Bermuda 'Buzzing With Excitement' At Arrival Of World's Top Squash Players

Squash fans around the world will be focused on the tiny city of Hamilton in Bermuda this week as all of the world's top 31 squash players have arrived on this semi-tropical mid-ocean paradise for the 2005 Virtual Spectator Bermuda PSA Masters, presented by Logic and hosted by Endurance.

More than 140 volunteers have been working around the clock to complete final preparations on the 600-seat auditorium housing the specially imported all-glass court.

"Although Bermuda's total population is less than 60,000, the Island is buzzing with excitement at the prospect of seeing the world's finest players from five continents battling it out for the prestigious Masters Championship," said Tournament Director Ross Triffitt.

A wildly enthusiastic packed house is expected for the opening match of the week between world No1 Thierry Lincou, of France, and local wild-card favourite, Nicholas Kyme, currently ranked 68 in the world. Kyme, the national champion, will surely have a baptism of fire against the world champion - but if he falls in round one, local fans will quickly change their allegiance to Bermuda resident David Palmer, the Australian world No2 who is determined to perform well in front of his adopted home crowd.

The auditorium is replete with high quality technology offering web-streaming of matches via the internet on the PSA's website www.PSALIVE.tv - while title sponsors Virtual Spectator are testing their own cutting edge technology on site. Most matches are scheduled between 12 noon and 2.30pm Bermuda time (one hour ahead of EST), and from 6pm to 8.30pm daily.

Predicting a winner of this year's $120,000 PSA Masters, the second Super Series event of the year, is a risky business - with any one of the top 10 capable of taking the title. But Lincou has to be the favourite by a whisker, with superfit Australian Anthony Ricketts; along with last year's winner of the Bermuda Open 2004, Englishman Lee Beachill; brilliant Canadian Jonathon Power; and Bermuda-based David Palmer all strong contenders for the top spot.

Triffitt added: "The stage is now set for the biggest and best sporting event ever held in Bermuda. Our team of volunteers has done a superb job preparing the venue from scratch and all the players have arrived from all corners of the globe. Even the weather seems to be cooperating as the forecast for this week is clear and sunny. We look forward to a superb week of squash."

First round draw:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Nicholas Kyme (BER)
[10] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Renan Lavigne (FRA)
[6] Jonathon Power (CAN) v Mark Chaloner (ENG)
[9] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Simon Parke (ENG)
[4] David Palmer (AUS) v Paul Price (AUS)
[12] John White (SCO) v Alex Gough (WAL)
[7] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Shahid Zaman (PAK)
[16] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
[11] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v Shahier Razik (CAN)
[5] James Willstrop (ENG) v Rodney Durbach (RSA)
[14] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
[3] Peter Nicol (ENG) v Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[15] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[8] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Dan Jenson (AUS)
[13] Graham Ryding (CAN) v Mansoor Zaman (PAK)
[2] Lee Beachill (ENG) v Bradley Ball (ENG)