SQUASH - Nicol In Back-To-Back Super Series Titles Bid

[Michael Hansen, DFIF]

Fra: <How...@aol.com>
Til: <undisclosed-recipients:;>
Emne: SQUASH - Nicol In Back-To-Back Super Series Titles Bid
Dato: 30. maj 2000 13:45

WORLD SQUASH NEWS

NICOL IN BID FOR BACK-TO-BACK TITLE SUCCESS
AT EQUITABLE LIFE SUPER SERIES FINALS

Scotland's World No1 Peter Nicol launches the defence of his title next week
at the $50,000 Equitable Life Super Series Squash Finals, which get underway
at the city of London's Broadgate Arena on Monday 5th June.

Following his 3-1 victory over Egypt's Ahmed Barada in last year's final,
the
27-year-old World Champion will be bidding to become the first player since
the great Jansher Khan - and only the second player ever - to win
back-to-back titles at the event. Standing between Nicol and Equitable Life
Super Series Finals glory will be the remaining seven top ranked players
from
the four PSA Hi-Tec Super Series Tour events of 1999.

The draw for the five-day event - announced today by the tournament
organisers - divides the players into two groups of four, the Fleet Group
and
the Harrow Group. The competition format will see each player face each
other on a round robin basis, with the top two from each group progressing
to
the final stages of the event.

Nicol, the tournament's top seed, has been drawn in the Fleet Group
alongside
Egyptian World No3 Ahmed Barada, Scotland's World No6 Martin Heath and
Australian World No8 Anthony Hill. The reigning Champion begins the defence
of his title against Hill in the opening game of the tournament on Monday
5th
June.

Second seed Jonathon Power, the Canadian World No2, has been drawn in the
Harrow Group, where he will be joined by England's World No4 and reigning US
Open Champion Simon Parke, Welshman David Evans, the World No7, and
England's
Paul Johnson, last year's semi-finalist and current World No.5. Power's
title challenge begins on Day One of the tournament with a clash against
25-year-old David Evans, who will be making his first appearance at the
Finals.

Nicol and Power are both strong contenders for the title. The pair have
been
in devastating form over the past 12 months, claiming all four titles
between
them on the 1999 Hi-Tec Super Series Tour circuit.

Power began the year with a thrilling five game victory over Ahmed Barada in
the final of the Tournament of Champions in New York, before losing 3-0 to
Nicol in the final of the Hong Kong Open in August. Nicol then triumphed
again at the Al-Ahram Men's World Open in Cairo back in September -
defeating
Barada by three games to nil - before conceding victory to Power in the
final
of the British Open three months later, suffering the ill-effects of chronic
dehydration.

For the second year running, next week's Equitable Life Super Series Finals
will be staged in a specially constructed Perspex all-transparent portable
court at the Broadgate Arena in the heart of the City of London. The
British
Land Company PLC, owner of the Broadgate Centre, is the event's Presenting
Sponsor.

The Equitable Life Super Series Finals - 5-9 June 2000

THE DRAW:

Fleet Group: Peter Nicol, Ahmed Barada, Anthony Hill, Martin Heath
Harrow Group: Jonathon Power, Simon Parke, David Evans, Paul Johnson

Monday 5th June (Group Matches)
5pm Peter Nicol v Anthony Hill
6pm Ahmed Barada v Martin Heath
7pm Simon Parke v Paul Johnson
8pm Jonathon Power v David Evans

Tuesday 6th June (Group Matches)
5pm Simon Parke v David Evans
6pm Jonathon Power v Paul Johnson
7pm Anthony Hill v Ahmed Barada
8pm Peter Nicol v Martin Heath

Wednesday 7th June (Group Matches)
5pm David Evans v Paul Johnson
6pm Martin Heath v Anthony Hill
7pm Jonathon Power v Simon Parke
8pm Peter Nicol v Ahmed Barada

Thursday 8th June (Semi-finals)
6pm Winner Fleet Group v Runner-up Harrow Group
7pm Winner Harrow Group v Runner-up Fleet Group

Friday 9th June (Final)
6pm Third place play-off
7pm Final

- ENDS -

For further information, please contact Tom Maidment at WSM:
Tel: (44) 1189 323 600 / (44) 7714 465 9572 / tom.ma...@wsm.uk.com

Issued on behalf of: PSA For further information: Howard Harding
Tel: (44) 1737-243333 or (home) (44) 1737-222425 Fax: (44) 1737-222787
WSQ 801 Email: How...@aol.com 30 May 2000