ANDREW Shum Siu-chung, the territory's top player, will line up with the likes of Jansher Khan, Rodney Martin and Tristan Nancarrow after being handed an unprecedented wild card entry into the main draw for next month's $500,000 Hongkong Open.
Shum, ranked 77th in the world, is the first local player to receive a wild card for the tournament, which will feature eight of the world's top 10 players, at the Hongkong Squash Centre from August 22-29.
National coach Chris Clark said Shum's inclusion in the elite field was a major breakthrough for Hongkong squash.
''We have never had a wild card before although a lot of other countries use wild cards to boost the sport locally,'' he said. ''I pushed for Andrew and I think he deserves it - he is the top Chinese player in the world at the moment.
''Receiving the wild card has given an edge to his training and he is looking sharp. He has a more positive approach knowing that he is in the main draw.'' Twenty-three-year-old Shum has played in the tournament five times before but has never made it past the qualifying rounds.
''This is a good opportunity for me,'' said Shum, who trains full time at the Hongkong Sports Institute. ''I don't really mind who I am drawn against but I hope to avoid the top players so I have a chance of reaching the second round.'' Five-time winner Jansher, of Pakistan, returns to the event, sponsored by Cathay Pacific and Unisys, after missing last year's and will be determined to recapture his world number one ranking having lost top spot to his great Australian rival Chris Dittmar.
