12-Sep:
World Champs ominously close ... Draw Analysis from Malcolm Willstrop
With
the PSA world tour at top levels only just swinging back into
action, the World Championships must feel ominously close for the
world's top players. Perhaps looking for appropriate match play or
nursing injuries, five weeks will seem within touching distance.
The publishing of the draw brings it nearer too and as is always the
case, the draws at major events are fascinating and significant.
Three times world champion, Amr Shabana is in a quarter with
a strong Egyptian presence. Omar Mosaad may not yet be ready,
but Wael el Hindi will not lack self-belief.
Ramy Ashour, hopefully injury free, faces Cameron Pilley
in the second round and Peter Barker is in the same quarter.
Ashour will be more at risk should he find himself on outside
courts.
It's welcome back to Nick Matthew, who after nine months out
of action, made a successful return in the Dutch Open. Should he and
Ashour meet in the quarters, as indicated, that will be a match to
see.
World no.2 Gregory Gaultier will have played in Paris
beforehand and although his loss in Egypt in July must have been a
shock, he should come through his quarter.
Potential second round matches that catch the eye besides Ashour v
Pilley are Matthew v Stewart Boswell or Tarek Momen and
John White v James Willstrop, who pulled out of the Dutch with
an ankle injury. Lee Beachill, who suffered a serious injury
in an on court fall, is in the same quarter.
Not for a moment am I suggesting that the quarter finals will be
according to seeding, but if they are the line up will be:
Amr Shabana v Thierry Lincou
Ramy Ashour v Nick Matthew
James Willstrop v David Palmer
Gregory Gaultier v Karim Darwish
That's a line up to satisfy anyone: Shabana looking for his fourth -
in England, where he has not enjoyed great success to date - Lincou
and Palmer, proven but eager to show they are no back numbers. The
others will all be equally keen to stake their claim, representing
the younger end of the world spectrum.
However things work out, Manchester, with its wonderful reputation
for staging squash events, will provide an appropriate setting for
the World Championships and besides the players, there will be many
others, who love the game, who can hardly wait for the first ball to
be struck.
Men's First Round Draw:
[1] Amr Shabana (Egy) v Qualifier
Borja Golan (Esp) v Shawn Delierre (Can)
[9] Wael El Hindi (Egy) v Qualifier
Omar Mosaad (Egy) v Qualifier
[6] Thierry Lincou (Fra) v Amr Swelim (Egy)
Renan Lavigne (Fra) v Qualifier
[10] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) v Tom Richards (Eng)
Hisham Ashour (Egy) v Chris Ryder (Eng)
[4] Ramy Ashour (Egy) v Qualifier
Cameron Pilley (Aus) v Qualifier
[12] Peter Barker (Eng) v Eric Galvez (Mex)
Joey Barrington (Eng) v Aaron Frankcomb (Aus)
[8] Nick Matthew (Eng) v Qualifier
Stewart Boswell (Aus) v Tarek Momen (Egy)
[15] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) v Rafael Alarcon (Bra)
Farhan Mehboob (Pak) v Julien Balbo (Fra)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col) v Qualifier
[16] Olli Tuominen (Fin) v Daryl Selby (Eng)
Jonathan Kemp (Eng) v Jan Koukal (Cze)
[5] David Palmer (Aus) v Qualifier
Davide Bianchetti (Ita) v Qualifier
[13] Lee Beachill (Eng) v Qualifier
John White (Sco) v Mansoor Zaman (Pak)
[3] James Willstrop (Eng) v Qualifier
Alister Walker (Eng) v Julian Illingworth (Usa)
[11] Azlan Iskandar (Mas) v Kashif Shuja (Nzl)
Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak) v Qualifier
[7] Karim Darwish (Egy) v Qualifier
Mohammed Abbas (Egy) v Qualifier
[14] Adrian Grant (Eng) v Omar Abdel Aziz (Egy)
Shahier Razik (Can) v Saurav Ghosal (Ind)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) v Qualifier
With
the PSA world tour at top levels only just swinging back into
action, the World Championships must feel ominously close for the
world's top players. Perhaps looking for appropriate match play or
nursing injuries, five weeks will seem within touching distance.
