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09-Mar:
Doubles Hat-Trick
Predicted For Hosts
Hosts Australia are expected to make a clean sweep of the Squash
Doubles gold medals in the Commonwealth Games later this month in
Melbourne, according to the seedings announced by the WSF.
The doubles, which will follow the singles events at the Melbourne
Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), will get underway on 22 March,
with early Pool matches being followed by the knockout stage from
Friday 24th through to the finals on Sunday 26th.
Squash in the Commonwealth Games boasts a world-class entry list
featuring 14 of the top 20 men in the world and all but two of the
women's top ten.
"The sport will be represented by an all-time record of 28 nations
and 91 athletes," commented WSF Chief Executive Christian Leighton.
"Alongside the established squash nations, it is excellent to see
countries like the Norfolk Islands competing for the first time in
the doubles events in Melbourne."
 Stewart Boswell & Anthony Ricketts, from Canberra and Sydney,
respectively, are top seeds in the men's doubles, ahead of English
title-holders Lee Beachill & Peter Nicol. Boswell & Ricketts, ranked
17 and 6, respectively, in the world, won the WSF World Doubles
Championship title at the Games venue in Melbourne in January and
won silver medals in the 2002 Games.
The Australian favourites head Pool 1, where they will be joined by
12th seeds Shawn Badrinath & Maxim Weithers (Guyana) and Kenyan pair
Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel.
Beachill & Nicol, who beat the Australian pair in the 2002 final in
Manchester and are currently ranked 8 & 7, respectively, lead the
line-up in Pool 2 - where they will face Nicholas Kyme & James Stout
(the 11th seeds from Bermuda), O’Neil Chilambwe & Lazarus Chilufya
(Zambia) and Duncan Gray & Gye Duncan (Norfolk Islands).
Queensland sisters Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham are favourites
in the women's doubles event. The 'Toowoomba twosome', ranked 4 & 3,
respectively, in the world, are expected to meet New Zealand's
second seeds Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey, the reigning world
doubles champions, in the final.
Double gold is predicted for Rachael Grinham, who teams up with
David Palmer in the mixed doubles. The favourites are expected to
face No2 seeds Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson in the final. Wilson
won the 2002 gold medal with the now retired Leilani Rorani.
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POOL DRAWS
Men's Doubles
Women's Doubles
Mixed Doubles
STAGE TWO SCHEDULE
POOL DRAWS
Men's Doubles
Women's Doubles
Mixed Doubles |
