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Amr Shabana & Nicol David Aim For High Fives In Hong Kong
Amr
Shabana
and Nicol David will be gunning for their fifth successive
titles at the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong
Squash Open when the world’s top players return for one of the
biggest annual sporting events in Hong Kong from 23-29 August.
Nicol
David, the world number one from Malaysia, is seeded to claim a
record fifth women's title in the $74,000 Women’s International
Squash Players' Association (WISPA) Gold event - while Shabana,
the third seed from Egypt, will be hoping to equal the record five
titles in a row won by legendary Pakistani Jansher Khan from
1987 to 1991 in the $147,500 PSA World Tour championship, the
fifth PSA Super Series event of the year.
The
early round matches will take place at Hong Kong Squash Centre
in Admiralty before the tournament moves across the harbour to
Diamond Hill in Kowloon for the semi-finals and finals,
which will be held in a specially erected, state-of-the-art,
all-glass court at Plaza Hollywood. Players will be given a
brand new experience of playing in front of the big crowds that
visit the shopping mall - one of the busiest in Hong Kong.
England's new world number one Nick Matthew, who was forced
to withdraw from the 2009 event with an ankle injury, is top
seed in the men's event. Runner-up in 2004, the 29-year-old from
Sheffield faces a qualifier in the opening round before a predicted
semi-final confrontation with title-holder Shabana.
Nicol
David opens her 2010 campaign against England's Sarah Kippax
and is expected to face English rival Jenny Duncalf, the
world No2, in the women's final.
Speaking after the draws were made, Hong Kong Squash Chairman
David Mui said: "Special thanks to our joint-title sponsors
Cathay Pacific Airways and Sun Hung Kai Financial, whose support has
contributed greatly to our success. I would also like to thank our
co-sponsors: Crocodile, Prince, Perrier, Fujifilm, Buler Swiss
Watch, Lotus Tours and Plaza Hollywood.
"We are
delighted that we attracted all the world best players including our
local players, Annie Au, Rebecca Chiu, Joey Chan, Dick Lau and Max
Lee, who will, I am sure, have the full support of the home crowd."
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