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23-Jul-04:
Cathay Pacific Squash Open
returns with sparkling line-up
The Cathay Pacific Squash Open 2004 is set to welcome and bring
first-class men players from all four corners of the world to Hong Kong
for the competition, to be held at the Hong Kong Squash Centre and Hong
Kong Park Sports Centre on August 29 – September 5.
Sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways, subvented by Leisure and
Cultural Services Department, and sanctioned by the PSA, the
tournament is the longest running single sponsor tournament in the world
game. Top players from around the world including England, Australia,
Canada, Pakistan, Malaysia and Egypt will fly in to compete for world
ranking points and prize money totaling US$100,000.
The event has had only eight champions in 18 years, yet only two men,
Jansher Khan from 1987 to 1991 and from 94 to 95, and Peter Nicol
from 1999 to 2000, have managed to successfully defend the title.
London-based Nicol, 31, has now held the No. 1 spot for three successive
months – after regaining the position in May, four months after Frenchman
Thierry Lincou ended his two-year unbroken reign at the top. Lincou is at
three in the list, behind England’s Lee Beachill. Nicol is seeking to
retain the Championship title and his World No. 1 ranking.
98 Champion, Jonathan Power’s performances have been disappointing this
year, four out of five events losing in the semi-finals. Canada’s Power is
3-times runner-up in this event and moves to sixth place in the July list,
behind 2001 Champion, Australia’s David Palmer at four and Scotland’s John
White at five. By contrast, Malaysia’s former world No. 7 Ong Beng Hee –
winner of his third successive Asian Championship title last month,
crashed out of the top twenty to end an unbroken period in the list since
making his debut in January 2001. Ong reached the top 8 here in 2002
losing to Australia’s Stewart Boswell in the quarter-finals.
New Scoring System
There is a new scoring system that will be launched at the Hong Kong Open
from the current 15 points per game, with a point for each rally
('point-a-rally' or PAR), to games of 11 points (PAR), with a requirement
for a two clear point margin to win the game if players reach 10-all.
Matches will continue to be the best of five games. From this event
onwards all PSA sanctioned tournaments must use the new scoring system.
"As Hong Kong's airline, Cathay Pacific is committed to bringing the best
of the world's sporting events to Hong Kong to help make our hometown the
event capital of Asia. The Cathay Pacific Squash Open 2004 will give Hong
Kong people a chance to see the world's best squash players in action." –
Mr. Charlie Stewart-Cox, General Manager, Marketing of Cathay Pacific
Airways Ltd.
Entrants from Hong Kong in this year’s tournament include world no. 111
Wong Wai-hang who has received a wild card as a direct entry into the main
draw. Other players including no.144 Roger Ngan Lun-cheung and promising
junior, Max Lee Ho-yin. Wong was the runner-up in last year’s Buler Squash
Challenge Cup losing to world no. 91, Callum O’Brien of New Zealand. He is
not in the list this year, but an impressive number of top international
players will be coming to Hong Kong for the Open.
“There’s been a lot of movement in the world’s top ten recently so all the
players will be fighting hard for ranking points here. I’m sure the fans
will enjoy every round of the competition,” - Mr. David Mui, Chairman of
Hong Kong Squash. |
TICKETS
Mr. Charlie Stewart-Cox, General Manager,
Marketing of Cathay Pacific Airways shake hand with Mr. David Mui,
Chairman of HK Squash
Mr. David MUI supports two HK players,
(left) Wong Wai-hang who will meet world no. 1 Peter Nicol in the first
round and Roger Ngan Lun-cheung who will enter the qualifying draw on 29th
Aug.
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