LOCAL squash stars will have one eye on the No 1 ranking as they face off at the Dunlop Hong Kong Closed Championships this week.
Just a week before they leave for their biggest event of the year, the Asian Championships in Malaysia, the SAR's top men and women will fight it out at the Hong Kong Squash Centre over the next three days.
Men's title-holder and local No 1, Wong Wai-hang, is confident he can repeat his success when he dethroned long-time champion Faheem Khan last year. No 2-ranked Khan could overtake Wong with a victory on Saturday.
'I want it a second time of course, but everyone is in very good condition right now. We are all very fit and this time the tournament will be very close,' said Wong, 26.
Depending on the results of last night's quarter-finals, the contenders in tomorrow's men's semi-finals are expected to be teenager Dick Lau Siu-wai, Roger Ngan Lun-cheung, Khan and Wong - the four top-ranked players who are on the Hong Kong squad for the Kuala Lumpur event.
'Everyone has improved this year, and this time every match is a final for all of us. Faheem has the experience and I would say he is the favourite. He beat me recently at the Asian Championships selection competition and he usually wins the big matches,' said Wong, who is expected to face Lau in the semi-finals.
