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Shabana & Atkinson
Win Tournament of Champions Titles
After seven days of
sell-out crowds and 13 sessions of play at Grand Central Terminal in
New York, the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions men's final
heralded the arrival of the next generation of men's squash champions when
Amr Shabana defeated Nick Matthew in three games. Defending
champion Vanessa Atkinson secured her second women's crown with a 3/1
victory over Natalie Grainger.
Third seed Shabana was
certainly the favourite going into the evening's final against ninth seed
Nick Matthew of England. The gifted Egyptian had won five of his last eight
PSA Tour events and all week had made the task of defeating the top
players in the game look effortless. The final match was no exception as
Shabana needed just 40 minutes to secure his first Bear Stearns Tournament
of Champions title in an 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 scoreline.
Matthew's game plan
had been simple: he wanted to get in front of his opponent and take the
middle of the court just as he had all week in making his way to the finals.
He didn't give me an inch' said Matthew after the match. Halfway through
the second game, I had to throw my game plan out the window. Shabana was
just twisting and turning me all around the court.
Shabana said that he knew he
had to be 'good' against Matthew: "Because he'll volley everything he
can. 'Good' was an understatement for the quality of play exhibited by
the left-handed Egyptian in the tournament's last match, just as it had been
most of the week. Every aspect of the Shabana game was in precise working
order “ his length was perfect, he moved easily to cover all balls and
after waiting patiently for the opportune moment to shoot, executed his
shots perfectly.
In the seven years
that Shabana has competed at the Tournament of Champions, the crowds have
been treated to flashes of his brilliance but he had never sustained the
quality of play long enough to get past the semi-finals. This year's final
was the realisation of the potential that has been evident for more than a
decade. The decisive victory by the 26-year-old from Cairo heralded the
arrival of the player worthy of inheriting the mantle of the two champions -
Peter Nicol and Jonathon Power - who between them had won
this tournament seven times.
It is nice to be able
to win this championship after all these years' said Shabana, referring to
the fact that he started competing in the tournament of Champions as a
16-year-old. I've always had my eye on this tournament because it is one of
the majors and it has such a great history. All the great players have won
it “ Jansher Khan, Peter Nicol and Jonathon Power. It was entirely fitting
that the championship trophy was presented to Shabana by his sometime
training partner Jonathon Power, who had announced his retirement
from the PSA Tour earlier in the day.
In the women's draw,
top-seed Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands won her third consecutive tour
title of the year, defeating No3 seed Natalie Grainger by playing an
attacking game. The sell-out crowd in the stands under the massive gilt
chandeliers got to see two of the purest hitters in the women's game vie for
North America's most prestigious title. Both players were on a bit of a
comeback trail. The 29-year-old Atkinson had stumbled through a confidence
slump at the end of 2005 and 28-year-old Grainger had suffered a series of
year end injuries which sidelined her from the women's tour.
As she has all week,
Grainger started the match like a high speed train, storming out to a 4-0
lead. Natalie is the best pure hitter in the game and it is not unusual for
her to get off to a fast start like that' said Atkinson after the match.
But I have seen her do that often enough that it didn't worry me because I
know she is not going to keep up that pace.¯ Indeed, the Dutchwoman turned
the first game in her favour, winning 9-6. Grainger stormed out again in
the second, taking a 7-1 lead, and on her fourth game ball won the game 9-7.
The second game win
for Grainger did not dent Atkinson's confidence. The big difference in my
game from a year ago is that I feel quite confident that I can go on and win
even when I am not playing great matches' said the player who has been known
to have a fragile psyche. When Atkinson stepped up her attack in the third
and fourth games, Grainger started to visibly tire and the defending
champion won the third and fourth games with relative ease 9-3, 9-4 to hold
onto her title.
I am particularly
happy to have won this tournament for a second time because it shows I now
have a consistency that has been lacking in my game' said Atkinson. And I
love winning here at Grand Central. I am a city girl and what better city is
there than New York!¯
Official website:
www.tocsquash.com
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.
Men's Draw
.
Women's Draw
.
Reports
.
Previews
. From
the Organisers |
Tournament of Champions 2006
winners
Amr Shabana Lifts the 2006 ToC title
Vanessa Atkinson wins
her second ToC crown
|
Tournament
of Champions
2006
MEN'S DRAW |
Round
One
Feb 25/26 |
Round Two
Feb 27 |
Quarters
Mar 01 |
Semis
Mar 02 |
Final
Mar 03 |
[1] David
Palmer (Aus)
11-4, 11-7, 11-8 (31m)
[Q] Simon Parke (Eng) |
David Palmer
11/8, 11/6, 9/6 rtd (41m)
Karim Darwish |
Karim Darwish
11/3, 9/11, 11/9, 5/11, 11/10(4-2) (75m)
Lee Beachill |
Karim Darwish
11/10(3-1), 11/9, 11/7 (39m)
Amr Shabana |
Amr Shabana
11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (40m)
Nick Matthew |
[12] Karim
Darwish (Egy)
11-7, 11-6, 11-8
Shahier Razik (Can) |
[8] Lee
Beachill (Eng)
11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4 (39m)
Joe Kneipp (Aus) |
Lee Beachill
7/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/3 (54m)
Graham Ryding |
[15]
Graham Ryding (Can)
11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 11-5 (58m)
[Q] Borja Golan (Esp) |
[3] Amr
Shabana (Egy)
11/8, 11/3, 11/4 (31m)
Wael El Hindi (Egy) |
Amr Shabana
11/6, 6/11, 11/5, 11/4 (31m)
Olli Tuominen |
Amr Shabana
11/5, 5/11, 11/9, 11/4 (55m)
Thierry Lincou |
[13] Olli
Tuominen (Fin)
11/5, 9/11, 11/4, 9/11, 11/5 (80m)
LJ Anjema (Ned) |
[5]
Thierry Lincou (Fra)
11/4, 11/4, 11/2 (33m)
Peter Barker (Eng) |
Thierry Lincou
11/7, 11/7, 11/7 (55m)
John White |
[10] John
White (Sco)
11/8, 9/11, 11/6, 11/9 (54m)
Renan Lavigne (Fra) |
[Q] Mark
Chaloner (Eng)
3/11, 11/5, 11/2, 11/2 (36m)
[14] Stewart Boswell (Aus) |
Stewart Boswell
11/5, 11/5, 11/8 (48m)
Peter Nicol |
Peter Nicol
7/11, 11/4, 8/11, 11/9, 11/6 (90m)
Gregory Gaultier |
Gregory Gaultier
11/9, 5/11, 11/5, 11/7 (80m)
Nick Matthew |
Cameron
Pilley (Aus)
11/4, 9/11, 11/3, 11/10(2-0) (58m)
[7] Peter Nicol (Eng) |
[Q]
Bernardo Samper (Col)
11/7, 11/3, 11/7 (31m)
[11] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) |
Gregory Gaultier
11/8, 11/7, 6/11, 11/1 (64m)
Anthony Ricketts |
[Q] Liam
Kenny (Irl)
11/3, 11/8, 8/11, 11/6 (53m)
[4] Anthony Ricketts (Aus) |
[Q] Mark
Heather (Eng)
11/8, 11/8, 11/7 (38m)
[9] Nick Matthew (Eng) |
Nick Matthew
11/9, 11/10(2-0), 11/8 (53m)
James Willstrop |
Nick Matthew
10/11(0-2), 10/11(1-3), 11/9, 11/5, 11/8
Jonathon Power |
Mohammed
Abbas (Egy)
11/8, 11/8, 11/7
[6] James Willstrop (Eng) |
[Q] Simon
Rosner (Ger)
11/8, 9/11, 11/4, 11/6 (53m)
[16] Alex Gough (Wal) |
Alex Gough
11/9, 11/10(2-0), 11/7 (69m)
Jonathon Power |
[Q]
Matthew Giuffre (Can) Sun
11/1, 11/0, 11/1 (16m)
[2] Jonathon Power (Can) |
Qualifying
24th
Feb
[1] Simon Parke
(Eng) bt Ben Gould (Aus) 11-7, 8-11, 11-2, 11-10(3-1)
[8] Mark Heather (Eng) bt
Shawn DeLierre (Can) 11-10(4-2), 6-11, 11-10(31), 10-11(3-1), 11-9 [3] Mark Chaloner (Eng)
bt Yasser El Halaby (Egy) 11-6, 10-11(3-1), 11-9, 11-1
Bernardo Samper (Col)
bt
[7] Eric Galvez (Mex) 11-7, 11-7, 11-9
[5] Matthew Giuffre (Can) bt Clive Leach (Eng) 9-11, 11-5,
11-10(3-1), 11-2
[4] Borja Golan (Esp) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
[6] Liam Kenny (Irl) bt Alex Stait (Eng) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7,
11-5
Simon Rosner (Ger) bt [2] Dan Jenson (Aus) 11-10(2-0), 11-3,
9-11, 11-5
23rd Feb:
Simon Parke
(ENG) bt David Phillips(CAN)11-7, 11-3, 11-6 Ben Gould (AUS) bt
Ryan Donegan (USA) 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6 Mark Heather
(ENG) bt Jonny Smith (USA) 11-6, 11-4, 11-10 (4-2) Shawn
Delierre (CAN) bt Robert McFadzean (USA) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
Mark Chaloner (ENG) bt Kumail Mehmood (PAK) 11-7, 11-4,
11-10 (3-1) Yasser El Halaby (EGY) bt Laurent Elriani (FRA)
11-7, 11-7, 11-7 Eric Galvez (MEX) bt Patrick Bedore (CAN)
11-5, 11-2, 11-10 Bernardo Samper (COL) bt Dylan
Patterson (USA) 11-8, 9-11, 11-2, 11-4 Clive Leach (ENG)
bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-4
Matthew Giuffre (CAN) bt Siddharth Suchde (IND) 9-11,
11-7, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5 Miguel Angel Rodriguez
(COL) bt Karim Yehia (EGY) 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4 Borja
Golan (ESP) bt Damien Mudge (AUS) 10-11 (0-2), 11-5,
11-5, 11-2 Alex Stait (ENG) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-10 Liam Kenny (IRL) bt Ahmed Maged
Hamza (EGY) 11-10 (2-0), 11-3, 11-7 Simon Rosner
(GER) bt Jay Fleishman (CAN) 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 Dan Jenson
(AUS) bt Paul Davis (AUS) 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 |
Tournament
of Champions
2006
WOMEN'S DRAW |
Round One
Feb 28 |
Quarters
Mar 01 |
Semis
Mar 02 |
Final
Mar 03 |
[1]
Vanessa Atkinson (Ned)
9/4, 9/1, 7/9, 9/0 (40m)
[Q] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Eng) |
Vanessa Atkinson
9/7, 10/8, 9/3 (46m)
Tania Bailey |
Vanessa Atkinson
9/3, 10/8, 9/10, 9/7 (38m)
Linda Elriani |
Vanessa Atkinson
9-6, 7-9, 9-3, 9-4 (43m)20.30
Natalie
Grainger
|
[6] Tania
Bailey (Eng)
9/7, 9/2, 9/0 (33m)
Annelize Naude (Ned) |
[4] Linda
Elriani (Eng)
9/1, 9/1, 9/1 (31m)
[Q] Pamela Nimmo (Sco) |
Linda Elriani
10/8, 2/9, 9/6, 9/4 (55m)
Omneya
Abdel Kawy |
[5] Omneya
Abdel Kawy (Egy)
9/5, 9/5, 10/8 (27m)
Alison Waters (Eng) |
Laura
Lengthorn (Eng)
9/6, 9/2, 9/2 (20m)
[7] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) |
Laura Lengthorn
5/9, 10/8, 9/3, 9/0 (35m)
Natalie Grainger |
Natalie Grainger
9/0, 7/9, 0/9, 9/4, 9/1 (58m)
Madeline Perry |
[Q] Fiona
Geaves (Eng)
9/0, 9/2, 9/5 (27m)
[3] Natalie Grainger (Usa) |
[Q] Becky
Botwright (Eng)
9/0, 9/2, 9/1
[8] Madeline Perry (Irl) |
Madeline Perry
3/9, 9/4, 9/3, 2/9, 9/4 (42m)
Vicky Botwright |
Isabelle
Stoehr (Fra)
10/9, 9/6, 9/5 (45m)
[2] Vicky Botwright (Eng) |
Qualifying
Finals, 27th February 2006 :
Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt
Britt Hebden (USA) 9-0, 9-3, 9-0 (18m), Samantha Teran (MEX) bt Katie
Patrick (CAN) 9-0, 9-1, 9-4 (30m), Latasha Khan (USA) bt Nicolette
Fernandes (GUY) 9-4, 9-4, 9-6 (48m), Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt
Manuela Manetta (ITA) 9-5, 9-4, 9-3 (32m), Runa Reta (CAN) bt Kirsty
McPhee (ENG) 9-1, 9-6, 9-3 (38m), Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt Tara
Mullins (CAN) 9-2, 9-5, 9-1 (30m), Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) bt Amanda
Siebert (USA) 9-3, 9-5, 9-2 (23m), Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt Daniela
Schumann (GER) 9-0, 9-4, 8-10, 9-1 (29m)
Round 1, 26th February
Pamela Nimmo (Sco), Fiona Geaves (Eng), Latasha Khan (USA),
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Eng),
Becky Botwright (Eng), Samantha Teran (Mex), Runa Reta (Can),
Suzie Pierrepont (Eng),
Manuela Manetta (Ita), Katie Patrick (Can), Nicolette
Fernandes (Guy), Tara Mulling (Can)
Kirsty McPhee (Eng), Daniela Schumann (Ger), Britt Hebden (USA),
Amanda Siebert (USA)
|
Reports
Shabana & Matthew
In First-Time Tournament of Champions Final
Egypt's Amr Shabana
and Englishman Nick Matthew will contest the men's final of the
Bear Stearns
Tournament of Champions
for the first time
after resounding semi-final victories at Grand Central Terminal
in New York. Top seed Vanessa Atkinson has the
chance to become the first player to successfully defend the women's title
when she meets USA's Natalie Grainger in the other climax.
Third seed Shabana,
the reigning World Open champion who has won five of the last eight
tournaments he has played in, was taken to a tiebreak in the opening game
against compatriot Karim Darwish, but maintained his lead
against the 12th seed to win 11-10 (3-1), 11-9, 11-7.
Shabana is celebrating the 16th PSA Tour final of his career, and
his second this year.
Matthew, the ninth
seed who upset Canada's four-times champion Jonathon Power to reach
the last four, defeated fast-rising French star Gregory Gaultier, the
11th seed, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7 to reach the 19th
PSA final of his career.
Vanessa Atkinson had
to battle hard to overcome tour veteran Linda Elriani, the
fourth seed from England, 9-3, 10-8, 9-10, 9-7. The world No2 from
the Netherlands is on course to win her third WISPA World Tour title
of the year in her 32nd career final.
Ireland's eighth seed
Madeline Perry, who rose to a career-high No9 in the new women's
world rankings, took Natalie Grainger the full distance in the other
semi-final before bravely bowing out 9-0, 7-9, 0-9, 9-4, 9-1 to the third
seed from Washington.
Grainger is in her
first WISPA final since last April, but the 25th of her career.
Former Champions
Nicol & Power Ousted At Grand Central
The defeat of former
champions Peter Nicol and Jonathon Power – winners of seven
titles between them since 1996 - in the quarter-finals of the Bear
Stearns Tournament of Champions marked the end of an era at Grand
Central Terminal in New York when Englishman Nicol announced that
his 12th successive appearance in the event since 1993 would be
his last.
Fittingly, it was an
exquisite display of squash at its best that turned out to be the three-time
champion's swan song at the established USA PSA Tour event as he
bowed out in five games to rising young Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in
the evening’s second quarter-final match.
Feeling fitter and
stronger than he has in the past couple of years, Nicol took the first and
third games of the match. Both players were moving well and taking the ball
to all corners of the court with precision, depth and width. Although he
lost the second game, there was a point midway through that was vintage
Nicol – reaching seemingly irretrievable balls just before they touched down
for a second bounce and using the lob to get out of trouble and re-set the
point. When the 32-year-old seventh seed from London finally hit a nick
winner, the crowd roared with appreciation and offered a standing ovation
for several minutes.
“He is crazy the way
he gets all those balls,” said a jubilant Gaultier after his 7-11, 11-4,
8-11, 11-9, 11-6 victory in 90 minutes. “He is a great player and I had to
play my best, play through the pain of those long points, to win the match,”
added the 23-year-old 11th seed.
Both players offered
the same post-match assessment: a great match in which the margin of
victory was minute. “At the end, I knew I had to push the pace,” said Nicol.
“But Gregory was ready for it and hit a couple of great winners that won
the match for him.”
Another standing
ovation ensued when Tournament Director John Nimick brought Nicol
back on court to acknowledge that the match with Gaultier was the
Englishman's very last appearance in the championship. “I will continue to
play through the rest of the year,” said the winner of more than 50 major
international titles. "But this is indeed the last time I will be playing
in New York City.” In the 13 years that he has competed in Tournament of
Champions, Nicol has won it three times and been runner-up once.
Gaultier’s semi-final
opponent will be 25-year-old Nick Matthew, who ousted Canada's
four-time title-holder Jonathon Power in another five-game drama in the
evening’s third match. “Even though I didn’t win the first two games, they
were so close that I knew I was still in the match,” said the Englishman
referring to the tiebreak conclusion to the match’s opening games.
“I knew that if I
could wear away at his confidence bit by bit, that I would have a good
chance, and I could sense that was starting to pay off in the fourth game,”
said ninth seed Matthew after his 10-11 (0-2), 10-11 (0-2), 11-9, 11-5, 11-8
victory over the second seed.
Ireland’s Madeline
Perry contributed to the evening’s drama when she fought her way into
the women's semi-finals with a 3/2 win over England's Vicky Botwright.
Perry played focused and attacking squash against the second seed. Her
opponent in the last four will be Natalie Grainger, the third seed
from the USA who started her match a bit scattered, but then regained her
composure to win the next three games.
The top half of the
women’s draw will feature a semi-final that pits the 2005 finalists against
each other. England's Linda Elriani, at 34 the senior stateswoman of
the women’s tour, proved that experience counts as she dismissed 20-year-old
Egyptian Omneya Abdel Kawy in four games. Her opponent will be
defending champion Vanessa Atkinson, the top seed from the
Netherlands who eliminated the new British National champion Tania Bailey
9-7, 10-8, 9-3 in 46 minutes.
Beachill
crashes out to Darwish In Tournament of Champions Upset
The capacity crowd at Grand Central Terminal was also
treated to an extraordinary display of squash and competitive desire in the
two men's quarter-final matches on the four-walled glass court in
Vanderbilt Hall. Karim Darwish, who eliminated top seed David
Palmer in the second round, caused a second upset as he defeated
England's Lee Beachill, the No8 seed, in a dramatic five game
victory.
Darwish started the match on fire, jumping out to an
early lead with an 11-3 first game victory. But the steadfast Englishman
was not prepared to fold in the face of his opponent’s desire, and secured
the second game 11-9. Darwish responded by winning the third by the
identical score, primarily by waiting for openings that would allow to him
to deploy the trademark Egyptian attack of stylish shot making.
Beachill, who showed no ill effects from the knee surgery
that he underwent just eight weeks ago, answered with an 11-5 game score in
the fourth. The concluding game saw Darwish take a 6-3 lead, only to find
himself facing match ball against him at 12-11 in the fifth, after having
squandered two match points in his favour. It was third time lucky as
Darwish put the ball just out of Beachill’s reach deep in the court to win
11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-10 (4-2) in 80 minutes.
When asked what he thought of his next round opponent,
Darwish immediately started talking about fellow countryman Amr Shabana,
as though he had already won his match – and then corrected himself to
refer to Thierry or Shabana.
Darwish’ slip of the tongue was prescient – or maybe just
common sense - as Shabana, the reigning World Champion, has won five of the
last eight tournaments he has played. Although Thierry Lincou was
able to grab the second game of the match, he was not able to do much more
in the face of the third seed’s all around game.
“I don’t think I played so badly,” said former world No1
Frenchman after the 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 11-4 loss. “Shabana was just too good
tonight. He has a more complete game now and more patience. The third game
was crucial. At nine all he took his chance and went for the winner.”
Lengthorn Lashes Duncalf.
The first day of main draw action in the women's
Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions
in New York
produced a notable upset at Grand Central Terminal
when unseeded Laura-Jane Lengthorn beat seventh-seeded English
compatriot Jenny Duncalf in straight games.
“I haven’t beaten her since I was 19,” commented
24-year-old Lengthorn, from Preston in Lancashire, after her
'war-of-the-roses' win over her Yorkshire opponent who will make her
Commonwealth Games debut for England later this month in Melbourne,
Australia.
Lengthorn's 9-6 9-2 9-2 win in just 27 minutes takes her
forward to a quarter-final clash with USA's third seed Natalie Grainger,
who despatched US-based English qualifier Fiona Geaves 9-0 9-2 9-5 in
20 minutes.
Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy made up for the
disappointment of a shock first round exit in last month's KL Open in
Malaysia by eliminating England’s Alison Waters 9-5, 9-5, 10-8. The
fifth seed from Cairo will now take on another English opponent, 2005
finalist Linda Elriani.
“I just love being on this court,” said the tour veteran
who defeated Scottish qualifier Pamela Nimmo 9-1 9-1 9-1. “It is
slightly dead and really rewards good shot-making," added the 34-year-old
from Sussex.
Second seed Vicky Botwright was just happy to be
on the court playing France's Isabelle Stoehr after suffering a tear
in her foot just two weeks ago. “I was really relaxed out there,” said the
young Englishwoman after her 10-9, 9-6, 9-5 victory in 45 minutes.
The possibility of a first-ever WISPA World Tour
meeting with her younger sister Rebecca Botwright was dashed by
Ireland's eighth seed Madeline Perry, who beat the English qualifier
9-0 9-2 9-1.
Australians Hit The Buffers In Shocks At Grand Central
Terminal
For the first time since the event has been staged at
Grand Central Terminal in New York, there will be no Australian
interest in the men's quarter-finals of the
Bear
Stearns Tournament of Champions after both
world number one David Palmer and defending champion Anthony
Ricketts crashed out in a day of second round shocks in the established
PSA Tour event in the USA.
“Today is a special day,” said a beaming Gregory
Gaultier after the Frenchman defeated title-holder Ricketts in four
games on the all-glass court in the Vanderbilt Hall. “It is the first time
that I beat him and my first time making it to the quarterfinals of this
championship.”
The charismatic 23-year-old from Aix-en-Provence had an
extra measure of motivation going into the match as just two weeks ago he
had lost to Ricketts in five games, having squandered two match balls in the
quarter-finals of the ISS Canary Wharf Classic in London. Playing
relaxed, confident squash, Gaultier pinned Ricketts to the back of the court
- effectively nullifying the power hitting that is the Aussie’s trademark -
winning 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-1 in 64 minutes.
Gaultier will next meet three time champion Peter
Nicol, who also came off the court smiling broadly after defeating
Stewart Boswell of Australia 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 in 48 minutes. “That was
some of the best squash I have played in a long while,” said the 32-year-old
Englishman who dominated the game in the late ‘90s and early part of this
decade. It was vintage Nicol, as he covered all corners of the court and
used a variety of shots to move Boswell around, giving the Aussie very few
opportunities to attack.
Karim Darwish ,
the No12 seed, also had a reason to smile after eliminating world No1 David
Palmer. Darwish, who beat Palmer in their last meeting in December, used
his classic Egyptian shot-making to best advantage to keep the top seed off
balance and off his game. Midway through the third game, Palmer shook hands
with Darwish and conceded the match as a result of difficulty breathing from
a sinus infection – with the score at 11-8, 11-6, 9-6.
Early in the day, both Amr Shabana and Thierry
Lincou looked confident and relaxed in their second round victories.
Lincou, who was No1 for all of 2005, has recently slipped to five in the
rankings, but looked ready to make another move up the rankings ladder in a
satisfying win over tenth seed John White.
“I made too many unforced errors,” said the defeated
Scotsman after the match. “It is very difficult to get Thierry off the T
and I was frustrated that when I did manage to do so, I tinned the ball.”
Lincou’s next opponent will be third seed Amr Shabana.
With five consecutive tournament wins from September through January, the
world champion from Egypt is the player with momentum. Even though
Finland’s Olli Tuominen took a game off Shabana, the match’s outcome
never seemed to be in doubt. Shabana attributes some of his sharp play to
an exhibition tour that he embarked on with Jonathon Power the week
before coming to New York.
Although Power was victorious in three straight games
over 35–year-old Alex Gough of Wales, it was a bit of a rough ride
for the four-time ToC champion. The 69-minute match featured a few vigorous
discussions with the referee as well as some superb shot-making from both
players.
The evening’s final second round match saw another minor
upset when ninth seed Nick Matthew eliminated No6 seed James
Willstrop 11-9, 11-10 (2-0), 11-8 in an all-English clash.
Four Britons came through the qualifying finals to earn
places in the first round of the women's event which gets underway at Grand
Central Terminal today (Tuesday). England's Rebecca Botwright dashed
six-times US champion Latasha Khan's hopes of a main draw
place with a 9-4, 10-8, 8-10, 9-6 victory.
Botwright meets Madeline Perry in the first
round. A win over the Irish champion could take the 24-year-old from
Manchester through to her first ever WISPA World Tour meeting with
older sister Vicky Botwright, the second seed who faces
France's Isabelle Stoehr.
Power Despatches Compatriot In Brief Encounter At
Grand Central Terminal
Packed crowds surrounding the all-glass court at New
York's Grand Central Terminal were treated to a brief performance by
North America's greatest ever squash player when Canadian Jonathon Power
crushed compatriot Matthew Giuffre in just 15 minutes on the
second day of first round action in the
Bear
Stearns Tournament of Champions.
The four-times champion from Montreal, the second seed,
allowed his opponent, a qualifier from Edmonton, just two points as he
cruised to an 11-1, 11-0, 11-1 win.
Colombian qualifier Bernardo Samper, who was a
national intercollegiate champion at Trinity University in Connecticut, had
a very vocal cheering section - but opponent Gregory Gaultier of
France was undaunted. The first Colombian player ever to make the main draw
at the Tournament of Champions, Samper was thunderstruck by his opponent’s
speed. “The pace at which the top guys play is just another stratosphere“,
said the 23-year-old from Bogotį after his 11-7, 11-3, 11-7 defeat in 28
minutes.
Defending champion Anthony Ricketts needed four
games to dismiss Ireland’s qualifier Liam
Kenny.
“I had some good patches and some bad patches out there today,” said the
Australian, for whom winning the 2005 championship was a major turning point
in his career. “Winning this tournament last year really got my career back
on track, and I’d be thrilled to win it again, but I have to take it one
match at a time.”
English qualifier Mark Heather, an assistant
teaching pro at New York Athletic Club where the qualifying matches
were played, had a big contingent in the stands who were thrilled when he
snatched a game from compatriot Nick Matthew, the ninth seed.
Three-times champion Peter Nicol, playing in his
12th and last Tournament of Champions, took almost an hour to
defeat the young Aussie Cameron Pilley. “I am feeling quite strong
and fit,” said Nicol, “but I will certainly have to play better in the next
round.”
The day started with the most improved player of the past
year, 28-year-old Australian Stewart Boswell, facing 33-year-old
Englishman Mark Chaloner. Boswell, who reached a career high No4
ranking three years ago and then was off the tour for two years with a back
injury, secured a place in the second round with consistent play.
England’s top player, 22-year-old James Willstrop,
described his straight game victory over Egyptian Mohammed Abbas as
the “best possible result”, keeping him fresh for his second round encounter
with fellow Yorkshireman Nick Matthew. “I want to win this tournament, and
to do that, I’ll have to beat five bloody hard blokes in a row,“ said
Willstrop.
Fittingly, the day’s play ended with 18-year-old
qualifier Simon Rosner of Germany, who surprised everyone (including
himself) by qualifying to play in the marble halls of Grand Central against
35-year-old Alex Gough. The veteran Welshman knows Grand Central
well, having played in every Tournament of Champions held there. Although
the young German made everyone sit up and take notice with his attacking
style of play, quickness and fast stroke work, it was the veteran who
carried the day for the opportunity to play Jonathon Power in the second
round.
Palmer Overcomes Illness To Survive First Round In New
York
Despite struggling with a sinus infection that nearly
kept him from playing, top-seeded Australian David Palmer eliminated
qualifier Simon Parke in straight games in the first round of the
Bear
Stearns Tournament of Champions at Grand
Central Terminal in New York.
“I almost pulled out this afternoon, but then I decided
to give it a go,” said Palmer after his 11-4 11-7 11-8 win in 31 minutes
over the 32-year-old Englishman who was celebrating his 11th
successive appearance in the event since 1994. “I’d really like to win
this championship,” added Palmer, who regained the world No1 ranking after a
four-year gap this month.
Confidence was the name of the game on the opening day of
men's action in the established PSA Tour event in New York - not
surprising, given that four of the evening’s competitors have been ranked
No1 in the world at some point in their careers.
Last year’s top ranking player, Thierry Lincou,
sent England’s Peter Barker packing. “I had a bit of a slump at the
end of the year, but now I am playing for myself again and enjoying squash,”
said the sixth-seeded Frenchman, a two-time finalist, who played confident
and focused squash under the majestic chandeliers of Grand Central Terminal
- beating his left-handed English opponent 11-4, 11-4, 11-2 in 33 minutes.
Displaying a similar confidence was current world
champion Amr Shabana, who dismissed fellow Egyptian Wael El Hindi
11-4, 11-8, 11-3 with relative ease. Another former world No1, Scotland’s
John White, moved into the next round of play with a four game
victory over France’s Renan Lavigne.
The tournament’s opening match, an 80-minute marathon
that pitted tour veteran Olli Tuominen against the rising Dutch star
Laurens Jans Anjema, delighted the appreciative crowd comprised
significantly of 400 avid junior and adult squash players playing in a
companion city-wide tournament weekend tournament. Finland’s finest
demonstrated what Anjema’s coach Neil Harvey described as a classic
Finnish playing style. “He is a very determined retriever, and he wears his
opponents down,” said Harvey as he watched his protégé fall 11-5, 9-11,
11-4, 9-11, 11-5 in the longest match of the day.
England’s Lee Beachill, another former world No1,
played well enough to eliminate Aussie Joseph Kneipp 11-6, 8-11,
11-4, 11-4.
A measure of revenge is what motivated Canadian Graham
Ryding's convincing win over qualifier Borja Golan. “I was quite
happy when I saw the draw,” said Ryding, appreciating the opportunity to
avenge a recent first loss to the young Spaniard. Egypt’s Karim Darwish
closed out the day's play with a self-described renewed confidence
contributing to his straight games victory over Canada’s Shahier Razik.
Parke
Extends Tournament of Champions Run In New York
Veteran
Englishman Simon Parke battled through the qualifying finals of the
Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions to achieve his eleventh
successive appearance in the main draw of the established USA PSA Tour
event at Grand Central Terminal in New York.
Parke, the
33-year-old former world No3 from Leeds, beat Australia's Ben Gould
11-7, 8-11, 11-2, 11-10 (3-1) and will now face another Australian, world
No1 and top seed David Palmer, in the first round.
Mark
Chaloner,
Parke's England team-mate in the 1995 World Championship-winning
squad, also came through the final qualifying round at the New York
Athletic Club. The fellow 33-year-old beat Egypt's US-based Yasser
El Halaby 11-6, 10-11 (1-3), 11-9, 11-1, to set up a first round meeting
with Australia's 14th seed Stewart Boswell.
Bernardo Samper
caused a notable upset in the qualifying finals, beating Mexican Eric
Galvez 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 to become the first Colombian to reach the main
draw of the Tournament of Champions. The 23-year-old from Bogotį will face
France's 11th seed Gregory Gaultier.
Mark
Heather,
the New York Athletic Cub assistant pro, gave his club members something to
cheer about as he staved off muscle cramps and an early departure from the
event. “I started getting leg cramps in the second game,” said the
29-year-old Englishman. "But there was such a good crowd cheering me I got
the extra energy boost that I needed to win.”
After
being on the court for two hours and falling behind early in the fifth game,
Heather gathered just enough momentum to eke out an 11-10 (4-2), 6-11, 11-10
(3-1), 10-11 (1-3), 11-9 victory over Canada's Shawn Delierre to earn
a first round clash with fellow Englishman Nick Matthew, the ninth
seed.
The
biggest upset of the day was the departure of Dan Jenson, the former
world No5 from Australia who was beaten 11-10 (2-0), 11-3, 9-11, 11-5 by
18-year-old German Simon Rosner. |
From the Organisers
A NEW GENERATION EMERGES AT
THE BEAR STEARNS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Mattthew & Shabana in Men's Final; Grainger and Atkinson to Contest Women's
Crown
The semifinals of the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions heralded the
arrival of a new generation of players at the top of the men’s game, while
the women’s competition bore testament to the staying power of the more
experienced players. As the TV crew from the NBC Today show set up their
cameras to shoot some footage for a segment to be shown on the top rated
national morning show on Friday, top seed Vanessa Atkinson and #4 Linda
Elriani took to the court in replay of last year’s final.
Atkinson, the world #2 started quickly, grabbing the first game 9-3. Elriani
took a 7-4 lead in the second, but lost it 10-8. “I should have never let
her back in that game,” said Elriani.” I went for some cheap shots and lost
the game.” Displaying excellent court coverage in the third, Elriani got on
the scoreboard with a 10-9 win. Down 2-7 in the fourth, Atkinson, whose
concentration has been known to falter, was unbowed and fought back to 7-7.
Hunting the ball and attacking early with strong volleys, the Dutchwoman
made her opponent, at 34 the oldest full-time player on the WISPA tour, work
very hard. At the critical juncture, 7-7 in the fourth, Elriani put two
balls into the tin, giving Atkinson the opportunity to defend her title.
Next on court were #3 seed Amr Shabana and #12 Karim Darwish. It quickly
became apparent that more than an entry into the championship finals was at
play. There was no mistaking the extra level of intensity that Egypt’s top
two players and obvious rivals brought to the match. The play early on
became quite physical as Darwish jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Shabana fought
back and then the lead exchanged hands several times, until Shabana closed
out the first game 11-10 (2-0). Again in the second, Darwish jumped out to
a 7-3 lead, but couldn’t hang on. The third saw Shabana take an early lead
which he never relinquished.
None other than four-time champion Jonathon Power took the chair beside
Shabana after the first game to give him some coaching advice. “He told me
not to be impatient and not hit cheap shots,” said Shabana, for whom an
appearance in the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions finals is
significant. “I have been playing this tournament since I was 15 and I have
always dreamed of winning here.”
Shabana’s opponent in the long sought after championship match will be
25-year-old Nick Matthews. The young Englishman, who eliminated Power in
five games in the semifinals, had his hands full with the talented young
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier. The crowd enjoyed immensely the two rising
stars’ contrasting styles of play. “I wanted to play to my strength,” said
Matthew, “which is to get in front and take the middle of the court. Just
keep it simple and go from there.”
Gaultier, on the other hand, displayed some some dazzling foot work and
spectacular shot making – including a behind the back return, a between the
legs pickup and a behind the back over the shoulder shot that had the crowd
absolutely roaring in amazement. Down 5-8 in the fourth, Gaultier put
together three strong points to stage a comeback. At 7-8, Gaultier’s high
backhand rail hit a microphone that extended into the court and was called
out, much to his and the crowd’s dismay. After a brief argument with the
referee, the already tired Gaultier, who had played a brilliant five game
match the prior night when he defeated Peter Nicol, ran out of steam.
Matthew quickly reeled off three straight points to earn his place in the
final.
Asked to assess the finals match-up with Shabana, Matthew said,” The
pressure’s on him really. I’m just going to get stuck in and play my best.”
The last match of the evening saw the women’s #3 seed Natalie Grainger start
the match like a runaway train, taking only four minutes to win the first
game 8-0 against surprise semifinalist Madeline Perry. Up 7-3 in the second,
it looked as though the players would be done in more than enough time to
get to the players’ party that started at 10PM. Perry, however, appeared to
prefer a finals appearance rather than a party and staged her comeback,
winning the second game 9-7 and the third 9-0. But Grainger, who was so
happy to be playing after dealing with an assortment of injuries last year,
didn’t want to give up her court time and stormed back to take the last two
games, 9-4, 9-1. “Vanessa is chasing down a lot more balls now than she
used, so it will be damn hard out there in the finals,” said Grainger. And
in her decidedly South African accent she continued, “But I’ll have the
crowd on my side, because I am American now.”
RESULTS
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Thursday, March 2, 2006
(1) Vanessa Atkinson (NED) def. (4)Linda Elriani (ENG)
9-3,10-8,9-10,9-7
58 mins
(3) Amr Shabana (EGY) def. (12) Karim Darwish (EGY) 13-11,11-9,11-7
39 mins
(9) Nick Matthew (ENG) def. (11) Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 11-9, 5-11,
11-5,11-7
80 mins
(3) Natalie Grainger (USA) def.. (8) Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-0, 7-9,
9-0, 4-9, 9-1
58 mins
Friday, March 3
6:30 PM (1) Vanessa Atkinson (NED) vs. (3) Natalie Grainger
(USA)
Followed by (3) Amr Shabana (EGY) vs. (9) Nick Matthew (ENG)
|
Previews
World's
Top Squash Players On Track At Grand Central Terminal In New York
In its
eighth year at New York's world-famous Grand Central Terminal, the
2006 Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions brings to the USA a
glittering cast of the world's top squash players, including eight former
world number ones and all the men's champions since 1996.
Grand
Central's only annual sports event will take place on a state-of-the-art
all-glass squash court in the Vanderbilt Hall, from 25 February to 3 March.
The event combines a PSA Super Series Silver event for men and a
WISPA Silver Event for women.
This years
tournament is shaping up to be one of the best ever and we are proud to once
again be the title sponsor, said Jimmy Cayne, chairman and chief
executive officer of Bear Stearns.If history is any indication it will be a
week filled with exciting and intense competition.
Leading
the entries on the men's side are six players who have been ranked No1 in
the world - Peter Nicol (England), Jonathon Power (Canada),
Thierry Lincou (France), Lee Beachill (England),
John White
(Scotland), and the current No1 David Palmer of Australia.
Also on
board are two former champions who between them owned the Tournament of
Champions title from 1996 until 2004 - four-time champion Jonathon Power and
three-time titleholder Peter Nicol.
Not to be
counted out is current World Champion Amr Shabana of Egypt or
defending champion Anthony Ricketts of Australia, for whom last
year's crown was the first major title of his career.
Defending
champion Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands, who was ranked world
No1 last year and has twice this year defeated current world No1 Nicol
David, will top the draw in the women's battle for the title. Last
year's runner-up Linda Elriani, of England, and fellow veteran
Natalie Grainger“ the top US player who is also a former world No1 - can
expect challenges from England's rising stars Vicky Botwright and
Jenny Duncalf.
"Over the
past nine years in Grand Central Terminal, we have created one of the
world's most unique and exciting sports events," said Tournament Director
John Nimick.
The players all look forward to this championship. The energy from our
sold-out crowds, the opportunity to be seen by the public and the trademark
New York intensity brings out the best in their games. And they are
thrilled to play in of the world's great architectural landmarks."
In
addition to showcasing the world's best players, the Bear Stearns Tournament
of Champions also highlights the work of two urban squash programs -
StreetSquash and CitySquash. These after-school programmes offer youngsters
in Harlem and the Bronx the opportunity to participate in year-long squash
training and life skill development programmes that include academics,
community service and mentoring.
In
addition to title sponsor Bear Stearns, additional major event sponsors
include 170 East End Ave. and Dolan Pollack and Schram's three premier
destination properties: the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club, Snake River
Sporting Club and Greenbrier Sporting Club. Associate sponsors include
Bloomberg, Guinness, Dunlop, Grand Hyatt New York, the Campbell Apartment
and the Columbia University Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine.
Men's
1st round draw:
[1] David
Palmer (AUS) v Qualifier
[12] Karim
Darwish (EGY) v Shahier Razik (CAN)
[8] Lee
Beachill (ENG) v Joseph Kneipp (AUS)
[15]
Graham Ryding (CAN) v Qualifier
[3] Amr
Shabana (EGY) v Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[13] Olli
Tuominen (FIN) v Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
[5]
Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Peter Barker (ENG)
[10] John
White (SCO) v Renan Lavigne (FRA)
[14]
Stewart Boswell (AUS) v Qualifier
[7] Peter
Nicol (ENG) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[11]
Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Qualifier
[4]
Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v Qualifier
[9] Nick
Matthew (ENG) v Qualifier
[6] James
Willstrop (ENG) v Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[16] Alex
Gough (WAL) v Qualifier
[2]
Jonathon Power (CAN) v Qualifier
Women's
1st round draw:
[1]
Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v Qualifier
[6] Tania
Bailey (ENG) v Annelize Naude (NED)
[4] Linda
Elriani (ENG) v Qualifier
[5] Omneya
Abdel Kawy (EGY) v Alison Waters (ENG)
[7] Jenny
Duncalf (ENG) v Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG)
[3]
Natalie Grainger (USA) v Qualifier
[8]
Madeline Perry (IRL) v Qualifier
[2] Vicky
Botwright (ENG) v Isabelle Stoehr (FRA)
Who is the #1 Squash Player in the World?
Six former top-ranked players among world's best to challenge for the Bear
Stearns Tournament of Champions title and top ranking at Grand Central
Terminal
New York, NY – With the top spot in the men's
professional squash rankings having been occupied by three different players
in the past three months, the question as to who among the players is
"really #1" may be answered in just 2 ½ weeks. The year's first "Grand
Slam" squash event, the 2006 Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions, once
again will feature virtually all the best squash players in the world,
primed to steamroll their way into Grand Central Terminal to battle for
squash supremacy.
“This year’s tournament is shaping up to be one of the best ever and we are
proud to once again be the title sponsor,” said Jimmy Cayne, chairman and
chief executive officer of Bear Stearns. “If history is any indication it
will be a week filled with exciting and intense competition.”
Leading the entries on the men's side are five players who have been ranked
#1 in the world, including current #1 David Palmer of Australia. Also
on board are two former world #1s who between them owned the Tournament of
Champions title from 1996 until 2004 - four-time champion Jonathon Power
of Canada and three-time titleholder Peter Nicol of England.
In the thick of the battle will be two-time finalist Thierry Lincou,
the first Frenchman to be ranked #1 in the world, a position he held for all
of 2005. Not to be counted out is current World Champion Amr Shabana of
Egypt or defending champion Anthony Ricketts of Australia, for
whom last year's crown was the first major title of his career.
Defending champion Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands, who was
ranked # 1 last year and just this week defeated current world #1 Nicol
David, will top the draw in the women's battle for the title. Last year's
finalist Linda Elriani of England and fellow veteran Natalie
Grainger of the US can expect challenges from England's rising stars
Vicky Botwright and Jenny Duncalf.
"Over the past nine years in Grand Central Terminal, we have created one of
the world's most unique and exciting sports events," said Tournament
Director John Nimick. “The players all look forward to this championship.
The energy from our sold-out crowds, the opportunity to be seen by the
public and the trademark New York intensity brings out the best in their
games. And they are thrilled to play in of the world's great architectural
landmarks."
Grand Central’s only annual sports championship, the 2006 Bear Stearns
Tournament of Champions, will take place on the portable, see-through squash
court February 25 -March 3, 2006. The Vanderbilt Hall set-up contains a
state-of-the-art portable glass squash court, gallery seating for 550, and
free viewing for the public. A PSA Super Series event for the men, the Bear
Stearns Tournament of Champions features a 32-player main draw and a
32-player qualification tournament. The women’s championship, a WISPA
Silver Event, will have a 16-player main draw and a 16-player qualification
tournament. Tickets range in price from $25 to $130 and can be purchased at
www.tocsquash.com or by calling 917-463-3767.
In addition to showcasing the world’s best players, the Bear Stearns
Tournament of Champions also highlights the work of two urban squash
programs- StreetSquash and CitySquash. These after-school programs offer
youngsters in Harlem and the Bronx the opportunity to participate in
year-long squash training and life skill development programs that include
academics, community service and mentoring.
In addition to title sponsor Bear Stearns, additional major event sponsors
include 170 East End Ave. and Dolan Pollack and Schram's three premier
destination properties: the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club, Snake River
Sporting Club and Greenbrier Sporting Club. Associate sponsors include
Bloomberg, Guinness, Dunlop, Grand Hyatt New York, the Campbell Apartment
and the Columbia University Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine.
The Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions, the largest professional squash
event in North America, is operated by Event Engine, Inc., the largest
commercial squash promotional company in the world. Event Engine, Inc. also
produces the U.S. Open in Boston and the Canadian Classic in Toronto.
World’s Best Squash Returns to
Grand Central
Bear Stearns
Renews as Title Sponsor for 2006 Tournament of Champions;
Second Largest Combined Event in Pro Squash
New York, NY – Speed, strength
and superb shotmaking will once again be on display at Grand Central
Terminal from February 25-March 3 as some of the world’s most spectacular
athletes will compete in the 2006 Bears Stearns Tournament of Champions. The
world’s top squash players will be stepping onto the four-walled glass
court, specially constructed in Vanderbilt Hall just 24 hours before the
tournament starts, to vie for one of the most prized titles in the sport
rated as the #1 healthiest activity by Forbes Magazine. Bear Stearns,
a leading investment
banking, securities trading and brokerage firm,
is returning for the third consecutive year as title sponsor of this unique
event in the heart of New York City. With tournament prize money totaling
$110,000, the 2006 Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions is the second
largest combined squash event in the world and a true Grand Slam
championship.
“This is a particularly exciting year in squash and we expect to have all
the players who have created that excitement,” says Tournament Director John
Nimick. “Four-time ToC champion Jonathon Power of Canada has regained the
world #1 ranking which he last held four years ago, defending champion
Anthony Ricketts of Australia is also the current British Open titleholder
and Egypt’s Amr Shabana just won his second World Open title in November. In
the women’s game, Nicole David of Malaysia has rocketed to the top of the
rankings and is the youngest woman to achieve the #1 ranking.”
Grand Central’s only annual sports championship, the 2006 Tournament of
Champions celebrates its ninth anniversary in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand
Central with the best players in the game competing in one of the world’s
most challenging sports. The championships take place on the portable,
see-through squash court February 25-March 3, 2006 and are expected to
attract all of the world’s top male and female professional players. The
Vanderbilt Hall set-up contains a state-of-the-art portable glass squash
court, gallery seating for 550, and free viewing for the public.
The 2006 Tournament of Champions is the leading event of the
six-city, $400,000 U.S. Pro Squash Tour. A PSA Super Series event for the
men, the Tournament of Champions features a 32-player main draw and a
32-player qualification tournament. The women’s championship, a WISPA
Silver Event, will have a 16 player main draw and a 16-player qualification
tournament.
Other activity during the tournament week includes extensive recreational
competition in the Grand Open and All Ivy Classic Juniors, two
companion citywide amateur tournaments; and recognition of tournament’s
official charities, StreetSquash and CitySquash, two New York-based,
youth-oriented after-school programs which blend squash, academics,
community service and mentoring.
Rated by Forbes magazine as the #1 healthiest sport based on
cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, muscular
endurance, calories burned and risk of injury, squash was first played in
England more than 100 years ago. It is now a popular sport in more than 120
countries. There are 15 million squash players worldwide and 400,000 in the
United States. Squash is contested in all the major international
multi-sport regional games and is on the short list of sports applying for
inclusion in the Olympics.
Major event sponsors in addition to Bear Stearns include Bloomberg, Dunlop
and Guinness. Associate sponsors include the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club,
Snake River Sporting Club and Greenbrier Sporting Club; Grand Hyatt New
York; and the Campbell Apartment.
The Tournament of Champions is operated by Event Engine, Inc., the largest
commercial squash promotional company in the world. Event Engine, Inc. also
produces the U.S. Open in Boston and the Canadian Classic in Toronto.
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