Beachill & Elriani Named Top Seeds For British Nationals

Yorkshire's world No2 Lee Beachill is seeded to win his third title in next month's British National Squash Championships at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity in Manchester from 8-13 February.

The 27-year-old from Pontefract is seeded to reach the final on the famous all-glass court for the fifth successive year. Another former champion Peter Nicol, who celebrated his 60th month at the top of the world rankings last year, is named as No2 seed - and expected to face compatriot Beachill, his Commonwealth Games Doubles Gold Medal-winning partner (pictured), in the final on Sunday 13th February.

The English pair have contested two finals in the last three years, with honours shared.

Defending men's champion John White is named as fifth seed, with the prospect of meeting either Beachill or Nicol in a quarter-final. Following an indifferent year since becoming the British champion for the first time twelve months ago, the Scot started 2005 with a bang - winning the first major international event of the new year, the Windy City Open in Chicago, against the seedings.

Sussex's Linda Elriani is named as favourite in the women's event. A veteran of 16 Nationals appearances since 1987, the former Linda Charman has reached the final on four occasions but has not yet collected the trophy!

Elriani, ranked six in the world, is expected to meet Essex's Rebecca Macree, the runner-up in 2003, in the women's final.

North west hopes in the 2005 British Nationals will be led by Manchester's former international Nick Taylor in the men's event and Vicky Botwright in the women's. Tenth seed Taylor, from Stalybridge, is the highest-seeded non-full-timer in the event.

Botwright, who has won two international titles since reaching the 2004 event quarter-finals, is seeded four.

The men's seeds are: 1 Lee Beachill (Yorkshire), 2 Peter Nicol (Yorkshire), 3 James Willstrop (Yorkshire), 4 Nick Matthew (Yorkshire), 5 John White (Scotland), 6 Adrian Grant (Kent), 7 Simon Parke (Yorkshire), 8 Alex Gough (Wales), 9 Mark Chaloner (Lincolnshire), 10 Nick Taylor (Lancashire), 11 Marcus Berrett (Yorkshire), 12 Bradley Ball (Suffolk), 13 Stephen Meads (Berkshire), 14 Pete Genever (Sussex), 15 Peter Barker (Essex), 16 Joey Barrington (Somerset).

The women's seeds are: 1 Linda Elriani (Sussex), 2 Rebecca Macree (Essex), 3 Jenny Tranfield (Yorkshire), 4 Vicky Botwright (Lancashire), 5 Fiona Geaves (Gloucestershire), 6 Jenny Duncalf (Yorkshire), 7 Madeline Perry (Ireland), 8 Tania Bailey (Lincolnshire).

The 2005 British National Squash Championships will take place at the National Squash Centre at Sportcity from Tuesday 8th until Sunday 13th February, following qualifying from Sunday 6th February. Tickets are available from TicketMaster on 0870-602 1188 or via the website www.ticketmaster.co.uk