10/12/2007 1:33:00 PM Stout draws Abbas for World Championships
Former squash pro James Stout knows he may well only be in the World Championships for one game. But he is determined to enjoy his moment in the limelight.
The Bermudian is currently coaching racquets and real tennis - two archaic English sports from which squash is derived - in New York. But on November 25 he'll be back to his number one sport, taking on Egyptian world no. 15 Mohammed Abbas in a clear see-through court overlooking Horseshoe Bay in the opening match of the biggest ever squash event to be held in Bermuda. Stout, who earned the Bermuda wildcard for the tournament by beating Nick Kyme in the semi-finals of the national championships earlier this year, pulled out Abbas in the draw for the World Championships yesterday.
It could have been worse. Abbas is a classy player but he won't be one of the favourites to win the tournament.
But as Stout, who played for several years on the pro circuit and managed to break into the top 100, is well aware, there is a huge gap between the top 20 and the rest.
"I'm not really training for a tournament as such. I'm just putting everything in for this one match.
"I'm going to go out there and stay on the court for as long as possible, keep running and not just give it to him.
"The Egyptians can put the ball away from anywhere on the court but I hope I can make him play well to beat me."
The fact that the odds are well against him does not perturb Stout who is genuinely looking forward to the challenge.
"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm honoured to get the wildcard. Once Ross (Bermuda director of squash Ross Triffitt) put this three-year deal together, the World Championships was always the highlight.
"It's definitely a dream come true for me."
Stout is only too well aware that Abbas is ready to turn that dream into a nightmare. He has come up against the Egyptian twice before - once as a junior and then again three years ago in the world team championships, where he was able to take a couple of points off him.
But he hopes the intense training he is now putting in - and the cross-training on the racquets and real tennis circuit - will help him hang in there.
"My official role at the club doesn't have anything to do with squash but I've been able to get on the court pretty much every day.
"I've been working really hard to try and improve my fitness level as that is the main difference between the top players and the rest."
Stout hasn't been short of top quality sparring partners in New York. A few of his mates at the New York Racquet and Tennis Club used to be in the top 100 and the club also boasts the world's best in it's signature sports.
"In racquets the court is twice as long and one-and-a half times as wide as a squash court. You use an old-style squash racquet and a little ball the size of a golf ball. I used to play in boarding school. It's good cross training."
