Hat-Trick For Hosts Predicted By Commonwealth Games Doubles Seedings

Hosts Australia are expected to make a clean sweep of the doubles gold medals in the Commonwealth Games later this month in Melbourne, according to the seedings announced today by the World Squash Federation (WSF).

The doubles, which will follow the singles events at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), will get underway on 22 March, with early Pool matches being followed by the knockout stage from Friday 24th through to the finals on Sunday 26th.

Squash in the Commonwealth Games boasts a world-class entry list featuring 14 of the top 20 men in the world and all but two of the women's top ten.

"The sport will be represented by an all-time record of 28 nations and 91 athletes," commented WSF Chief Executive Christian Leighton. "Alongside the established squash nations, it is excellent to see countries like the Norfolk Islands competing for the first time in the doubles events in Melbourne."

Stewart Boswell & Anthony Ricketts, from Canberra and Sydney, respectively, are top seeds in the men's doubles, ahead of English title-holders Lee Beachill & Peter Nicol. Boswell & Ricketts, ranked 17 and 6, respectively, in the world, won the WSF World Doubles Championship title at the Games venue in Melbourne in January.

The Australian favourites head Pool 1, where they will be joined by 12th seeds Shawn Badrinath & Maxim Weithers (Guyana) and Kenyan pair Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel.

Beachill & Nicol, who beat the Australian pair in the 2002 final in Manchester and are currently ranked 8 & 7, respectively, lead the line-up in Pool 2 - where they will face Nicholas Kyme & James Stout (the 11th seeds from Bermuda), O'Neil Chilambwe & Lazarus Chilufya (Zambia) and Duncan Gray & Gye Duncan (Norfolk Islands).

Queensland sisters Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham are favourites in the women's doubles event. The 'Toowoomba twosome', ranked 4 & 3, respectively, in the world, are expected to meet New Zealand's second seeds Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey, the reigning world doubles champions, in the final.

Double gold is predicted for Rachael Grinham, who teams up with David Palmer in the mixed doubles. The favourites are expected to face No2 seeds Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson in the final. Wilson won the 2002 gold medal with the now retired Leilani Rorani.

Pool line-ups - Men:
Pool 1: [1] Stewart Boswell & Anthony Ricketts (AUS); [12] Shawn Badrinath & Maxim Weithers (GUY); Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel (KEN)
Pool 2: [2] Lee Beachill & Peter Nicol (ENG); [11] Nicholas Kyme & James Stout (BER); O'Neil Chilambwe & Lazarus Chilufya (ZAM); Duncan Gray & Gye Duncan (NFI)
Pool 3: [3] Joseph Kneipp & David Palmer (AUS); [10] Aamir Atlas Khan & Khayal Muhammad Khan (PAK); Yassir Issadeen & Navin Samarasinghe (SRI)
Pool 4: [4] Nick Matthew & James Willstrop (ENG); [9] Shawn Delierre & Matthew Giuffre (CAN); Joseph Karigithe & Chirag Shah (KEN)
Pool 5: [5] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL); [8] Harry Leitch & John White (SCO); Joshua Pinard & Colin Ramasra (TRI); Peter Christian-Bailey & Steve Nobbs (NFI)
Pool 6: [6] David Evans & Alex Gough (WAL); [7] Rodney Durbach & Adrian Hansen (RSA); Andrew McGoon & Sonalmeet Nagra (FIJ); Chikumbutso Mkutumula & Aubrey Taulo (MAW)

Women:
Pool 1: [1] Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham (AUS); [4] Louise Crome & Lara Petera (NZL); [5] Jenny Duncalf & Alison Waters (ENG); Karen Anderson & Marlene West (JAM); Naluge Guy & Eli Webb (PNG)
Pool 2: [2] Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey (NZL); [3] Tania Bailey & Vicky Botwright (ENG); [6] Dianne Desira & Amelia Pittock (AUS); Frania Gillen-Buchert & Louise Philip (SCO); Nirasha Guruge & Tehani Guruge (SRI)

Mixed:
Pool 1: [1] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS); [12] Tenille Swartz & Clinton Leeuw (RSA); Nirasha Guruge & Navin Samarasinghe (SRI)
Pool 2: [2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL); [11] Runa Reta & Matthew Giuffre (CAN); Tehani Guruge & Yassir Issadeen (SRI)
Pool 3: [3] Natalie Grinham & Dan Jenson (AUS); [10] Madeline Perry & Steve Richardson (NIR); Chantelle Day & Jeffrey Broderick (CAY); Debby Adams & Gye Duncan (NFI)
Pool 4: [4] Vicky Botwright & James Willstrop (ENG); [9] Tegwen Malik & Gavin Jones (WAL); Marlene West & Christopher Binnie (JAM)
Pool 5: [5] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS); [8] Diana Argyle & Craig van der Wath (RSA); Nicolette Fernandes & Shawn Badrinath (GUY); Becky Nobbs & Duncan Gray (NFI)
Pool 6: [6] Lara Petera & Callum O'Brien (NZL); [7] Alison Waters & Adrian Grant (ENG); Sharon Chimfwembe & Lazarus Chilufya (ZAM); Vanessa Florens & Nadeem Hosenbux (MRI)