Playing on an all-glass court may be great for spectators at the Endurance World Squash Open next month to be staged in Bermuda . . . but what about the players?

Tournament director Ross Triffitt gave the "state-of-the-art" ASB squash court complete with a remarkable all-glass floor the thumbs up. And he said the court, designed by Horst Babinsky of Systemau Horst Babinsky GmbH, has been fully tested before in top competition as it had been used at both the last Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, and is considered to be superb for major international tournaments.

Triffitt said: "We chose the ASB court for several reasons, foremost being that this, literally, all-glass court has proved to be an ideal surface from both the players' and the spectators' points of view.

"From the players' perspective, the glass floor itself is elastic and not rigid ¿ it is absolutely anti-slip and it provides a very true playing surface because it is so even with only tiny joints. The ASB one-way glass walls, along with their innovative lighting system, prevent players from being able to see outside the court through the use of brightly coloured layers of dots on the inside causing an optical illusion.

"From the spectators' perspective, they will have superb views from all angles from the outside looking in."

ASB courts improve the quality of the "televisibility" of professional squash, which has improved immensely since the advent of the all glass court and new camera technology. Two of the first players to test the new ASB court were Dunlop British Open Champion, Greg Gaultier, and fellow French finalist, Thierry Lincou, both of whom sang it's praises.

Said Gaultier: "Impressive. I had never considered it possible that I would ever play on glass!"

Triffitt added that assembly and disassembly of the ASB courts is easy and fast, making it ideal for their temporary venue at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel location overlooking picturesque Horseshoe Bay.

Bermuda residents might be forgiven if they are somewhat blasé about the magnificent views of Horseshoe Bay and the ocean beyond, but both local and overseas spectators will no doubt be overawed when they sit down to watch the World Open under an enormous structure consisting of "see-through" panels soaring to 42 feet in height.

Provided by Regal Tent Productions, these revolutionary clear panels will enable spectators to enjoy panoramic views of the South Shore while simultaneously watching the greatest squash players in the world battling for the World Open title in front of 1300 eager fans on an all glass court, under an all "glass" cover ¿ with nowhere to hide!

The Endurance World Open promises to be one of the most visually spectacular events in the history of the sport and will have a potential TV viewing audience of 2.13 billion worldwide. Those viewers will be seeing scintillating squash in a stunning setting right here in Bermuda. For more information check their website at www.squashworldopen.com

***

JUNIORS

The BSRA is pleased to announce that Junior squash players from Bermuda and abroad will have a unique opportunity to compete in their own squash championship while the world's top players will be in Bermuda competing in the Endurance World Open.

Squash spokesman, Roger Sherratt, said: "With all of the world's top professional players coming to the Island to compete in the World Open at the end of November, it is a real plus for us to be hosting the Bank of Bermuda Foundation Junior Squash Championships 2007, being held from November 30 until December 2, to coincide with the World Open. It is an excellent tournament for junior boys and girls ranging in age from Under-13 to Under-19 and is open to juniors from overseas who can experience the trip of a lifetime where they not only enjoy their own tournament, but they can also see the best players in the world competing for the biggest prize in squash ¿ the World Open title.

Sherratt added that the prestigious junior championship is sanctioned by the US Squash Racquets Association, "allowing our local juniors the opportunity to play for US ranking points on home soil, which can be invaluable when seeking entrance to US schools".

David Lang on behalf of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation said: "The Bank of Bermuda Foundation is pleased to be title sponsor of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation Junior Open Squash Championships 2007. Bermuda is brimming with young, talented athletes and we see this tournament as a great opportunity for the Island's young squash players to showcase their skills here at home while competing with their peers from around the globe".

When asked about interest from overseas, Roger Sherratt, told The Mid-Ocean News: "We are already receiving entries from around the world, from several Caribbean Islands, the US and Canada, and from as far away as India and Pakistan. Two of the girls from the US are ranked in their top 10 ¿ Amanda Sobhy being ranked the top American in the Girls Under-15."

The deadline for entries is November 1 and entry forms are available on-line at www.squashworldopen.com