22-Dec-03
World Champion Shabana
To Make Super Series Finals Debut
Egypt's Amr Shabana, who was crowned World Open squash champion in
Pakistan on Sunday, will make his debut in next year's Brit Insurance
Super Series Finals, following today's announcement by the PSA of the
final Super Series standings for 2003.
Shabana, whose surprise victory in the final of the $170,000 Bank Alfalah
Men's World Open in Lahore catapulted him from 23rd place to fifth in the
list, is joined by Australia's Joseph Kneipp and England's Nick
Matthew as newcomers to the annual event in London which rewards the
eight players who achieve the most ranking points in the PSA Super Series
events of the previous year.
The full list is:
| # |
Player |
Points |
| 1 |
Thierry Lincou (FRA) |
5,425 |
| 2 |
John White (SCO) |
4,637 |
| 3 |
Peter Nicol (ENG) |
4,218 |
| 4 |
Lee Beachill (ENG) |
3,993 |
| 5 |
Amr Shabana (EGY) |
3,281 |
| 6 |
Joseph Kneipp (AUS) |
2,175 |
| 7 |
Anthony Ricketts (AUS) |
2,168 |
| 8 |
Nick Matthew (ENG) |
1,856 |
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Player Profiles |
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Canada's defending champion Jonathon Power, who
missed the World Open due to an injury to his left hand, also finished the
year with 1,856 points - but Nick Matthew clinched the eighth place ahead
of Power as priority is given to the player who has played most events -
and the Englishman has played in all five events.
Another notable absentee in the 2004 event will be 2002 champion David
Palmer, the former world champion from Australia who missed out on the
PSA Masters in May due to appendix surgery and failed to progress beyond
the last sixteen in Lahore.
Peter Nicol, a three-times Super Series Finals winner, yet a
surprise second round casualty in the World Open, will make a record ninth
successive appearance in the event.
The 2004 Brit Insurance Super Series Finals will take place in a
specially-constructed all-glass court at the Broadgate Arena in London
from 10-14 May.
The five Super Series qualifying events in 2003 were;
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