LEE BEACHILL ANKLE SURGERY A SUCCESS Two-times British squash champion and England international Lee Beachill, from Pontefract in Yorkshire, will be out of action for at least eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his right ankle in Sheffield, England. Beachill rushed back to England last week after being forced to retire in the quarter-finals of the Tournament of Champions in New York - his third successive withdrawal from a Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour event as a result of his ankle. An MRI scan early in February had revealed a rupture in a tendon in the ankle, but the plucky 25-year-old was able to reach his third successive final of the British National Championships in Manchester, where he came close to extending his record two successive titles before being beaten in five close games by his Commonwealth Games Men's Doubles Gold medal-winning partner Peter Nicol, the world No1. "I was hoping to have the operation later in the year, but the Tournament of Champions incident made me realise I needed to get it done straight away," said Beachill on his official website www.LeeBeachill.com after the successful keyhole surgery repair of the tendon. "I can't put any weight on it for at least two weeks, and will then only be able to walk gently for a period before getting back on court. My consultant says I might be out of action for up to three months, but I'm a quick healer and hope to be back sooner than that - my aim is the Super Series Finals in London in the middle of May, though I'm not ruling out being ready for the European Team Championships at the beginning of the month," added Beachill, who has qualified for the PSA Tour's Super Series Finals for the first time. Beachill is no stranger to setbacks. He was told he would never walk again, let alone play squash, after he broke his back in two places in a serious car accident in December 1997. Four months later, then ranked 127 in the world, he fought through six qualifying rounds to reach the main draw of the British Open. England National Coach David Pearson commented: "It's good to know that Lee's operation has been successful and that this ankle weakness is now well-and-truly behind him. We will be selecting our team for the European Championships at the end of the month, and very much hope we will be able to include Lee in our line-up."