---

While the English media dissects the failure of it's national soccer team and obsesses over it's inability to produce a tennis star capable of winning Wimbledon, it's emergence as one of the powerhouses of world squash has gone largely unnoticed.

For the likes of world number four James Willstrop, who won over the Bermuda crowd with a performance of enormous character to come back from two sets down in a first round five-set thriller against Laurens Jan Anjema, it is a refreshing change to play in-front of an enthusiastic full house.

Squash has dominated the sports pages in Bermuda this week with some of the world's top athletes taking centre stage on this tiny island.

But, even at World Open time, that kind of attention is far from the norm for a sport that operates on the fringes of the mainstream.

And the progress of Willstrop and fellow Yorkshireman Nick Matthew, rated as two of the favourites for the title this week, is barely warranting more than a couple of paragraphs in the papers back in their home country.

"If one of us wins you'd like to think it would get some attention back home, but how much, I really don't know.

"The newspapers and media in England have almost completely shut their doors to sports like squash which is shocking."

The fast pace of the sport, the intensity of the competition and the popularity of the amateur game would seem to make it a ratings winner. But for some reason, the sport hasn't taken off commercially.

And though - with a $175,000 prize purse for this tournament - there is no doubt that the world's best are well compensated for their efforts.

Compared to sports like golf and tennis, they are leagues behind.

Thierry Lincou, France's best ever player, said: "At the start it did bother me. I am used to it now - we don't play in the same category as other sports.

"It's a bit sad that we don't get the recognition and even the money. If this was tennis we'd already be secure for life."

For Willstrop, and a lot of the top players in the world, it's the lack of recognition that rankles more.

"We are as good athletes as anyone in the world.

"I certainly wouldn't want the exposure and the celebrity that footballers get but it would be better and fairer for every sport to get mentioned in some kind of sports paper.

"People don't know as a country how good we are at this sport."

With two players in the top ten in the world, three more in the top 20, and the title of World Team Champions, which they will defend in India next month, it's hard to disagree.

Powerhouse

"English squash is very strong and it has been for a number of years now and we feel we have got good chances here.

"Nick (Matthew) won the U.S. Masters, beating me in the final, which shows that we can win these events.

"We both got through last night (Monday) and we'll see how far we can go."

While the English exploits may go un-appreciated back home, the support has been strong in Bermuda.

And Willstrop, who faces Egyptian Mohammed Abbas in his second round match at the glass court tonight, is hoping for another gala atmosphere tonight.

So far he has been impressed with the way the sport has taken off in Bermuda and hopes to see it replicated in other parts of the world.

"We feel we have got a great product and tournaments like this can't do any harm. It's put together so well. It's been superb.

"The atmosphere was great last night - people really got into it. It was very enjoyable to play in that setting.

"It was a pleasure to play at such a venue.

"This is the kind of thing we should be doing all round the world."[[In-content Ad]]

---