Player Profiles

Nick Matthew

NICK MATTHEW enjoyed a prolific title-winning year in 2010 and became England’s first world number one for six years. But the 30-year-old Englishman from Sheffield has maintained his form through 2011 to date, reaching the finals in all five PSA World Tour events in which he has competed.

Title triumphs in four successive 2010 events – the Swedish Open, North American Open, Canary

Wharf Classic and Sky Open – led to Matthew topping the world rankings for the first time in June. And he went on to win the next too, the Australian Open in Canberra.

“Becoming world number one is every sports person's dream and it's something I've worked towards every single day of my life since I turned professional in 1998," said the proud Yorkshireman at the time.

But his great rival Ramy Ashour reclaimed the upper hand after three months and the Egyptian consigned Matthew to second place for the rest of the year.

However, boosted by two gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October, Matthew went on to finish the year on a high – winning the World Open for the first time in Saudi Arabia (and becoming the first Englishman to do so), then clinching the PSA Masters crown back in Delhi to ensure starting the New Year in pole position in the world rankings again. New York in January provided contrasting fortunes – Matthew lost to Ashour in the Tournament of Champions final, but won the 2010 PSA Player of the Year award.

But it was wins all the way thereafter – success for the third year in a row in the Swedish Open before avenging his earlier defeat by beating Ramy in the North American Open final – then going on to celebrate his 20th career Tour title at the Canary Wharf Classic in London. The Yorkshireman made the headlines in 2006 when, seeded six, he clinched the British Open title to become the first home-grown winner of the world's most prestigious event for 67 years.

He went on to claim the world-famous trophy for a second time in 2009 – reaching the final in Manchester as the fourth seed and saving a match-ball in the fifth-game decider to beat fellow Yorkshireman James Willstrop in a 122-minute marathon, the longest British Open final this decade.

The triumph brought to a notable climax a twelve-month period in which the England number one battled back to top form on the PSA Tour after undergoing career-threatening shoulder surgery in January 2008.

Ramy Ashour

RAMY ASHOUR, Egypt's leading player, reached a significant milestone in May this year when he won his home country's Hurghada International trophy for the fourth year in a row to mark up the 20th PSA World Tour title of his career – 13 of which are PSA World Series.

The 23-year-old from Cairo has enjoyed a meteoric rise in world squash: After making his debut in the Dunlop PSA World Rankings in November 2004 as a 17- year-old, Ashour burst into the top 100 at 94 exactly a year later - and twelve months further on was in the top ten!

But it was in January 2010 that Ashour achieved his life-long goal when he topped the world rankings for the first time – the result of a sensational 2009 run which included six Tour final appearances, culminating in triumphs in the final two events of the year, the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters in India and the Saudi International.

However, it was in August 2004 that Ashour first came to worldwide attention: The 16-year-old stunned the squash world by becoming the youngest ever World Junior Champion when seeded only to make the quarter-finals.

Three months later, in his maiden PSA Tour appearance in Greece, he won the Athens Open - becoming one of only a handful of players to claim PSA titles on their Tour debuts. And in July 2006, Ashour successfully defended his world junior crown in New Zealand to become the first man in history to win the world's leading junior title twice.

But it was in 2008 that the then 20-year-old achieved one of his greatest feats – romping through the star-studded World Open field in England to beat top seed and defending champion Amr Shabana in the semi-finals, then, in the first all-Egyptian final, overcome Karim Darwish 5-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 to win the sport’s premier title.

The fourth’s seed’s victory made him only the second player in history (after Pakistan legend Jansher Khan) to win both the junior and senior world titles. "Putting me in the same category as Jansher is a huge thing for me," said the new champion when told the news. "I have been watching his videos on YouTube recently - and have used some of his shots in my game.”

It was on the same all-glass court in Manchester just over a year earlier that Ashour - still a month short of his 20th birthday - made a further entry in the sport's record books when he became the first event debutant since 1996 to win the PSA's flagship World Series Finals, beating Darwish, Palmer and Lincou en-route to the final where he despatched Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in four games.

After losing his world number one ranking to English rival Nick Matthew in June 2010, Ashour reached the final of the new World Series Australian Open in August, then battled to a 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 win in 90 minutes over Gaultier in the Hong Kong Open final two weeks later to ensure his return to the top of the rankings in September.

But despite again slipping behind Matthew in the first 2011 rankings, Ashour started his New Year campaign in brilliant style, winning the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions title for the second time since 2008 after overcoming the Englishman in the New York final.

But a month later he was again back in a World Series final at the North American Open in Virginia – but this time it was Matthew who prevailed.

Greg Gaultier

GREG GAULTIER is a huge part of the Gallic squash miracle. Despite coming from a country with few players and little squash tradition, he became the first Frenchman to win the British Open (2007) and only the second, after Thierry Lincou, to win the Super Series Finals title (2008) and be crowned World No.1 (November 2009).

Gaultier is a player with a rare mixture of versatile skill and physical ability, with the capacity to carve opponents up or wear them down. But alongside his three biggest triumphs, Gaultier has two heroic near misses, losing in two World Open finals.

In 2006, he lost the most exciting World Open final of them all when he held five match points and was frustrated by a mixture of David Palmer's bravery and eccentric refereeing, whilst in 2007 he was comprehensively outplayed by the genius of Amr Shabana.

Since then, “I have changed a lot mentally,” Gaultier says. “I focus differently, and on different things. I am more relaxed.” Expect more great things from him – quite possibly this week.

Having often looked the best in the world and despite the disappointment of injury thwarting his challenges in recent events, Gaultier is fitter and better prepared than at any time in his career and may never have a better chance than now to claim a consistent place amongst the game’s elite.

James Willstrop

JAMES WILLSTROP won the first PSA World Tour Super Series event of 2010, the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions at Grand Central Terminal in New York, having beaten Karim Darwish, Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour, all three Egyptian World No.1’s, in successive rounds.

He employs a great reach and a wonderful wrist, is as creatively entertaining as any of the great players and his talent is supplemented by charisma and a generous spirit. The young Englishman came within a couple of wins of being crowned World No.1 in 2005 after winning Qatar Classic, and with the help of improvement in both his stamina and his movement, his recent form suggests that the 26-year-old Englishman may be reaching his peak.

Having reached three British Open finals, and holding match points in two, Willstrop has many reasons for optimism, confident in the knowledge that he may have finally discovered a resolve that will enable him to close out matches that his gifted shot may play present.

Amr Shabana

AMR SHABANA is the greatest player of the modern era. A measure of this is the extent of the surprise when, after fully thirty-three consecutive months as World No.1, he lost the top spot at the start of 2009.

Although sometimes characterised as the glittering shot-maker who dazzles at the front of the court, Shabana often drowns opponents deep and tight in the corners with beautifully timed drives, or jerks them around till they are stranded in no-man's land.

Easy though it is to see his determination which helped him to four World Open titles, it is sometimes overlooked that this martial quality is combined with a pacific graciousness which he has often had to summon during difficult periods when he has been below par physically. Despite this, Shabana will join a pantheon which includes Amr Bey, Mahmoud Karim, and Abou Taleb, the Egyptian legends created over a period of seventy years.

Having already guaranteed his status as one of the all-time greats, recurring knee and back injuries have seen the gifted left-hander become less consistent, leading many to question whether he has the capacity or drive in the autumn of his playing career to add to his considerable achievements.

Theirry Lincou

THIERRY LINCOU became the first French player ever to crowned World Champion or World No.1 – despite coming from Reunion Island, a small island in the Indian Ocean which had no squash courts when he became interested in the sport. This happened while he was on holiday in Biarritz, and it persuaded his father that they should construct their own court. It brought such rapid improvement that Lincou had to move as a teenager to Paris and Marseille to develop his talent.

His capacity for great comebacks, and his qualities as one of the sport’s gentlemen, has made him one of squash's most distinctive legends. Even as one of the oldest players competing on the World Tour he is still adding to his game, honing more of a cutting edge to his attacks and is still a serious challenger.

Lincou had to leave a paradise to play professional squash and hopes to return there with his wife and two children when he finishes. In the meantime he will continue to be what his mother calls “le messager de la paix” - the great ambassador.

Time may now also be short for the popular Frenchman, but that should focus his mind and make his intelligent game even more of an area to beware.

Daryl Selby

DARYL SELBY has become one of England's newest squash stars. After only breaking into the World’s top 30 at the beginning of 2009, the 27-year-old burst into the top ten only fourteen months later.

David Palmer

DAVID PALMER is the most successful player in the major tournaments over the past decade. He is twice World Open champion and four times British Open champion, something which not even the two recent greats, Peter Nicol and Jonathon Power, can equal. It makes Palmer the best Australian since the legendary Geoff Hunt who left the World Tour a quarter of a century ago.

Palmer is notable for the great courage he adds to a solid all-round game and a smothering volley. In 2008 he won the most dramatic British Open final of them all, saving two match points. He also saved two match points in the 2002 World Open final in Antwerp, and fully five match points in the 2006 World Open final at the Giza Pyramids. Each time he toughed it out when many would have folded. His nickname is the Marine. Despite his advancing years and expected retirement at the end of the year, his strength of character means that few would rule out, even now, of adding to his impressive tally of major events.

The exceptionally long distances and times away from home have been mitigated by a combination of the birth of his daughter Kayla Jane and the use of his webcam, and the knowledge that Aussies don't forget him – he was awarded the Order of Australian Merit.

Adrian Grant

ADRIAN GRANT has achieved a highest Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Ranking of ten and has won 16 PSA World Tour titles, taking him to second in the all-time list of England title-winners.

In a distinguished junior career, Adrian was the British Champion at both U/14 and U/16 age groups, culminating in him being crowned European Junior Champion in 1999, and was a key player in the England’s 1996 and 1998 World and European Junior Championship winning team.

In 2004, Adrian made history at the European Team Championships in Rennes, France as the first black player ever to represent England.

Laid back and fluent, Adrian started the year in the world’s top ten for the first time, an achievement which should add to the momentum he will get from returning to Manchester. It was here last year that he reached the British National final for the first time, and it was here in 2008 that he achieved his best win, getting past Gregory Gaultier to reach the quarter-finals of the World Open.

Alister Walker

ALISTER WALKER has developed an attacking game capable at its best of overwhelming anyone and with heightened confidence after his finest year is an ever increasing threat for his higher ranked rivals.

During 2009 he rose to his highest ranking, World No. 12, and won his third PSA World Tour title. But the achievement which most illustrated how potent he can be was a quarterfinal victory over the great Amr Shabana in the Super Series Platinum event in Cairo in September.

Walker not only produced the sharp, severe attacks which make him so dangerous but created tactical adaptations based on his inspection of Shabana on video.

These special abilities, plus the trademark headscarf, and his pleasing manner, all make the Botswana-born Englishman a potential star.