SquashMedia.org News TOUGH OPENER FOR CHAMPION JACKMAN IN NATIONALS DRAW Defending champion Cassie Jackman, due to play in her first tournament in England since undergoing back surgery for the second time in her career last September, has landed a tough draw in next month's British National Squash Championships in Manchester. The world No7 from Norfolk, who won the first of her four National titles ten years ago, will face local star Vicky Botwright in the first round. Manchester-based Botwright, ranked 18 in the world and a quarter-finalist for the past two years, is one of the highest-ranked unseeded players in the women's draw. Jackman, however, has not failed to reach the final in her last five appearances in the event - and last week won the Edinburgh Open title in her international comeback tournament in Scotland. Lee Beachill, the world No9 from Pontefract in Yorkshire who last year became the first player in history to successfully defend the men's title, has drawn a qualifier in the first round. England's Peter Nicol and Linda Charman, ranked one and four in the world respectively, head the world-class fields in the 2003 British National Championships which will take place for the first time at the National Squash Centre in Manchester from 11-16 February. Nicol, champion in 1996 and runner-up to Beachill last year, will also take on a qualifier in the opening men's round. He is expected to meet old foe Simon Parke, the 1998 champion from Yorkshire, in the quarter-finals, with an anticipated duel with former Scottish compatriot Martin Heath, the fourth seed, in the semi-finals. Scotland's world No4 John White, runner-up in last month's World Open in Belgium, is the event's No2 seed and is drawn to face a qualifier as he opens his bid for his predicted appointment with Nicol in the final. The Nottingham-based 29-year-old faces likely Welsh opposition in the form of both David Evans, the former British Open champion, and Alex Gough, the Welsh champion, in his quarter before a possible semi-final clash with third seed Lee Beachill. Beachill will be pleased that he has again avoided a potential confrontation with favourite Peter Nicol, his Commonwealth Games Men's Doubles gold medal partner, until the final. Local hero Nick Taylor¸ the Manchester-based world No19 who reached the final in 1995 and 2001, is seeded eight and drawn to meet a qualifier in the first round. Linda Charman is seeded to win the women's title for the first time. The three-times runner-up from Eastbourne in Sussex boosted her chances for success with an impressive victory last weekend in the Greenwich Open in the USA. Charman's predicted semi-final opponent will be English rival Rebecca Macree, the fourth seed, while third-seeded Jackman is drawn in second seed Tania Bailey's half of the draw. Bailey, the former world junior champion from Lincolnshire who recently became the England No1 for the first time and has never progressed beyond the last eight before, is due to face veteran Suzanne Horner in the quarter-finals. The seventh seed from Yorkshire who celebrates her 40th birthday in February is a two-times champion, who made the first of her 22 Nationals' appearances in 1978 - a year before Bailey was born! After two days of qualifying at Manchester's National Squash Centre on Sunday 9th and Monday 10th February, the main draw begins on Tuesday 11th with action from the quarter-finals onwards taking place on the all-glass court from Thursday through to the Finals on Sunday 16th February. Tickets are available from TicketMaster, either via the website www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by phoning 0870-602 1188. The 2003 Championships, which will also include age-group competitions from Men's and Women's Over-35 to Men's Over-65, are the third to be backed by the Manchester Partnership, featuring Hi-Tec, Manchester Leisure Sport, Dunlop Sport, www.squashdiscount.com, England Squash, Manchester City Council, e-squash, Manchester Evening News, Slazenger, Goudie International, UltraFit magazine and Honda Cars. All the 2003 Nationals action will be covered by official media partner www.squashmedia.org, featuring the event's dedicated website www.nationalsquashchamps.co.uk Men's draw: [1] Peter Nicol (Yorks) v Qualifier [14] Peter Genever (Sussex) v Qualifier [7] Simon Parke (Yorks) v Qualifier [10] Nick Matthew (Yorks) v Ben Garner (Surrey) [4] Martin Heath (Scotland) v Lee Drew (Essex) [15] James Willstrop (Yorks) v Derek Ryan (Ireland) [8] Nick Taylor (Lancs) v Qualifier [12] Stephen Meads (Berks) v Liam Kenny (Ireland) [13] Adrian Grant (Kent) v Marcus Berrett (Yorks) [5] Mark Chaloner (Lincs) v Qualifier [16] Bradley Ball (Suffolk) v Tim Garner (Sussex) [3] Lee Beachill (Yorks) v Qualifier [11] Del Harris (Essex) v Mark Cairns (Oxon) [6] Alex Gough (Wales) v Qualifier [9] David Evans (Wales) v Jonathon Kemp (Shropshire) [2] John White (Scotland) v Qualifier Women's draw [1] Linda Charman (Sussex) v Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) [5] Fiona Geaves (Glos) v Jenny Tranfield (Yorks) [4] Rebecca Macree (Essex) v Qualifier [8] Pamela Nimmo (Scotland) v Qualifier [6] Stephanie Brind (Kent) v Qualifier [3] Cassie Jackman (Norfolk) v Vicky Botwright (Lancs) [7] Suzanne Horner (Yorks) v Madeline Perry (Ireland) [2] Tania Bailey (Lincs) v Qualifier