KARACHI, Sept 6: Pakistan No. 1 Mansoor Zaman will meet one of pre-tournament favourites John White of Scotland in the first round of the 2003 British Open Squash Championship to be held in Nottingham next month.

According to the 16-man draws of the tournament, Mansoor is placed in the bottom half of the draw and will face third seeded White in the opening rounds. The bottom half of the draw also has world no. 2 David Palmer, the second seed and Australia’s fifth seeded Anthony Ricketts.

Mansoor, who is ranked No. 15 in the world, is the only Pakistani in the main draw of the tournament.

World number one Peter Nicol and Carol Owens have been named as top seeds for the British Open, which will take place at the Albert Hall in Nottingham from Oct1-5 following qualifying rounds at Nottingham Squash Club.

England’s Peter Nicol, the defending champion, leads a strong British contingent in a high quality men’s field which includes Scotland’s world No3 John White, the 3rd seed; England’s twice British National champion Lee Beachill, the 7th seed; Scotland’s world No14 Martin Heath; and England’s world No15 Mark Chaloner.

Nicol, who famously ‘defected’ from Scotland two years ago, faces Scottish champion Heath on the state-of-the-art all-glass Albert Hall court in what is certain to be an emotionally-charged first round match. Success there could take him to a quarterfinal against his Commonwealth Games Doubles gold-medal-winning partner Lee Beachill, the world No10 from Yorkshire.

The seeding predicts one of the sport’s most sought-after clashes in the quarterfinals: Nicol v Jonathon Power, the fourth-seeded Canadian and former world No1 who wrested the gold medal from Nicol in last year’s Commonwealth Games final in Manchester.

World champion David Palmer is seeded to meet Nicol in the final. The Australian, fighting back to full fitness after complications following appendix surgery, potentially faces tough opposition in the semi-finals where he is scheduled to meet third seed White.

White, based in Nottingham, is enjoying an excellent run of form following victories in the recent PSA Masters and Prince English Open.

New Zealand’s Carol Owens has dominated women’s squash since last November yet, despite winning six successive WISPA World Tour titles this year, has never before claimed a British Open trophy.

The Auckland-based former Australian, runner-up in 2001, is likely to have to face Australia’s Grinham family if she is to take her anticipated place in the final of a women’s event which boasts all twelve of the world top twelve.

Men’s draw: [1] Peter Nicol (ENG) v Martin Heath (SCO) [7] Lee Beachill (ENG) v Qualifier [4] Jonathon Power (CAN) v Mark Chaloner (ENG) [8] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) v Qualifier [5] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v Qualifier [3] John White (SCO) v Mansoor Zaman (PAK) [6] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v Qualifier [2] David Palmer (AUS) v Amr Shabana (EGY)

Women’s draw: [1] Carol Owens (NZL) v Qualifier [7] Natalie Grinham (AUS) v Stephanie Brind (ENG) [3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Fiona Geaves (ENG) [5] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v Vicky Botwright (ENG) [6] Cassie Jackman (ENG) v Qualifier [4] Linda Charman (ENG) v Jenny Tranfield (ENG) [8] Rebecca Macree (ENG) v Qualifier [2] Natalie Grainger (USA) v Qualifier.—PPI