Ryan faces difficult match against Khan

DEREK Ryan's protracted campaign to gain a place in the world's top 16 squash players is likely to be put on hold again in Cardiff this evening with the Dubliner facing the toughest draw possible in the first round of the Leekes British Open Championships.

Having done well enough in recent months to avoid the qualifiers and underlined that, on his day, he can compete and beat some of the best players in the world in the opening half of the season his hopes of a profitable week in Wales seem to have been ended by his pairing with world number one Jansher Khan.

The defending champion's record in this, and just about every other, event is superb. Ryan's record against him would hardly inspire a great deal of confidence but the Irishman's growing self belief and far more considered approach to his game would certainly serve him well if the Pakistani failed to play well.

Khan actually suffered a surprise defeat 11 days ago when England's Del Harris beat him at the Super Series finals in Hatfield and a rematch between the two will occur this week if both players make it through to the quarter finals.

Before that defeat though you must go back to the Welsh Classic in 1994 to find a major tournament blemish on the champion's record.

On that occasion it was another of his prospective opponents this week, fourth seed Peter Nicol, who scored a fine win.

In Hatfield Khan bounced back from his defeat to beat Nicol and world number two Rodney Eyles in straight games and finish third overall in the event and if he shows the sort of form that earned him those two victories then Ryan could be in for a repeat of the pair's last meeting in Karachi last year when the world's top player took less than, half an hour to claim a stylish win.

For Ryan who recently failed to qualify for the main draw of the Hungarian Open, there is little to lose this evening but the Dubliner would have preferred the opportunity to take on somewhat softer opposition and earn enough ranking points to move from 17 to 16 on the world ladder which would have the effect of making a seed for many of the circuit's leading events.

With a couple of players missing this week due to injury he might have enjoyed that early protection in Cardiff.