Amr Shabana Wins NYC Tournament Of Champions
March 6, 2007
NEW YORK, NY, March 6, 2007 – Amr Shabana won his second consecutive Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions Friday night when Anthony Ricketts retired in the third game of their final match. Playing in the ornate Vanderbilt Hall at New York’s Grand Central Station, the defending champion Shabana was leading 7-11, 11-3, 8-4 at the time, but Ricketts recurring elbow injury forced him to forfeit for the first time in his career.
Playing with the Dunlop Ice Custom Elite racquet, Shabana performed brilliantly in a tournament marked by a number of upsets and stellar performances by younger players. In defeating Ricketts, Shabana successfully defended his 2006 Tournament of Champions title and further cemented his position as World #1.
Earlier in the tournament, young American and Dunlop sponsored Julian Illingworth had a breakout performance reaching the second round. This was a great result for Illingworth having been on the PSA Tour for less than a year after graduating from Yale University in June, 2006.
Another Dunlop player — Olli Tuominen — played the tournament of his life, upsetting Lee Beachill then defeating reigning World Champion and #2 seed David Palmer in four games before eventually losing to Anthony Ricketts in the semis and just missing the chance to go up against Shabana in the finals.
“It is very special to win the Tournament of Champions, especially for a second year,” said Shabana. “I would like to thank the tournament’s promoters and Dunlop for all they continue to do for the sport and I look forward to coming back next year.”
“Amr’s effort and consistency on the squash tour show his commitment to the sport and determination to stay at the top,” said Steve Hall, Dunlop’s Director of Marketing of Racquet Sports. “He dug deep on a number of occasions in his matches over the past week and proved himself to be a very deserving champion.”
About Dunlop Sports Group Americas
Dunlop Sports Group Americas, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Dunlop Slazenger International, Ltd, is known worldwide by sports enthusiasts who value quality and performance in their sporting goods equipment. Headquartered in Greenville, SC, the company’s product line spans tennis racquets and tennis balls; squash racquets and balls; Carlton badminton racquets and shuttles; golf balls, golf accessories and golf clubs. International endorsers include tennis legend John McEnroe, all-time squash champion Jonathon Power and three-time world long-drive golf champion Sean Fister. For further information phone: 800.768.4727.