World's Squash Stars To Head For Canberra

By Neville Dcruz MELBOURNE, May 14 (Bernama) -- The world's best squash players are expected to be in Canberra when it plays host to the Australian Open from August 13-19. The Australian Open has been a huge success since moving to Canberra in 2010 and Squash Australia chief executive Gary O'Donnell said he expected the 2012 event to be even better than the two previous editions. "Everyone involved has done a magnificent job in putting the Australian Open on in Canberra, and each year they present a polished and professionally managed event," he said in a statement. The glass court in the Royal Theatre, he said provides a spectacular setting for 2,000 with fans having unimpeded views, of the action. The Australian Open is one of world squash's oldest and most prestigious tournaments. Past winners include some of the sport's greatest names, including Heather McKay, Geoff Hunt, Jahangir Khan, David Palmer, Michelle Martin and Sarah Fitz-Gerald. Last year's winners were Egyptian maestro Ramy Ashour and Malaysian squash queen Nicol David. "We are excited about welcoming players from all over the world and fans from right across the country to Canberra once again this year," tournament director Gary Hampson said. The Open is the culmination of the increasingly successful 13-tournament Australian Squash Tour, which now takes in every state and territory. The next stop on the Tour is the NT Open in Darwin beginning on Thursday, May 17, followed by the WA Open in Perth the following week. -- BERNAMA