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Men's World Team Preview
by Elspeth Burnside Oct 21, 2001 © 2001 Elspeth Burnside and Squashtalk
[last update was 21-oct-01 ]

Australia Team Top Seed
 [Men's Pool Draw] [Men's Teams]

WORLD TEAMS PREVIEW: AUSTRALIA, ENGLAND, CANADA STRONG, USA AIMS HIGH

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21
David Palmer rose to the top of the individual world rankings for a first time in September - less than two months later his goal is to lead his country back to the head of the team rankings with a home victory in the world championships starting tomorrow at the Sports and Aquatics Centre in Melbourne.

The Australian side, completed by world no six Paul Price, no 11 Stewart Boswell and no 23 John Williams, are the no 1 seeds ahead of Wales, and are bidding to overtake Pakistan for a record seventh win, but a first since 1991.

"Getting to world no one in the rankings was tremendous," said Palmer, whose great run started with a win in the British Open in June. "But it would probably be even better to be part of a winning Australian team here in Melbourne. "All the boys are really up for it, and we can't wait to get started. Paul has enjoyed the perfect warm-up by winning the WSF World Challenge here today, and the rest of us are ready to put on a good show for the spectators."

Defending champions Egypt, the winners in Cairo two years ago, are only seeded sixth following the loss of the now retired former world no two, Ahmed Barrada, while Wales field the same three players who lost in the 1999 final - David Evans, Alex Gough and Greg Tippings - plus Gavin Jones.

England, the winners in 1995 and 1997, are the # two seeds with Canada, led by world no two Jonathon Power, at no three. England’s side includes Chris Walker, who spends a lot of time in America and is aiming to continue his Indian summer in the sport with a third world team title. Walker, 34, was a member of the winning England side in both 1995 and 1997, and the world no 14 has earned a recall to the side following a season highlighted by an appearance in the British Open in June.

"The world championships wins were fantastic experiences, and it would be great to do it again," said the Essex man. "I've had a fantastic year, and a win here would cap it off." Mark Chaloner, the world no eight, heads the line-up completed by Paul Johnson and Lee Beachill, and the no three seeds open the campaign against Sweden. The 24 teams are divided into six groups of four for the initial round robin stage and Australia open their account against Hong Kong tomorrow.

US AIM HIGH
US Team coach Richard Millman is confident that his team can improve on a 17th placing from Cairo in Egypt two years ago, although he is disappointed that the quartet didn’t manage to sneak in among the 16 seeds. Ranked in the 17-24 group, the Americans are in the same round robin Pool F as holders and no six seeds, Egypt, seventh seeded France and New Zealand. Leading the side is former world top 40 player Damian Walker, veteran campaigner Richard Chin and the two new boys, Preston Quick, a star of Trinity College, and Harvard University man, Tim Wyant. "We are all very buoyed up and looking forward to a good week," said Millman, on the eve of the opening tie against Egypt, who are not nearly so strong as two years ago following the loss of the recently retired world no 2, Ahmed Barrada. "It’s going to be a tough group, but we’ll be doing our best to cause a few upsets."