Nicol aims to break a drought

By Raju Chainani

HONG KONG, AUG. 20. Back in 1985, England's Phil Kenyon won the inaugural Cathay Pacific Open. The big question is can World champion Peter Nicol, who switched allegiance from Scotland to England earlier this year, break that `sixteen-year itch'.

Nicol, who has won this event for the last two years, said,`` I am very Scottish at heart. But the English have a better support programme. This week both the National coaches are here along with the physio. Even our flights are funded''.

Whilst the world number one had a work out at the HKSRA courts, there were six Pakistanis who were in the qualifying round. Ajaz Ahmat, world ranked 47, went out in the first round of the preliminaries as did Shamsul Islam Khan (56) and Muhammad Illyas (86).

Jansher Khan's nephew Amjad currently figures at 37 on the PSA list and he has a date with Frenchman Jean-Michel Arcucci (42) for a place in the main draw. Former British Open champion Qamar Zaman's son Mansoor (40) and nephew Shahid (53) need a win more to make the cut. It is by no means easy as Mansoor plays Italy's 44th ranked Davide Bianchetti whilst Shahid has Dutchman Tommy Berden (31) as his opponent.

Whether they qualify or not is really a matter for the record books. The days when the men from the North West Frontier ruled the squash world are over and nowadays, it is Peter Nicol, Canada's Jonathon Power, Australia's David Palmer and Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee who are the focus of attention.

The news of women's World champion Carol Owens switching allegiances from Australia to New Zealand, where she is currently based has come as a bolt from the blue. The 30 year-old Melbourne lass did not play for her country in the World team championships claiming she had been unfairly treated by the powers-that-be.

She is first on court on Tuesday and has the two times World junior champion Nicol David as her opponen on Court 9, which has been a graveyard for the seeds in the past. The warm- ups are over and the curtain is all set to rise on the 2001 Cathay Pacific Squash Open.

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