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Palmer &
David Seeded For Singles Gold in Melbourne
Australia's David Palmer and Nicol David of Malaysia
are seeded to win gold for the first time in the squash singles
events in next week's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, according to
the draws announced today by the WSF.
The sport's Commonwealth Games action will be staged on a new
purpose-built all-glass show court at the Melbourne Sports and
Aquatic Centre (MSAC) where players will challenge for five gold
medals in both singles (men and women) and doubles (men, women and
mixed) events across 11 days of competition.
The singles events get underway on Thursday 16 March, leading to the
two finals on Monday 20th, followed by the doubles events which
reach their climax on Sunday 26 March.
 David
Palmer, a bronze medallist in the 2002 Games in Manchester, returned
to the top of the world rankings last month after a four–year gap.
The 29-year-old from Lithgow in New South Wales, a former World Open
champion and three-times British Open champion, is expected to meet
England's No2 seed James Willstrop in the men's final.
Willstrop, the 22-year-old England No1 from Pontefract in Yorkshire
making his debut in the event, led England to success in last year's
World Team Championships in Pakistan after reaching No2 in the world
in December.
Peter Nicol, the former world No1 who won singles gold for
Scotland in Malaysia in 1998, and doubles gold for England four
years later, is seeded four in Melbourne behind Australia's third
seed Anthony Ricketts. Nicol, the only man to win two medals in both
previous Commonwealth Games, is expected to meet Willstrop in an
all-English semi-final, while Palmer and Ricketts are due to face
each other in the other all-Australian battle.
New Women's
Champion Assured ...
 A
new champion is assured in the women's event in which Nicol David,
a mixed doubles silver medallist in Manchester, is expected to face
Australian rival Rachael Grinham, who won silver in the 2002 women's
doubles and bronze in the singles, in the final.
Nicol David has become one of her country's most successful sports
stars of all-time after following her maiden triumph in last year's
World Open by becoming world number one. The 22-year-old from Penang
is expected to meet Rachael's younger sister Natalie Grinham, the
third seed, in the semi-finals.
Victory by Queenslander Rachael Grinham would keep the women's title
in Australian hands after triumphs by Michelle Martin in 1998 and
Sarah Fitz-Gerald in 2002. The 29-year-old from Toowoomba is
expected to meet England's fourth seed Vicky Botwright, a Games
debutante, in the other women's semi-final.
MEN'S SINGLES WOMEN'S SINGLES |
MEN'S SINGLES
WOMEN'S SINGLES
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"Squash
will be represented by an all-time record of 28 nations and 91
athletes in Melbourne 2006.
