September 01, 2006	Friday	Sha'aban 7, 1427

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CAIRO, Aug 31: Thierry Lincou, the only Frenchman to win the world squash title, has special reasons for thinking that he has a decent chance of becoming one of the very few to win it back over the next six days.

The 30-year-old from Reunion Island believes he will be able to play more freely than for a long time in a World Open.

“There is less pressure on me,” the third-seeded Lincou said. “Less pressure and more motivation for winning.”

His reason for feeling this is that last year in Hong Kong he was trying to defend the world title, the year before in Doha he had the pressure of being the favourite, and the year before that he went into the final in Lahore having done a colossal amount of public relations work the night before the final.

“Now I have the motivation just for playing well, and winning matches and getting a good ranking,” Lincou explained, making a sharp distinction with the situation of his main rival, Amr Shabana.

The top-seeded titleholder from Egypt will be trying to win the title again in front of one of the seven wonders of the world and with an entire nation expecting him to deliver. Even President Hosni Mubarak is said to be a fan.

Placing a demountable court in front of the Giza pyramids and hoping the local hope can become some kind of a modern pharaoh could therefore work in Lincou's favour.

“I think my game is still improving in some areas and I'm still working on a few things,” he said. “I think the game is still changing and it's good to be able to adapt yourself to a different kind of game.

“And I am as strong as I was in 2004,” he added, referring to the year when he won the world title after saving a match point in the final against England's Lee Beachill.

But Lincou is not foolish enough to talk down Shabana's chances. “He was always dangerous before (winning the title a seconds time) but really inconsistent, because maybe he had not prepared himself professionally,” he said.

But improved fitness is also a crucial ingredient in Lincou's current confidence, which was conspicuous during his triumph in winning the English Open title in Sheffield a fortnight ago.

“I feel the confidence in my game and in my fitness, especially after three months off, and it was good to feel that confidence coming back.

“I played here once, in 2001,” said Lincou. “It was really special. The hard thing is that you can't really prepare yourself and get used to the court because you can only play at night, it's so hot.

“And it's hard to jump on court at night and just try to play: it's still hot and very hard. But it's impressive - it's very dark in the desert,” he said referring to the illuminations around the pyramids.

“I have played in many places. It was probably more disturbing in St Louis, where we played in a big mall, with lights everywhere and people walking around. So I think this time I shall be able to stay very focused.”

Meanwhile one of Lincou's rivals departed without striking a ball. James Willstrop, the fourth-seeded Englishman who led his country to the world team title in Islamabad last year, was struck down by gastro-enteritis, taken to hospital, and placed on a drip. —AFP