LOCAL squash players will have the chance to meet world number one John White and the 2000 British Open champion David Evans on Friday. Following the success of last year’s visit by the then world number one Peter Nicol, director of island squash Peter Bridgeman has secured another real coup for the island.

‘I am very pleased they are coming over,’ said Bridgeman.

‘It is what every sportsman wants – to have the chance to see and meet the top player in the world in their chosen sport and to have the men’s world number one squash player coming here is great for the island.’

Bridgeman is a friend of Evans, both men being from Wales. The latter is a friend of White, which is how this visit came about.

They will begin their trip with a junior clinic followed by a presentation to the winners of the recent Ogier & Le Masurier Junior Island Tournament.

Among the children selected for the clinic are some members of the junior island squad, but also a couple of players rewarded for their enthusiasm in the junior leagues.

‘I did not just want to have island squad members involved because they get a lot already.

‘It is important that when we get people like this over, the opportunity to benefit from it is there for everybody,’ Bridgeman said.

White and Evans will then have some hits against a few local players before they meet each other in an exhibition match, which will give many Sarnians a chance to witness squash at a level they may have never seen before.

‘David got to number five in the world after winning the British Open, which is basically squash’s version of Wimbledon,’ Bridgeman said.

‘He is still one of those players who is capable of taking any of the top ranked players on his day, but he has got a different style of play from many of them.

‘His fitness levels might not be as high as others but he is technically very good, really deceptive and has a lot more shots that many other top players.’

The exhibition match will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the whole event being based at Kings Club.

‘Both of the guys are very sociable. They mix in well and because they are friends, they feed off each other and it should be a good day,’ said Bridgeman.

He hopes that his fellow Welshman will return to Guernsey later on in the year to help him with his summer camps.

Tickets for Friday are limited and more information can be obtained from the Guernsey Squash Rackets Association office on 714567.