Tough Assignment For Gaultier In Fourth European Title Bid

France's Gregory Gaultier is seeded to win a fourth successive men's title in the European Individual Championships, which get underway today in the French town of Royan.

But, despite home advantage, the world No4 from Aix-en-Provence will face stiff competition - not only from fellow countryman Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed, but also from a high-quality field which includes English rivals Nick Matthew and Adrian Grant, the two 3/4 seeds.

Both Frenchmen are making comebacks from injury setbacks - playing in their first event since missing April's Qatar Classic on the PSA Tour. Furthermore, neither was able to represent their country in the European Team Championships in Italy in May - leaving Matthew and Grant, ranked 8 and 15, respectively, in the world, to lead England to their 15th successive triumph.

Gaultier will face the winner of the qualifying match between Nikolay Angelov (Bulgaria) and Marios Yiannou (Cyprus) in the first round, while Lincou, the world No5 from Marseille, will take on either Petr Kviecinsky (Slovakia) or Igor Pejic (Slovenia).

The women's event predicts an all-English final, in which defending champion Jenny Duncalf is expected to meet top seed Tania Bailey. Second seed Duncalf, the world No10 from Harrogate in Yorkshire, is expected to face local opposition in the second round after a bye in the first - though France's 9/16 seed Charlotte Delsinne will first have to beat unseeded Czech Jana Smeralova in the first round.

Bailey, the world No4 from Stamford in Lincolnshire who surrendered her British National Championship title to Duncalf in February, also has a bye in the first round - and will then face the winner of the match between Spain's Laura Alonso Perez and Austria's 9/16 seed Birgit Coufal.

This is the fourth year of the prestigious European Squash Federation event - but the first year in France - which is exclusively for Europeans. The men's championship boasts 43 entries from 20 countries while the women's event has 26 entries from 14 countries.