Last-minute withdrawals from this week's ATCO Super Series Finals - London 2008 have left hosts England with two players in the flagship squash championship which brings together the top eight qualifiers from the 2007 PSA Super Series World Tour.

Lee Beachill, the world No11 from Yorkshire, will now join Pontefract club-mate James Willstrop, the world No3, in the draw of the $110,000 event which gets underway at the Broadgate Arena in London today (Monday).

Beachill will be making his first appearance in the event since finishing as runner-up two years ago.  The former world number one is also joined by fellow late-comer Ong Beng Hee, the world No10 from Malaysia.

Nick Matthew was the first to pull out of the event.  The Englishman is still recovering from shoulder surgery.  But, at the weekend, Matthew was joined on the sidelines by Egyptians Ramy Ashour and Karim Darwish, the world number four and eight, respectively - both of whose 2008 British Open campaigns earlier this month were prematurely cut short by injuries.

Egypt's world number one Amr Shabana is favourite to lift the title for the first time.  The 28-year-old from Cairo will meet seventh seed Beachill in the first qualifying round in the Prince Group, while fourth seed Willstrop will face 2004 champion Thierry Lincou, the fifth seed from France, in the tonight's other match in the group.

Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, who is favourite to win the ATCO Group, will begin his campaign against Ong Beng Hee.  Fresh from his triumph in the 2008 Dunlop British Open, Australian David Palmer - the 2002 champion - faces Egyptian Wael El Hindi in the other ATCO Group clash.

Pool matches continue on Tuesday and Wednesday, leading to semi-finals on Thursday and the final on Friday.

Monday's 1st pool round:
   Prince Group
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) v [5] Thierry Lincou (FRA)
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [7] Lee Beachill (ENG)
   ATCO Group
[3] David Palmer (AUS) v [6] Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS)