Commonwealth
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2002 Commonwealth Games Day One
by Martin Bronstein in London, July 26 2002

[last update was 31-jul-02 ]

QUEEN GETS TO MEET CHRIS WALKER
Last night Queen Elizabeth the second of England met Paul McCartney at the opening of an exhibition of his art and this morning she had the privilege of meeting Chris Walker, the 35 year old squash player who always manages to be in the right spot at the right time.

Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

After the splendid official opening ceremony in Manchester spanking new stadium last night, the Queen is seeing two sports today, and much to everyone's surprise squash is one of them. That her husband is the Patron of the Squash Rackets Association may be one reason. Anyway, she arrived in one of her outstanding hats (Aunt Mame, eat your heart out) and was presented to Chris Walker and his opponent Wayne Prescod of Jamaica, the two players chosen to open squash proceedings at this, the 17th Commonwealth Games. (The reason for these Games is that it is one way to stop the Americans and Russians hoovering up the gold).

Chris Walker, has given English squash sterling service over 20 years, all the way up from the junior ranks and despite his advanced years, he is ranked 12 and still playing highly attractive and athletic squash. Last year he stunned the squash world by reaching the final of the British Open and has ridden that wave to being chosen for the England team for these Games.

Queen of England applauds play of England veteran Chris Walker (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

He was too experienced for the slightly younger Jamaican, winning the first game 9-0 and then suppressing a charge in the second to win 9-4 at which point the royal party decided to keep to the schedule and the Queen departed accompanied by squash's own queen, Susie Simcock who, after four years of stupendous service as president of the World Squash Federation, will step down later this year and probably hand the baton over to Jahangir Khan who is attempting to move up to the top spot after a couple of years as a vice- president of the WSF.

Walker went on to win the third game 9-2 and is on course to meet third seed David Palmer in the quarter- finals.

FORTUNES OF AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS
We can expect no seriously hard matches today as the top ten seeds have byes straight through to the second round and most of the other matches feature experienced pros playing amateurs or players with PSA rankings into three figures. Tomorrow will be quite another story, especially for Nicholas Kyme, a player who has been representing Bermuda since he was in diapers but who has spent the last seven years in New England, first at Taft and now with the Trinity squad.

He had a fairly straightforward 3/0 win over Damien Tam of Papua New Guinea but now faces world champion Peter Nicol in the second round. Jamaican James Bullock of Harvard had a sharper lesson, losing in the first round, thus avoiding a meeting world number 11 Anthony Ricketts. Even then, looking at the draw after today's results, I can no see no real battles in the offing and we shall have to wait for Sunday in the round of 16 before we see blood on the courts.

Queen of England meets Chris Walker (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

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