21-Mar:
CWC COUNTDOWN:
SQUASH AMPHITHEATRE
TAKES SHAPE ...
Alan Thatcher
reports from Canary Wharf
With less than two days to go to the start of the Canary Wharf Squash
Classic, the East Wintergarden venue is a hive of activity.
Sunday strollers at Canary Wharf stopped and watched in amazement as a
Perspex court took shape before their eyes and the courtside seating was
erected.
Under the watchful eye of co-promoter Tim Garner, the
Thunderdome court arrived from Belgium and the crew began unloading
the crates carrying the Perspex panels.
It was a far from easy process as gale-force winds battered the area and
made safe handling the order of the day. Once the scaffold trolleys were
erected, Peter de Peuter and his team began building the court in the
middle of the East Wintergarden's marble floor.
The front wall is positioned close to the external windows so that
passers-by can look in and catch a free glimpse of the action taking place
on court.
Around 500 seats were installed on Sunday afternoon, with more room for
viewing upstairs on the mezzanine level for sponsors, guests and corporate
hospitality clients.
The East Wintergarden is fully equipped with a modern stage lighting
system so we are looking forward to some exciting special effects once
play gets under way on Tuesday, with inter-match and presentation music
mixed by our very own Peter Nicol.
The one good thing about his second round departure from the
Bermuda Open was that
it gave Peter time to fly home early and burn some favourite tracks on to
CDs.
Monday will be rehearsal day, and also the day when the exhibition stands
are brought in under the direction of Peter Monkhouse of the popular
Squashdiscount company.
Final dressing of the East Wintergarden takes place on Tuesday and the
players will come in for their first practice hits to get a feel of the
court and the venue.
All of the guys have just flown back from Bermuda, and some are still in
mid-air as I write, so they will naturally have to get used to a cooler
climate.
However, players and spectators will be warm and comfortable inside the
East Wintergarden. The first serious action takes place on Tuesday
lunchtime, with opening match in the Canary Wharf Corporate Challenge
between Trinity Mirror and Waitrose.
The Wharf, the free newspaper distributed at Canary Wharf, is part
of the Trinity Mirror group and their support of the event has been
absolutely fantastic. Editor Dan Bourke and his team have been a pleasure
to work with and this week we were delighted when they dedicated the
entire centre spread to the event, as well as a large graphic on the front
page, their weekly countdown article on the back page, and a further story
and picture inside on the Corporate Classic.
Reporter Alan Lodge got a taste of squash on the inflatable court inside
the Jubilee Place shopping mall last week and we are looking forward to
his first lesson on the Perspex in a couple of days' time.
With Angus Kirkland, the third member of the Eventis Sports
Marketing team along with Tim and Peter, pulling the strings from back
home in Dublin, the four of us hope we have left nothing to chance when
the curtain goes up on Tuesday with the opening match between David
Palmer and top seed John White.
The last time they played on The Thunderdome court was in the
2002 World Open
final in Antwerp, when Whitey went for a big nick on match ball, and
just failed to get it. Palmer hit back to win an epic match 3-2 and
cemented his place as one of the greats of the modern era.
Whitey, after a spell spent licking his wounds early last year, has
finally made it to the world number one slot, so you could hardly ask for
a more exciting and entertaining match to launch the tournament.
Palmer, of course, will be in a hurry to finish matters as he will also be
in action in Birmingham on the same evening, playing for Edgbaston Priory
in the
National League semi-final play-off against Broxbourne.
With this in mind, we are anxious to start actual play promptly at 6pm,
so the presentation and knock up will begin six minutes earlier. Therefore
our advice to all spectators is simple: Get there early!
TUESDAY (Day ONE) SCHEDULE:
6pm: John White v David Palmer
7pm: Thierry Lincou v Nick Matthew
8pm: Peter Nicol v Ong Beng He
9pm: Lee Beachill v James Willstrop
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Ticket Hotline:
020 7418 2201
Venue Box office
ONLINE TICKET SALES
HAVE NOW CEASED
Mapping
it out ...
Down goes the floor ...
Up go the walls ...
It's getting there ...
Let there be light ...
Finishing touches ...
Job done! Have a
rest, boys!
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