Gaultier arrives in New York after missing last year's event. photo © 2005 Fritz Borchert.

That this year’s Tournament of Champions isn’t the first super series event of the year highlights the increasing health of the men’s professional squash tour, with Chicago’s event last month being considerably bigger. The last time TOC wasn’t the first major of the year was in the 90s.

Despite the competitiveness of the men’s game at the moment and the number of players capable of winning any given tournament, Ricketts is the only player that has interrupted the stranglehold Power and Nicol have on this tournament.

Here’s how bottom half of the tournament pans out:

14* STEWART BOSWELL {AUS}
{Q3} Qualifier 3

Boswell’s injury induced sabbatical meant he was ranked around 300 this time last year. Considering he’s ranked 16 this month, he has had a pretty impressive come back over the past twelve month, but he’s still a long way from his best ranking of 4.
Boswell was still sidelined when the 2005 TOC event was running.

7* PETER NICOL {ENG}
CAMERON PILLEY {AUS}

Nicol has been sitting around 7 for the past five months now. His quarter final loss last year to Ricketts in New York was the worst result he had at this tournament in over 10 years. He plays well in New York, which won’t be too comforting for Pilley, who hasn’t played him before and will need to play well above his ranking of 28 to challenge him.

11* GREGORY GAULTIER {FRA}
{Q4} Qualifier 4

Gaultier is currently ranked 11 and has a career best of 9. This is a little surprising because when you think of the top 10 players you usually think of Gaultier as being one of the players in that group, despite the fact that he has only just punctured the bottom end (though consistently and for a lengthy period). He does well regularly in the medium sized tournaments, but his best result so far in a major event is only one semi final. This will help you reach the top 10, but you need more regular results and progression in the big tournaments to make the move into the heart of the top 10.

Gaultier didn’t play in New York last year, and copped a bit of flak for it.

Speaking of missing players: if you’re ranked in the top 24 you know you have immediate entry into any super series (32 draw) event – or if you’re ranked in the top 23 if there is a wildcard, which there always should be. While the top 12 players are all present at New York, the seeded players (top 16) that have given the tournament a miss are the Malaysian contingent – Iskandar and Beng Hee.

Anthony Ricketts is looking for a big week in New York. photo © 2005 Debra Tessier.

Shahid Zaman and Adrian Grant are the other players in the top 24 who have skipped NYC. For Iskandar, Beng Hee and Shahid the decision was easy. The Asian games, which carries an enormous amount of prestige (and sponsorship value) has just finished and with the Commonwealth Games less than two weeks away, relative to these tournaments, New York is an insignificant jet lag hassle (which is a stark contrast to Power’s attitude to the Commonwealth Games, which as reigning champion and considering the exposure his 2002 gold generated, is very disappointing). Other players that would have gained automatic entry into the Tournament of Champions because of missing players are Jonathon Kemp, Mansoor Zaman (another Asian Games casualty), Joey Barrington and Ramy Ashour. Considering Team Kneipp’s ranking is currently 31, which under any normal circumstance would warrant having to qualify for a super series event, something that we haven’t had to do for over four years – I have to extend my thanks to all of the absentees.

4* ANTHONY RICKETTS {AUS}
{Q5} Qualifier 5

Last year’s winner is currently ranked 4, one off his career best. He made the final of the recent tournament in England. Ricketts is so hot right now that you’d normally say it would be a surprise if he didn’t at least make the semi finals, but seeing as him and Nicol seem to have a standing agreement that any match between them has to go to five, and typically a score of 9-9 in the fifth needs to be achieved before they’re both satisfied, and considering they’re supposed to be meeting each other in the quarter finals, well who knows. Also let’s not forget that Ricketts’ scheduled second round opponent is Gaultier, who he only just scraped past 4-2 in the 5th in their encounter ten days ago, so that unhatched chicken can’t be counted on.

9* NICK MATTHEW {ENG}
{Q6} Qualifier 6

Nick Matthew is currently ranked 9, where he spent most of last year. He has been as high as 5. He retired injured last year in the quarters against Lincou. Considering he just won the British Championships, disposing of Nicol and Beachill along the way, he can’t be discounted.

6* JAMES WILLSTROP {ENG}
MOHAMMED ABBAS {EGY}

The Crowds are Looking forwar to Power going deep into the draw in New York. photo © 2005 Debra Tessier.

Willstrop has been ranked around 8 for most of the past year, is currently 6, but had a brief one-month high of 2, a lovely place he’ll be dying to return to.

Abbas spent most of the last two years in the high teens and is currently 20. These two haven’t played in PSA before. The crowd should be in for an entertaining match as they both like hitting winners and will need to learn to deal with the unpredictability of the other’s game. Both players lost in the 2nd round last year, Abbas to Lincou, Willstrop to Ricketts.

16* ALEX GOUGH {WAL}
{Q7} Qualifier 7

Gough is currently 19, has been in the top 10 before and cites a return to this elite group as his current motivation. When he’s eager to run around the court and settle in for a tough match he can be a particularly difficult opponent. He hasn’t beaten Jonthan Power before, a task he’ll almost certainly need to do if he wishes to progress past the second round. Gough lost to Matthew in the 2nd round last year.

2* JONATHON POWER {CAN}
{Q8} Qualifier 8

Power had a month last year ranked #1, after over four years of not holding the top position. Palmer pipped him for that spot by winning the final of January’s Super Series event in a tie break in the 5th. Power lost to Palmer in a tie break in the 5th set in last year’s TOC quarter finals. If he plays Palmer again this year it will be because they’ve made the final together.
John Nimmick and his audience would be happy if that rematch eventuated.