Alan Thatcher
Previews
EGYPTIAN STARLET SET TO THRILL CROWDS
A
NEW ERA is dawning in top-class professional squash, and London crowds are
drooling at the prospect of seeing the amazing young Egyptian Ramy Ashour
(left) in action at the ISS Canary Wharf Squash Classic in March.
Ashour has
rocketed into the world top six after a devastating rise through the
rankings in the past six months. And former world champion Peter Nicol is
looking forward to seeing the precocious 19-year-old parade his dazzling
skills on the all-glass Harris Brushes Procourt inside the East Wintergarden
atrium at Canary Wharf from March 19-23.
Ashour has
begun the year in tremendous style, winning the Canadian Classic in Toronto
and reaching the semi-finals of the Chicago Open.
Ashour
overcame Australia’s world champion David Palmer in straight games in the
Toronto final and Canary Wharf co-promoter Nicol said: “Ramy is working hard
and he is immensely talented. To achieve results like those is simply
astonishing for such a young man. He has developed at an amazing rate,
physically, tactically and mentally.
“He
retained the world junior title a few months ago and has made an incredible
impact in his first full season on the senior professional circuit.
“He has
just gone on court and shown he has got what it takes to beat the top guys
in the world, and you cannot underestimate the immense physical ability he
has developed.
“What most
people love about him is his personality. He clearly loves what he is doing,
he plays with a smile on his face most of the time and is an exceptional
young man.”
That’s
high praise indeed from a professional thoroughbred like Nicol, who
dominated the sport for most of the past decade, much of which was defined
by his intense rivalry with Canadian Jonathan Power.
Now both
have retired there is immense competition at the top of the rankings.
Ashour’s compatriot Amr Shabana has taken over the top spot in a top ten
that boasts a third Egyptian, Karim Darwish, who reached the semi-finals at
Canary Wharf last season.
Reigning
Canary Wharf champion Thierry Lincou is no longer even the leading Frenchman
in the PSA world rankings, with his compatriot, the stylish Gregory Gaultier,
now one place above him at number three.
Gaultier
was runner-up in the World Open in Egypt in September, losing to Palmer in
an open-air amphitheatre in front of the Great Pyramids, having earlier
removed top seed Shabana. He repeated that success when he achieved a major
career milestone by winning the US Open in November, beating Shabana in the
final in Boston.
The 2006
ISS Canary Wharf runner-up, Australia’s Anthony Ricketts, is looking to go
one better this year. He reached the final in Chicago, having finally put a
stop to Ashour’s charge in the semi-finals, but lost in straight games to a
supercharged Shabana.
The ISS
Canary Wharf Classic line-up is sure to provide a mouthwatering feast of
squash and the joint promoters, Eventis Sports Marketing and SquashUK, are
looking forward to a further week of sell-out crowds.
As well as
seating round the all-glass Harris Brushes Procourt, superb corporate
hospitality packages are available with spectators able to wine, dine and
watch the action from the best vantage point in any squash arena, the
Gallery restaurant at the East Wintergarden.
GIFT WRAPPED, THE WORLD’S LEADING SQUASH
STARS
Sports fans searching for the
perfect Christmas present can gift-wrap the ideal seasonal offering, tickets
for the star-studded ISS Canary Wharf Squash Classic.
The world’s leading squash stars will be competing in this dazzling sports
event, with action on the all-glass Harris Brushes Procourt inside the
stunning East Wintergarden atrium at Canary Wharf from March 19-23.
Co-promoter Peter Nicol, the former world champion, said: “I can’t think of
a better gift for the sports fan, whether they are a squash player or not.”
Tickets can be booked from the
Ticket Hotline 0870 534 4444, or online at
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Nicol added: “We are all
looking forward to the next ISS Canary Wharf tournament in March. We have
fantastic sponsors who have enabled us to develop the tournament into a real
London showpiece featuring the sport at its very best in a superb venue.
“Squash is a fantastic spectator sport, combing physical and mental agility
from the players, with a mixture of dazzling skill, powerful, attacking
shots and breathtaking retrieving.
“The top speed for hitting a squash ball was recorded at Canary Wharf two
years ago when Scotland’s John White was timed bashing the ball at a
phenomenal 172mph. That’s more than 20mph faster than the top speed recorded
in tennis.”
Nicol, who retired earlier this year after dominating the squash world for a
decade, added: “To retrieve the ball travelling at that pace you have to
react incredibly quickly. I’m just glad I don’t have to put my body through
that any more!”
This season’s competition is again a Five-Star ranking tournament on the PSA
world circuit, thereby guaranteeing the presence of the world’s top players.
Frenchman Thierry Lincou is looking forward to retaining his ISS title after
a successful year in the UK in which he collected a hat-trick of major
tournament wins, including the Liverpool Open and Mamut English Open in
Sheffield.
However, Nicol knows that competition will be tough. He added: “When you
look at the world top ten there are so many fine players – David Palmer and
Anthony Ricketts from Australia, Amr Shabana, Ramy Ashour and Karim Darwish
from Egypt, Lincou and Gregory Gaultier from France, plus the British
contingent of James Willstrop, Lee Beachill and new British Open champion
Nick Matthew, who are all capable of winning any event.
“It all comes down to who feels fit and fresh, who is playing well and who
can play consistently well in any part of the world.
“With that kind of quality line-up, we are all looking forward to another
fantastic tournament.”
As well as seating round the all-glass Harris Brushes Procourt, superb
corporate hospitality packages are available with spectators able to wine,
dine and watch the action from the best vantage point in any squash arena,
the Gallery restaurant at the East Wintergarden.
ISS CANARY WHARF SQUASH CLASSIC:
A REAL TREAT FOR SPORTS FANS
Sports fans searching for the perfect Christmas present can gift-wrap the
ideal seasonal offering, tickets for the star-studded ISS Canary Wharf
Squash Classic.
The world’s leading squash stars will be competing in this dazzling sports
event, with action on the all-glass Harris Brushes Procourt inside the
stunning East Wintergarden atrium at Canary Wharf from March 19-23.
Co-promoter Peter Nicol, the former world champion, said: “I can’t think
of a better gift for the sports fan, whether they are a squash player or
not.”
Tickets can be booked from the Ticket Hotline 0870 534 4444, or online at
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Further information from Alan Thatcher
Tel: 07971 639 829
Email:
alan@squashuk.com
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