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Shabana, Kneipp make Debut; Power and Palmer left out.
SquashTalk, Dec 23, 2003  © 2003

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NEW LOOK FOR SUPERSERIES FINALS FIELD

Thierry Lincou amassed the most Superseries points in 2003. Photo © 2003 Deb Tessier

The Superseries finals, a non-ranking event held in June in London, will have a new look this year. Perennial protagonists Jonathon Power and David Palmer did not make the field of eight, in both cases due to injuries that kept them from performing in key qualifying events.

On anybody's list of the world's top three players, Power and Palmer's absence is sure to be a challenge in the marketing of this marquee PSA event.

On the other hand newcomers Amr Shabana, Joe Kneipp, and Anthony Ricketts will have every incentive to create some big upsets in this event, which will lend a strong level of authenticity to the pools matches.

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 (Monday) announcement by the Professional Squash Association (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:
1 Thierry Lincou (FRA) 5,425.00 points
2 John White (SCO) 4,637.50
3 Peter Nicol (ENG) 4,218.75
4 Lee Beachill (ENG) 3,993.75
5 Amr Shabana (EGY) 3,281.25
6 Joseph Kneipp (AUS) 2,175.00
7 Anthony Ricketts (AUS) 2,168.75
8 Nick Matthew (ENG) 1,856.25

Canada's defending champion Jonathon Power, who missed the World Open due to an injury to his left hand, also finished the year with 1,856.25 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 the Tournament of Champions in New York; the PSA Masters in Qatar; the Canadian Open in Edmonton; the Qatar Classic in Doha and the World Open in Pakistan.

Squashtalk.com All materials © 1999-2003. Communicate with us at info@squashtalk.com.
Published by Squashtalk LLC, 95 Martha's Point Rd. Concord MA 01742 USA, Editor and Publisher Ron Beck,
Graphics editor Debra Tessier Send comments, ideas, contributions and feedback to the webmaster.
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