New Speedport Black Takes James Willstrop To New York Final

Within days of switching to the new Prince Speedport Black racquet - the latest advance in the brand's revolutionary new O3 technology - James Willstrop progressed beyond his seeding to reach the final of the prestigious Tournament of Champions in New York.

Since signing a worldwide agreement with Prince last August and adopting the O3 Black racquet, Willstrop enjoyed a highly successful remainder of the year by winning the Prince English Grand Prix and Mamut English Open Tour titles, as well as reaching the final of the US Open in New York. Furthermore, he led England to a successful defence of the World Team Championship title in India in December.

After launching its revolutionary new O3 racquet series in tennis in 2005 - a hugely-successful technology breakthrough which produced an expanded sweetspot (up to 54%) and increased racquet speed, a combination only possible with O3 technology - Prince is now attacking the next frontier in racquet equipment innovation by delivering a line that brings a critical component to a player's game: Extra Speed.

"The core premise of O3 revolves around oversize string holes (O-Ports), which are ideally suited to improve aerodynamics," said Roberto Gazzara, director of research and development at Prince. "By refining the size, location and shape of these ports, we've been able to increase racquet speed dramatically, which improves the ability for players to get their racquet in position, making better ball contact and hitting more clean and precise shots."

The Speedport Black squash racquet - up to 24% faster through the air than traditional frames - is ideal for players wanting more power and control in an extremely aerodynamic and lightweight frame.

"I do love this racquet - it really is spot on!" said Willstrop after his unexpected success in New York last month. "It feels so good in the hand and the weight distribution is excellent."

Willstrop follows his PSA Super Series final success in New York by competing in this month's Swedish Open, a 5-star PSA Tour event in Linköping. The 24-year-old Yorkshireman then returns to England where he will defend his British National Championship title next week at the National Squash Centre in Sportcity, Manchester.