EUROPEAN SQUASH NEWS

Continent's Best To Compete In New European Championships

After an absence of more than ten years, the European Individual Squash Championships return to the sport's international calendar next month - featuring the cream of the world's elite players. 

Restricted to Europeans only, the European Individual Championships will be staged at the National Tennis Centre in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, from 8-11 September.  The Centre is a brand new state of art building boasting four ASB courts and an all-glass show court featuring seating for around 800 spectators.

The 2004 staging of the event is the fulfilment of a campaign by the European Squash Federation (ESF) to revive the event which was first played in Rotterdam in 1990 and last played in Lille three years later.

"The revival of the event was raised by members at our 2003 AGM, as a logical extension of National Championships and as a stepping stone to World Championships," said ESF President Chris Stahl.  "We hope it will also enhance our Olympic aspirations and should encourage further financial support from some Governments.

"All 41 Members of the ESF had the right to enter at least one and not more than four men and four women in the event.  We have men's entries from 18 Countries and women's from 13 - hopefully we can build on the success of this year's revitalised event to attract more players and sponsors next year," Stahl explained.

"We were delighted that Rusty Koys took up the challenge to stage the event and is doing so in grand style in Bratislava supported by the Slovak Squash Federation.  We've had excellent support from our members and the quality of entries has exceeded our expectations - though sadly the women's field is not quite as strong as the men's due to a conflicting event on the WISPA World Tour," Stahl added.

England's world No2 Lee Beachill is top seed in the men's event.  The 26-year-old from Pontefract in Yorkshire, who earlier this month secured the English Open title in Sheffield, is expected to face Scotland's Nottingham-based world No5 John White in the final.

An English victory is also expected in the women's event, where Vicky Lankester, the world No36 from Birmingham, is the favourite - and scheduled to face compatriot Rebecca Botwright, ranked two places lower, in the final.

Men's 1st round:
[1] Lee Beachill (ENG) v Qualifier
[11] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) v Leopold Czaska (AUT)
[9] Jan Koukal (CZE) v Marek Zvoncek (SVK)
[8] Tommy Berden (NED) v Ivan Djordjevic (SCG)
[6] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Qualifier
[10] Stefan Leifels (GER) v Aqeel Rehman (AUT)
[14] Andreas Fuchs (AUT) v Martin Stepan (CZE)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Qualifier
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Qualifier
[12] Derek Ryan (IRL) v Andras Torok (HUN)
[13] Rob Aerts (BEL) v Gerhard Schedlbauer (AUT)
[7] Martin Heath (SCO) v Klemen Gutman (SLO)
[5] James Willstrop (ENG) v Qualifier
[16] Sandor Fulop (HUN) v Pavel Sladecek (CZE)
[15] Patrick Gaessler (GER) v Domagoj Spoljar (CRO)
[2] John White (SCO) v Qualifier