Leekes British Open Draw
Paul.Baggott
England world champion team-mates Del Harris and Chris Walker, both from Essex,
have been placed in the top half of the Leekes British Open Squash
Championships draw, while Mark Chaloner, the third member of the triumphant
England squad, is in the opposite half of the draw. The Leekes British Open
will take place in Cardiff between 1st-7th April.
Harris, seeded No5, is scheduled for a quarter-final confrontation with
Pakistan's defending champion Jansher Khan - who is aiming for his fifth
consecutive title - whilst sixth seed Walker is in line for a last eight
rendezvous with Scotland's British National Champion Peter Nicol, the 4th seed.
In the Australia-dominated bottom half of the draw, eighth seed Chaloner - the
Lincolnshire 23-year-old who had to qualify for last year's event - faces
20-year-old Australian Dan Jenson in the first round, with a quarter-final
meeting in prospect with world No3 Brett Martin, who Chaloner unexpectedly beat
in last year's World Open.
In the women's championship, England No1 Cassie Jackman is seeded four, and has
been drawn to face Sussex's Linda Charman in the first round. Charman
confounded the seedings in January's National Championships to beat the
favourite Jackman before going on to reach the finals.
Yorkshire's Suzanne Horner, a twice British Open finalist who is making her
twelfth appearance in the world's most prestigious event, is seeded No6 and
expected to meet Australia's defending champion Michelle Martin in the
quarter-finals.
In the Abshot Open, the new pre-British Open women's event in southern England,
Horner upset the seedings to beat Michelle Martin (3-1) for the first time in
her career, before losing to Sarah Fitz-Gerald in the event's final.
Full draw (seedings in brackets):
Men's event
Jansher Khan (Pakistan) [1] v Derek Ryan (Ireland)
Zarak Jahan Khan (Pakistan) v Qualifier
Mark Cairns (Oxon) v Paul Gregory (Greece)
Del Harris (Essex) [5] v Qualifier
Chris Walker (Essex) [6] v Gary Waite (Canada)
Julien Bonetat (France) v Qualifier
Tony Hands (Essex) v Qualifier
Peter Nicol (Scotland) [4] v Paul Johnson (Kent)
Brett Martin (Australia) [3] v Qualifier
Stephen Meads (Berks) v Qualifier
Amir Wagih (Egypt) v Qualifier
Mark Chaloner (Lincs) [8] v Dan Jenson (Australia)
Anthony Hill (Australia) [7] v Jonathan Power (Canada)
Danny Meddings (Surrey) v Jason Nicolle (Notts)
Angus Kirkland (Sussex) v Qualifier
Rodney Eyles (Australia) [2] v Craig Rowland (Australia)
Women's event
Michelle Martin (Australia) [1] v Qualifier
Robyn Cooper (Australia) [13] v Qualifier
Suzanne Horner (Yorks) [6] v Qualifier
Claire Nitch (South Africa) [11] v Senga Macfie (Scotland)
Liz Irving (Australia) [3] v Qualifier
Philippa Beams (New Zealand) [12] v Qualifier
Sabine Schoene (Germany) [7] v Toni Weeks (Australia)
Jane Martin (Northumbria) [10] v Heather Wallace (Canada)
Rebecca Macree (Essex) [14] v Donia Leeves (Sussex)
Fiona Geaves (Glos) [8] v Qualifier
Vicki Cardwell (Australia) [15] v Meeghan Bell (Australia)
Cassie Jackman (Norfolk) [4] v Linda Charman (Sussex)
Leilani Marsh (New Zealand) [16] v Jade Wilson (New Zealand)
Carol Owens (Australia) [5] v Qualifier
Sue Wright (Kent) [9] v Qualifier
Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Aus) [2] v Natarsha Tippett (Aus)