CURRENT EVENTS St Louis Open Kolkata PSA Seattle WISPA POF WISPA RECENT EVENTS CAS Islamabad English Open SquashWorks CONTENT Hall of Fame News Index RSS Version Club Links Gear Links E-boast Newsletter     (sign up now free)
www.princesquash.com

[Complete English Open Draw]

Can Lee Beachill Defend his English Open Crown? (photo © 2005 Fritz Borchert)

PALMER HOPES FOR DOUBLE
David Palmer is aiming to be the first man to hold both open titles in the home of squash. Palmer lifted the British Open title for the second time last November in Nottingham and has sights set on the Mamut English Open title later this month at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

Palmer lost out to Jonathan Power in the semi-finals of the inaugural English Open two years ago, but will be determined to lift one of the few major titles that has eluded him. He comes into the event in fine form having pushed World no.1 Thierry Lincou all the way in last week’s final of the Pakistan Open, but knows that it will be a tough title to lift.

POWER AND LINCOU ABSENT
Both Jonathon Power, the hottest player on the PSA tour this spring, and world #1 Thierry Lincou, victor last weekend in Karachi, are skipping the English Open event as they time their training regimens for the upcoming gruelling fall PSA campaign. Power is also committed to his Power Squash Academy, which he is running for the first time in New Hampshire USA.

PALMER UPBEAT

The Crucible: An exciting English Open Venue (photo © 2005 Fritz Borchert)

‘It is always tough playing the British players on their home soil, which is what makes the British Open title so special, and the English Open will present the same challenges, especially being in the heart of English squash in Yorkshire’ commented Palmer.

Palmer faces a tough path to his seeded berth in the final, with the prospect of a quarter-final with 2003 champion John White and a huge clash with recent World Games Champion Peter Nicol on the cards for the sem-finals! However, the big Australian appears to relish those sorts of encounters and as former World Champion is well equipped to deal with whatever the field though at him.

The Mamut English Open hosted by Sheffield City Council also has a history of propelling the winner to the World no.1 spot later in the year, and this will not have gone unnoticed by Palmer who held the top spot for a number of months three years ago.

But Palmer, who has struggled for the past two seasons to regain the number-one form that he enjoyed, will have more motivation to win here at Sheffield. With his near-miss in Karachi last weekend, he will be looking to achieve the podium.

INTRIGUING FIRST ROUND CONTEST

Peter Nicol and Simon Parke look to regain the magic (photo © 2005 Ron Beck)

Meanwhile, tournament promoter and long time #1 player Peter Nicol has a crowd-pleasing first round matchup scheduled against countrymate Simon Parke. Nicol and Parke have been competitors since they both came through the junior ranks and have had some incredible, closely fought battles over the years, most notably in the 1999 US Open (won by Parke) and the 2000 Superseries Final (won by Nicol.) Parke will most surely have in mind keeping Nicol on court much longer than Nicol will want.

BOSWELL THE WILD CARD
Also on tap will be some fascinating qualifying action featuring former world #4 Stewart Boswell. Boswell, who has spent the spring and summer laboring in satellite events as he works to regain a reasonable ranking position, has been grant a "local" wildcard into the qualifier. Boswell will be an odds-on favorite to make it through the qualifier where he is likely to present an unpleasant surprise to his first round opponent.

Tickets are now are available from The Crucible box office on 0114-249 6000 and online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/buyit