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For the latest on the 2007 Women's
World Open
www.squashsite.org.uk/wwo
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16-Oct-07:
Queen of Spain Honours
Madrid World Open
The
forthcoming Women's World Open Squash Championship in
Madrid has received a Royal seal of approval in Spain.
 Her
Majesty The Queen Sofía
has agreed to
become the President of the Honour Committee of the
sport's biggest ever women's event.
The 2007
Madrid Women's World Open will be staged adjacent to the
Royal Palace (the Palacio Real) in the
Spanish capital, from 23-27 October, following qualifying at
the city's Pallestra Squash Club from 21-22 October.
Malaysia's
Nicol David is hot favourite to win the title for a third
successive year. The 24-year-old from Penang has dominated
the sport for the past two years and this month celebrated her
18th month at the top of the world rankings.
Additional
royal patronage of the 2007 Madrid World Open will be provided
by IOC Member Tunku Imran, son of the former King of
Malaysia. His Royal Highness Prince Imran will attend the
event in his position as President of the Olympic Council of
Malaysia and Patron of the World Squash Federation.
Other
distinguished guests who are expected to attend include
Juan Antonio Samaranch Jnr, son of the former IOC
President, Juan Antonio Samaranch.
In addition
to the 12 nations represented by the automatic entries into
the main draw, players from a further
nine countries will compete in the qualifying competition for
the eight further places in the first round.
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Nicol David In
Hat-Trick
Bid In Madrid World Open
Malaysia's world
number one Nicol David is seeded to win her third
successive title in the 2007 Women's World Open in
Madrid, according to the draw which has been announced by the
WSF and WISPA.
 The
sport's biggest ever women's event will be staged adjacent to
the Royal Palace (the Palacio Real) in
the Spanish capital, from 23-27 October, following qualifying
at the city's Pallestra Squash Club from 21-22 October.
Nicol David has dominated the sport for the past two years:
The 24-year-old from Penang started a run of eight title wins
in 2005 which culminated in her clinching her maiden World
Open title in Hong Kong in December.
Since then, the
Malaysian superstar has enjoyed a remarkable run which
included more than 50 matches without defeat - and this month
she celebrated her 17th month at the top of the world
rankings, thus becoming the fourth longest standing women's
world number one of all-time!
This
week, David reached her 17th successive WISPA final at the
British Open in England. But the overwhelming favourite
suffered a shock defeat to Rachael Grinham: Unable to
exploit a two-game advantage, David went down to her
Australian rival in five games in the longest British Open
final on record.
David will begin her 2007 World Open campaign against
Isabelle Stoehr, the world No18 from France. Her
anticipated opponent in the quarter-finals would be fifth seed
Natalie Grainger, the Pan American Games gold medallist
from the USA who took the Malaysian to five games at the same
stage in the British Open.
The draw suggests that the top seed would clash with
Rachael Grinham in the semi-finals, before an expected
meeting with the British Open champion's younger sister
Natalie Grinham, the No2 seed, in the final.
The star-studded Madrid World Open draw features all of the
top twenty players in the world - with players from all five
continents amongst the top eight seeds. The main draw also
includes three former world number ones - Australia's
Rachael Grinham, the third seed; USA's Natalie Grainger,
the fifth seed; and Vanessa Atkinson, the No9 seed from
the Netherlands.
Atkinson, the 31-year-old world No9 from The Hague, is also a
former world champion, having won the 2004 World Open in
Malaysia, where she beat Natalie Grinham in the final.
The host nation will be represented in the main draw by wild
card player Alicia Alvarez Riaza. The Spanish
international from Madrid, who celebrates her 21st birthday on
the eve of the event, competed in the European Team
Championships in 2006 and 2007 - and will face Ireland's No8
seed Madeline Perry in the first round.
In addition to the 12 nations represented by the automatic
entries into the main draw, players from a further nine
countries will compete in the qualifying competition for the
eight further places in the first round. |
TUNKU IMRAN HOPES NICOL WILL STAY FOCUSED
Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tunku Tan Sri
Imran Tuanku Jaafar hopes Malaysia's squash queen Nicol
David will stay focused on the upcoming Women's World Open
squash championship in Madrid, after losing her British Open
title to Rachael Grinham in Monday's dramatic final in
Manchester:
 "I
think the pressure on Nicol is tremendous at the moment. Being
the world number one, everyone is gunning for her. I hope the
defeat is just a temporary slip
"We can't expect her to win all the time, but I hope she will
win the World Open for the third time."
"The British Open championship is one of the major
championships for squash, just like the Wimbledon for tennis
and the All England for badminton
"I'm sure being an athlete, she knows what to do next. Her
mind is now focused on the World Open. She has probably
analysed why she lost to Rachael.
"I'm sure between now and the World Open she will be well
prepared. And we hope she will deliver the best result."
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08-May:
Royal Palace setting for
Madrid World Open
Organisers of the 2007 Women's World Open in Madrid have
confirmed that the sport's biggest ever women's event will be staged
adjacent to the Royal Palace (the Palacio Real) in the Spanish
capital, from 23-27 October.
An all-glass court will be the centre-piece of the event which will
attract all the world's top players, led by Nicol David, the world
number one from Malaysia who will be seeking her third successive
triumph in the sport's most prized championship.
Qualifying will take place at the Pallestra Squash Club in
Madrid from 21-22 October, followed by first and second round main
draw action.
Additionally, a pre-qualifying competition to select Spanish
wild-cards will be held at the Club Castellana in Madrid,
which will also be available for player practice.
Matches from the quarter-finals onwards will be staged on the
all-glass court from Thursday 25 October through to the final on
Saturday 27 October.
 The
historic agreement to stage the biggest-ever event in women's squash
- boasting a cash prize-fund of more than $100,000 - has been
reached between the WSF and Madrid City Council.
 The
Championship will be staged in partnership between Madrid City
Council; the Federacion Espaňola de Squash; the WSF; and WISPA.
Madrid 16, the organisation lobbying to host the 2016 Olympic Games,
is also supporting the event.
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 "It
will be a spectacular setting, with the stunning court in the open
air, visible from all sides - and with the city's historic Royal
Palace as a sensational backdrop."
WSF President
 "I
can hardly think of a city which would be better for the Women's
World Open and I am really excited about fighting for that title
this year in Madrid.
"Not only that, but having the glass court by the Royal Palace will
be awesome for the players and great to promote women's squash and
the city internationally. See you there!"
Defending Champion |
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15-Mar, Spain:
Madrid To Host 2007
Women's World Open
 Elite women's international squash will be staged in Madrid later
this year when the Spanish capital hosts the 2007 Women's World
Open.
The
historic agreement to stage the biggest-ever event in women's squash
- boasting a cash prize-fund of more than $100,000 - has been
reached between the World Squash Federation and Madrid City Council.
"This is excellent news for women's squash," said WSF President
Jahangir Khan. "The Madrid City Council, and its various
partners, clearly plan to deliver the most spectacular Women's World
Open of all time.
"Madrid is renowned for hosting top world class sporting events. I
am delighted that we will now be able to stage one of the biggest
championships on our international calendar in this vibrant European
city."
 The 2007 Women's World Open will be staged in partnership between
Madrid City Council; the Spanish Squash Federation; the WSF; and
WISPA. Madrid 16, the organisation lobbying to host the 2016 Olympic
Games, is also supporting the event.
Miguel
de la Villa Polo, Sports Director Madrid City Council, said:
"The city of Madrid receives the WSF with its arms wide open and
offers all its support and assistance. We are very pleased to be
hosting the Women's World Open and look forward to working closely
with the WSF and its partners to make it the biggest and best event
ever."
For many years in the 1990s, Madrid hosted the men's and women's
Spanish Open - the most recent women's event being in March 1992.
The last time a World Squash Championship was held in Spain was in
September 1994 when the Men's World Open was staged in Barcelona.
Further details - including dates, venue and prize-fund, etc. - will
be released shortly.
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