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20-Aug-10:
 Shabana
sets sights on record sixth successive title in Hong Kong ...
Egypt's Amr Shabana is bidding to become the first player
in history to win six successive men's titles in next week's
Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open - but title
success in the fifth PSA Super Series championship of the year
would deny his young compatriot Ramy Ashour the chance of
reclaiming the world number one ranking from Englishman Nick
Matthew.
 The
$147k PSA World Tour event, which will run alongside a women's
WISPA Gold championship, is one of the longest-established men's
event in world squash, launched in 1985. The event's roll of
honour boasts numerous illustrious winners, including England's
Peter Nicol, Canadian Jonathon Power, Frenchman Thierry Lincou,
Australians Rodney Martin, Brett Martin, Rodney Eyles and David
Palmer - and Jansher Khan, the legendary Pakistani who won his
fifth successive title in 1991, and the eighth of all-time in
1997.
Reigning world champion Shabana boasts a 25-match unbeaten run
in Hong Kong since beginning his record bid in the 2005
championship, which was upgraded to become the World Open.
The 31-year-old third seed from Cairo opens his 2010 campaign
against fellow countryman Indian number one Saurav Ghosal, and a
win there could see him face Hisham Ashour, the older brother of
second seed Ramy Ashour. Shabana is drawn to meet Matthew in the
semi-finals in what would be the English favourite's first
appearance in the last four since finishing as runner-up in
2004.
"It's time I did well there," said the in-form Matthew on
Twitter after winning last week's Australian Open, his fifth
Tour title triumph in a row.
Ramy Ashour, runner-up to Matthew in Canberra, became world
number one for the first time in January - but was replaced by
the Englishman following a defeat by him in the final of the
North American Open in February.
Ashour's only chance of reclaiming the world number one ranking
next month is to win the Hong Kong Open title - without Matthew
making the final.
Another player who might have a say though, is France's former
world number one Gregory Gaultier, who has contested the
last three Hong Kong finals, losing out to Shabana each time.
Should they meet this year, it will be at the quarter-final
stage.
The reigning women's world champion Nicol David is also
going for six Hong Kong titles in a row, but such is her lead at
the top of the WISPA rankings that even an upset in the first
round would dent her lead, having already won five of the six
Gold events this year - she didn't compete in Australia.
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Five for Shabana in 2009
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