WORLD SQUASH NEWS

PSA Tour Celebrates Bright 2004 Start

Three new events in January signal a bright start for the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour in 2004.

The $65,000 Sheikha Al Sa'ad Kuwait Open (25-28), the $10,000 Virginia Professional Championships in the USA (21-24) and the $12,000 ADL Optical Manitoba Open in Canada (starting on 29th January) combine with seasoned PSA events in New York, Dayton, Calgary and Barcelona to provide a full month of elite men's squash activity around the world.

"The PSA Tour is growing at a steady rate, but after a spectacular end to the year with the Qatar Classic and World Open in December, it's good to see the New Year starting so positively with seven events providing competition to a wide range of PSA players," said PSA Tour Director Sheila Cooksley.

The main draw of the $30,000 Marsh & McLennan Apawamis Open starts today (Friday) in Rye, New York.  There has been a last-minute withdrawal by Finland's No8 seed Olli Tuominen due to a knee injury.  Wael El Hindi, from Egypt, now makes the main draw and finds himself playing compatriot Karim Darwish, the No2 seed.

World No1 Thierry Lincou is not having a good start to the New Year.   The Frenchman has been forced to withdraw from the $40,000 EBS Asset Management Dayton Open in Dayton, Ohio, which commences next Wednesday (14 January), with an ankle injury.  He hopes that he will make a speedy recovery so that he can make his debut as world No1 in the Sheikha Al Sa'ad Kuwait Open at the end of the month.

Details of the major PSA Tour events in January are:

Marsh & McLennan Open 9/12 January $30,000
EBS Asset Management Dayton Open 14/17 January $40,000
Talisman Energy Bankers Hall Club ProAm (Calgary) 16/18 January $10,000
Rocafort Open (Barcelona) 16/18 January $3,000
Virginia Pro Squash Champs 21/24 January $10,000
Sheikha Al Sa'ad Kuwait Open 25/28 January $65,000
ADL Optical Manitoba Open 29 Jan/1 Feb $12,000