The top ten squash players in the world — barring injured Australian Anthony Ricketts — have already signed up for the sport's world championships which will come to Bermuda for the first time later this year.

The Endurance World Open is being billed as the biggest tournament on the squash calendar and will take place in a specially constructed glass court to be placed at the Fairmont Southampton, offering spectacular South Shore views.

Among the favourites to win the November 25-December 1 tournament will be world number one Amr Shabana of Egypt and the current World Open champion, third-ranked David Palmer, an Australian who lives in Bermuda.

Shabana won an epic final at last year's PSA Masters in Bermuda against one of the greatest names in squash, Peter Nicol. And the brilliant young Egyptian has held the coveted number one ranking every month since his last appearance in Bermuda.

Palmer is considered by many to be one of the fittest players on the pro circuit and he has a strong local following and will no doubt be keen to impress his fans.

Gregory Gaultier, currently ranked fourth in the world, has confirmed his entry and is excited about returning to Bermuda.

Gaultier said: "The World Open title is the most important goal I've been thinking of since I started squash. Bermuda is a magic place and having this tournament there makes it even more special."

He has steadily climbed the world rankings since last year and also has the distinction of having beaten Shabana twice in recent months, at the US Open and at the World Open.

Meanwhile Fellow Frenchman, Thierry Lincou, ranked fith in the world, also loves Bermuda, having played here on five previous occasions.

He has also confirmed, along with Scotland's John White, ranked ninth in the World and is another popular player among Bermuda squash fans.

White recorded an impressive win against Shabana during the British Open last September. The Scot said: "The organisers in Bermuda put on great events. And I always look forward to tournaments in Bermuda as the players are treated very well from start to finish... I am sure this year's World Open will be even more spectacular."

Entries close on October 2. Those listed in the world's top 23 as of the October 1 rankings, will be automatically eligible for the main draw along with one wild-card entry from Bermuda.

The next 24 players in the world rankings go into a qualifying tournament, together with four local players, plus four World Squash Federation wild-cards, for a total of 32 vying for eight places in the main draw.

The four wild-cards are available to players who are ranked number one in their respective countries if those countries do not have representation in the top 47 on the world rankings.

Bermuda Squash and Raquets Association (BSRA) spokesman, Roger Sherratt explained: "Anyone can enter the World Open but some players automatically go into the main draw, while others will be seeking to enter through the qualifying rounds."

It provides an opportunity for the best players from those countries who are beginning to develop their squash programmes to compete at the very highest level, according to organisers.

At the beginning of August 2008, there were 18 countries in the top 50 rankings from far as Australia, Brazil, England, France, India, Mexico, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Scotland and Spain. But with squash now being played around the globe, countries such as Colombia, Greece, the Czech Republic, the US, Germany and Hungary, have players in the number 50 to number 100 rankings and may be eligible for one of the four wild-card spots.

"We anticipate that literally all of the world's top players will be entering the tournament," Sherratt said. "And it would be a good idea to bear in mind that sensational young Egyptian player Ramy Ashour, who did not even qualify for last year's PSA Masters in Bermuda, is now the second-ranked player in the world. Watch out for this 19-year-old sensation in November."

For more information about the Endurance World Open Bermuda 2007 Squash Championships, log onto www.squashworldopen.com