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11-Feb-08:
Champion Willstrop In Swedish
Boost On Eve Of Nationals
 Top
seed James Willstrop
has hit top form on the eve of the defence of his men's title in
this week's British National Squash Championships in
Manchester after winning the
Swedish Open title
in powerful style on Sunday.
The British Nationals, which will take place for the sixth year
at the National Squash
Centre in
Sportcity from 12-17 February, have attracted world
class fields from throughout the UK. In addition to men's and
women's open events, the tournament - in its 12th successive
year in Manchester - will feature Masters championships in
age-group categories ranging from Over-35 to Over-70.
Willstrop's Swedish triumph has capped the best ever PSA Tour
run of his career. Winner of the
Mamut English Open
in Sheffield in December, the 24-year-old world No6 from
Pontefract in Yorkshire went on to reach the final of the
Bear Stearns Tournament of
Champions in New York last month, before - in his
third Tour event final in a row - he clinched the $55,000
Swedish title in Linköping.
It was after triumphs over fellow Englishmen
Joey Barrington and
Adrian Grant -
the eighth and sixth seeds, respectively - that Willstrop faced
England team-mate Peter
Barker, the third seed, in the Sweden final.
The match was one of high quality - in which the English pair
were neck and neck until a run of points gave Willstrop the
early advantage. The Yorkshireman had an answer for everything
that Essex left-hander Barker threw at him - and went on to win
11/7, 11/4, 11/4 in 38 minutes.
 "The
first game was all-important with Peter having played so well
all week. We both raised our games very early and I just
managed to nick it. I've been working on a few parts of my game
and feel that things are coming together well.
"I think this gives me a really good platform for retaining my
British National title next week which will be tough in itself
with such a strong field," added the British champion.
"The British Nationals is one of the best-run tournaments of the
year - and I always look forward to it. Being top seed and
defending champion will give me added pressure - but I enjoy
that. It'll be a tough tournament with people like Peter
(Barker), Lee (Beachill) and Adrian (Grant) in the draw.
"But I'll stick to what I know and hope to play the best that I
can in what is probably my favourite venue in the world."
With British junior
titles at U12, U14, U16 and three-times at U19 - then the
European and finally the World Junior crown - James Willstrop
was England's most successful junior of all-time.
But the Yorkshireman quickly made inroads as a senior - becoming
world number two within three years of his world junior triumph
and leading England to two World Team Championships titles (in
2005 and 2007).
Willstrop established his domestic supremacy at the beginning of
last year, winning the British National Championship title for
the first time. He then went on to win three PSA titles on home
soil - first lifting the
Canary Wharf Classic crown in London, where he ended
a career-long tally of 12 successive losses to Lee Beachill, his
Pontefract and England training partner.In September, Willstrop won the
Prince English Grand Prix
in Birmingham, and finally the
English Open trophy
in Sheffield in December - immediately on retuning home from
leading England to world title success in India.
Willstrop will face determined local opposition in his first
round match tomorrow (Tuesday) when he takes
Nick Taylor, the
British Over-35 Open
champion from Manchester.
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