Squash champ Matthew braced for Egyptian world challenge

World champion Nick Matthew has had a series of warnings that one of the Egyptians aims to take away his title at the World Open next week. The first Englishman ever to become world champion may need to be at his resilient best to ward off challenges from Ramy Ashour and Amr Shabana, two former winners who have both beaten him recently. Those defeats were followed by the end of Matthew’s fine run of 10 successive PSA Tour finals, brought about by another Egyptian, the lesser known Tarek Momen, in the first round of the Qatar Classic in Doha last week. So, when Matthew read that he had been seeded to retain the title at the World Open starting in Rotterdam on Sunday, he responded sardonically. "How can an article say I'm 'set to retain World Open title'??!" he said on Twitter. "Bit presumptuous isn't it?! Plenty of hard work before that happens." Matthew may be especially mindful that he lost to a resurgent Shabana, four times the former World Open champion, in the US Open final in Philadelphia earlier in October -- even though the Egyptian had not competed for six months. At his best, Shabana remains the most gifted player of his generation. When Matthew lost to Ashour, the world number two, in the world team championships in Paderborn in August, it was the first time he had ever done so in straight games. It prompted him to remark that much could change by the time of the World Open. Asked to explain what, Matthew said: "When playing Ramy, you pick up new things in your game which only he can expose. I learnt a lot playing him in Australia," referring to an exciting five-game encounter in the final in Canberra, which he nevertheless also lost. A significant change could be caused by the hamstring injury which Ashour suffered in Doha 11 days ago, bringing his retirement. It was also hamstring problems which forced Ashour to relinquish the defence of the World Open title last year at Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia. "It’s lovely to have won the (World Open) title, but it doesn’t count for anything now," Matthew added. "What’s happened is gone and in the past. Every match, even against a qualifier in the first round, is difficult. And difficult in different ways." This remark is particularly relevant given that the draw has brought him a likely second round with Momen, a 23-year-old who recently squeezed into the top 20 while studying for an engineering degree. He also has the two famous 35-year-olds in his half -- Thierry Lincou of France, and David Palmer of Australia, both former World Open champions, and both still dangerous on their day. Matthew has however been helped by both Ashour and Shabana being placed in the other half of the draw. Shabana, aged 32, seems a potential front runner again despite his long absence and after mysteriously being omitted from Egypt’s world title winning squad. Shabana admitted that it had been a great relief to win the US Open at the start of this month. "It’s been a tough couple of years, and at times I thought I might never win again," he said. "But my body has been hold up which is the important thing." The seedings still say that Matthew should have a semi-final against a former world number one from Egypt -- but that is Karim Darwish, whose brilliant win over another leading Englishman, James Willstrop, made possible Egypt’s retention of the world team title. The fourth-seeded Willstrop should face Shabana in the quarter-finals in the bottom half, where Ashour could be headed for a meeting with Gregory Gaultier, the sixth seeded former world number one from France who won his first title in 18 months last week. The tournament, which is only the third World Open to combine men’s and women’s events, boasts a record $410,000 prize money. The women’s event, in which Nicol David will be attempting a record sixth World Open title, does not begin until Tuesday.