Nick Kyme may still get a place among the Bermuda Open big boys but only if Island squash chiefs are successful with an appeal to the sport?s governing body.

Bermudian Kyme (22) was denied a wild card into the first round proper of the March event, which features the world?s best players competing for a $55,000 purse.

After expressing confidence in their submission, Bermuda Squash Racquets Association were shocked to find their request denied by the Professional Squash Association (PSA).

Kyme, ranked 114th in the world, did not come up to the standards the PSA set for wild card entries.

Speaking last week, PSA executive director Gawain Briars said it was not ?an easy issue because we have to juggle the different factors?.

?It was a close decision by the board, ultimately. They had to weigh up the perceived benefits, obviously, for the promoter as against the interests of the players,? he said.

?It was a very close decision but they did decide that ultimately Nicholas probably wasn?t of a sufficient enough standard to merit a direct entry into the main draw of a $50,000 event at this stage, although they were very conscious of the possible benefits to the promoter. But this would have cost another top player his own opportunity in the main draw.?

However, can reveal that a precedent has already been set and it is this fact that may give the BSRA some leverage.

According to published reports, in November, 2002, Saud M Al Sulaiti of Qatar ? at the time ranked world 167 was allowed a wild card spot to play in the Qatar Classic ? a $140,000 tournament compared to Bermuda?s $55,000.

Al Sulaiti was not the number one player in Qatar and had only competed in tournaments in Qatar. He has only won two of 12 matches in his career, both against the same player, Khalid Al Kashouti, who is also from Qatar and Kashouti has never won a match in a PSA competition.

Secondly, in December, 2003, Daniel Forslund of Sweden ? ranked world 135 ? was given a wild card entry into the Castella Swedish Open.

While Forslund was ranked as high as 39 in the world in July, 1999, he has not competed in any tournaments on the PSA tour, with the exception of the Castella Swedish Open 2002 and 2003, since November of that year. He lost 3-0 in the first round during both those two tournaments.

Kyme, on the other hand, has been improving in every tournament in which he has competed and recently took part in the World Team Championships in Vienna, Austria going four games with Olli Tuominen of Finland who holds a ranking of 19.

The BSRA did not want to become embroiled in a tit-for-tat argument, which would undoubtedly take some of the gloss of their showpiece event, and did not want to discuss these facts. However, president Stephen Young did shed light on their appeal.

?We have been very disappointed to hear the decision of the PSA not to permit a wild card entry for Nick Kyme, and we have written an appeal to the PSA strongly requesting that they reconsider their position,? he said yesterday. ?In some ways we are a victim of our own success because this year?s Bermuda Open is already attracting a great deal of attention from most of the world?s top players.

?We are expecting a very high class field to compete in the tournament, but we also feel that Nick has worked extremely hard to improve his rankings, and that all of our sponsors and supporters here in Bermuda would be delighted to see him given the opportunity to compete in the main draw.

?It would certainly add a great deal of local interest to have Nick playing at this level on home soil. We are doing our best to persuade the PSA to allow us to include Nick in the main draw.?