Shabana Eyes Up Hat-Trick In Gerrard Grand Prix Debut

The city of Manchester will welcome the hottest star in world squash for the first time tomorrow (Friday) when Egypt's Amr Shabana makes his debut in the Gerrard Grand Prix Championship at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity.

After winning the Heliopolis Open in his hometown of Cairo ten days ago, the mercurial 26-year-old travelled to the USA where he brushed aside a high-quality field in the St Louis Open to pick up one of the biggest titles on the international circuit.

Shabana, who became Egypt's first ever world champion two years ago, joins a star-studded Gerrard Grand Prix cast in Manchester which features eight players from the world's top 12 – playing in two pools of four players, leading to finals on Monday (26 September) which will produce a 1-8 finish.

With Shabana, the world No7, will be Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the World Champion, the World No1 and the reigning Gerrard Grand Prix Champion; Englishmen Lee Beachill, James Willstrop and Nick Matthew, ranked 2, 8 and 9 in the world; Australian Anthony Ricketts, the world No6; Scotland's world No10 John White; and Egyptian Karim Darwish, the world No12.

Anthony Ricketts, runner-up to Shabana in the St Louis final, will also be making his debut in the Gerrard Grand Prix.  "Anthony and Shabana are two of the most exciting players on the world tour today, and it is no surprise that they contested last weekend's final in St Louis," said event promoter Paul Walters, of iSPORTmarketing.  "The crowds at the National Squash Centre are in for a real treat when they see these two stars on the all-glass court for the first time."

The event's opening match will reproduce one of the most outstanding clashes in St Louis – when rising English star James Willstrop, the former world junior champion from Yorkshire, upset world champion Thierry Lincou in the best result of his career – and his first ever victory over a world number one.

Later on the opening night, Shabana faces former world No1 John White, the game's hardest-hitter, and the programme finishes with Ricketts taking on the England No1 Lee Beachill, the three-times British champion.

The women's Gerrard Grand Prix draw gets underway on Saturday when local star Vicky Botwright, the world No7 from Manchester, takes on fellow England international Tania Bailey - and England's world No9 Jenny Duncalf, winner of the recent English Open, faces Lancashire's former British Junior champion Laura-Jane Lengthorn.

Tickets for the 2005 Gerrard Grand Prix are available exclusively from www.isportticketing.com or by telephone on 07973-544719.

Gerrard Grand Prix playing schedule:

Friday 23rd September
6.00pm           Thierry Lincou vs. James Willstrop
7.00pm           Karim Darwish vs. Nick Matthew
8.00pm           John White vs. Amr Shabana
9.00pm           Lee Beachill vs. Anthony Ricketts

Saturday 24th September
11.00am         Amr Shabana vs. James Willstrop
12.00noon      Jenny Duncalf vs. Laura Jane Lengthorn
1.00pm           Lee Beachill vs. Nick Matthew                    
2.00pm           Anthony Ricketts vs. Karim Darwish
3.00pm           Vicky Botwright vs. Tania Bailey
4.00pm           Thierry Lincou vs. John White

Sunday 25th September
2.00pm           John White vs. James Willstrop
3.00pm           Women’s 3/4 play-off
4.00pm           Anthony Ricketts vs. Nick Matthew
5.00pm           Women’s Final
6.00pm           Lee Beachill vs. Karim Darwish
7.00pm           Thierry Lincou vs. Amr Shabana

Monday 26th September
6.00pm           7/8 Play-off
7.00pm           5/6 Play-off
8.00pm           3/4 Play-off
9.00pm           Gerrard Grand Prix Finals