Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5632x7680 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

Martin, Hunt hope to cash in on Khan's absence
SQUASH
LONDON: Australia's world squash
champion, Rod Martin, and his master
coach, Geoff Hunt, are conspiring to
capitalise on the absence of world No 1
Jahangir Khan in the British Open
which starts today.
After dominating the event for the
past decade, the injured Jahangir has
been forced to miss the Open with a bad
back and give his rivals a crack at the
title he has won for the last 10 years.
Jahangir's absence presents Martin,
the No 3 seed, with his best chance of
snatching the title after having to settle
for the runner-up's trophy three times.
The 26-year-old Martin will be fur
ther aided in his quest by Hunt, his
coach of the last seven years, who won
the British Open six times from
1976-81.
"Geoff's success and reputation at the
British Open has rubbed off on me,"
Martin said.
"Winning the British Open means
everything. After the World Open it's
the biggest title in squash.
"With Jahangir out, everyone is in
with a chance. I'm quietly confident."
The main obstacle between Martin
and the title is the in-form 22-year-old
favourite from Pakistan, Jansher Khan,
who was last year's runner-up.
In his last five attempts, Jansher has
been eliminated twice in the quarter-fi
nals, once in the semis and he went
down in two finals to Jahangir.
Martin is seeded to meet his Paki
stani rival in the semi-final while fellow
Australians Chris Dittmar and Chris
Robertson are seeded to meet in the
second semi.
Both Dittmar, seeded No 2, and Rob
ertson, No 4, have been struggling to
find form in the lead-up to the Open.
There are six Australian men seeded
in the top 10 for the tournament, while
four Australian females are sprinkled
through the women's top 10 seeding list.
England's defending champion Lisa
Opie faces some stiff competition from
Australia's world No 2 Robyn Lam
bourne and No 4 Michelle Martin.
Opie, seeded No 5, is further ham
pered by a persistent hip injury.
Meanwhile, a motion to experiment
with point-a-rally scoring to nine in
stead of the current 15 will be discussed
at today's International Squash Players'
Association annual meeting.
- AAP |
$