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When Bermuda's young squash players first travelled to the junior world championships in 1992, Nick Kyme and Melrindo Caines were fresh-faced youngsters just starting to make their way in the game.

Now the pair are preparing to play on the world's biggest stage again - this time in their home country as two of the island's top senior players.

Erstwhile pro Kyme, of course, has played at this level before. But for Caines, who along with national coach Patrick Foster and Chase Toogood will represent Bermuda in the qualifying rounds of the World Open, this will be the biggest stage of his career.

"It certainly will be the toughest games I've played. I'll enjoy playing in the qualifiers and seeing how I match against the top players."

Kyme, who quite the pro circuit last year and has been playing field hockey in the local leagues ever since, said he was looking forward to playing serious squash again.

"The guys in the qualifying rounds are the guys I used to tour with. They 've obviously stayed on the circuit and progressed but it will be good to catch up and we'll see how it goes."

Foster, who was himself highly world when he played professionally, said the Bermudian team had been training hard.

He admitted he didn't have the same agility as he did in his pro days but believes he is still playing good enough squash to match some of the guys in the qualifying rounds.

"I feel I'm still playing the same standard of squash (as when he was a pro). It's great to have a goal to work towards. It's been a few years since I competed at this level.

"We are all training together. A big part of it is match practice and the four of us are playing against each other as regularly as we can."

The four are up against a total of 32 players battling for the final eight spots in the main draw. They must win two games to reach round one.

The 24 automatic qualifiers are Bermudian wildcard selection James Stout and the top 23 players in the world.

Heading the line-up is Amr Shabana of Egypt who made history here in Bermuda when he took over the world number 1 ranking last April after winning the Virtual Spectator PSA Masters 2006. He has remained at number one since his victory in Bermuda.

Shabana will be challenged by the current World Open champion, David Palmer of Australia who also resides here in Bermuda when he's not on the circuit.

Other strong contenders for the title will include world no 3 Greg Gaultier and world no. 6 Thierry Lincou, both from France, and both of whom just reached the final of the British Open, along with a strong English contingent led by world no. 5 James Willstrop.

All matches in the main draw will be played at Turtle Hill in the evenings, starting at 6pm, on November 25 and ending with the final on December 1.[[In-content Ad]]

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