Willstrop & Bailey Seeded To Win National Squash Titles

England number ones James Willstrop and Tania Bailey have been named as top seeds for next month's British National Championships, which will be held in Manchester, from 12-17 February.

The championships, in their 12th successive year in Manchester and sixth year at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity, have attracted world class fields from throughout the UK. In addition to the men's and women's open events, the tournament will feature Masters championships in age-group categories ranging from Over-35 to Over-70.

James Willstrop, ranked six in the world, won the men's title for the first time last year. But the 24-year-old from Pontefract in Yorkshire, who made his debut in the event in 2000 as a 16-year-old, will face stiff opposition - led by England and Pontefract Club team-mate Lee Beachill, a three times winner of the title.

Second seed Beachill, 30, will be making his tournament comeback in the Nationals after undergoing hernia surgery at the beginning of this month. Beachill failed to reach a record seventh successive final last year after sustaining a freak neck injury hours before his semi-final match - against close friend Willstrop!

Peter Barker, the world No12 from Upminster in Essex who clinched the world team title for England in December after winning the deciding match against Australia, is the third seed - while Kent's Halifax-based Adrian Grant is seeded four.

Tour veteran Alex Gough, the 37-year-old Welshman who boasts a British O35 Open crown, is the No5 seed - and will be making his 13th appearance in the event since 1992.

Tania Bailey will be hoping to reclaim the women's title she lost to England team-mate Jenny Duncalf last year. The 28-year-old world No5 from Stamford in Lincolnshire won the crown for the first time in 2006 - but crashed out to Duncalf in last year's quarter-finals.

Duncalf, 25, from Harrogate in Yorkshire, is the third seed - but in 2007 fought through the event as sixth seed to claim her maiden national title.

Local star Vicky Botwright is named as second seed. But the 30-year-old world No6 has hitherto failed to fulfil her promise in the Nationals - with the quarter-finals being her best finish, five times in the last six years!

Lancashire county team-mate Laura Lengthorn-Massaro - the world No11 from Preston who caused Botwright's downfall last year - is the fourth seed. Londoner Alison Waters, a surprise runner-up twice in the last three years, is seeded five.

Men's seeds:
1 James Willstrop (Yorks)
2 Lee Beachill (Yorks)
3 Peter Barker (Essex)
4 Adrian Grant (Kent)
5 Alex Gough (Wales)
6 Jonathan Kemp (Shropshire)
7 Joey Barrington (Somerset)
8 Alister Walker (Glos)
9 Daryl Selby (Essex)
10 Simon Parke (Yorks)
11 Chris Ryder (Herts)
12 Stacey Ross (Surrey)
13 Andrew Whipp (Cheshire)
14 Tim Vail (Sussex)
15 Alex Stait (Glos)
16 Ben Ford (Kent)

Women's seeds
1 Tania Bailey (Lincs)
2 Vicky Botwright (Lancs)
3 Jenny Duncalf (Yorks)
4 Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Lancs)
5 Alison Waters (Middx)
6 Madeline Perry (Ireland)
7 Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Middx)
8 Lauren Briggs (Essex)