In the women’s event, world number one Nicol David is favourite to
reclaim the title she lost to Australian Rachael Grinham last year.
The two-time champion from Malaysia takes on compatriot Sharon Wee
in the first round.
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