These Championships are being held again at the National Squash Centre, Sportcity, in Manchester. It has 6 regular glass back courts and one exhibition court that can float on an air cushion when being moved around. Thre of the regular courts have a normal plastered front wall and the other three have a plastic one to allow the press to have access for shots from behind. This can create some differences in ball bounce, but the players eventually get attuned to the bounce. The exhibition court will come into use at the semi-final stage, once again a strange dead bounce but a lively ball due to being very hot under the overhead lighting.

I arrived on Sunday, setting off from Norwich at 5.40am and getting to the venue at around 10.20am. Maurice Mosdell was there already and he is assisting the retailing for Sportsdiscount.com for who I am tagged onto for the stringing service.
Today is the first round of quallies for men, some great matches, all free for spectators. Maybe because it is beautiful sunny day and free entry seems to take away the value, there are virtually no audiences. I am not busy at all as all arriving players will have come with freshly strung rackets. It takes me about 40 mins to set up, on the corner of the sales desk.
Sunday rackets were nil. In fact I did my own! Lots of enquireies re prices etc.

Monday - Second day of mens qualiies and start of the ladies quallies. Some rackets coming in now. I am using the Babolat Star 4 and I always have to question players about what type of machine they are used to as the Babolat will have a 10% tighter stringbed than a manual machine.
Joe Lee - Wilson K Tour - Tecnifibre 305 green @ 32lbs. Very high tension and originally wanted 33lbs! Joey Barrington - son of the famous Jonah Barrington - Dunlop ICE - E-Squash Powerfibre @ 30lbs. This string now comes in a fluorescent green, looks good. This and the other E-Squash string, Durafibre are being sold at 3 for £10.
I am charging just £10 for the E-squash restringing, £8.00 labour charge if players have their own string and then a good range of Ashaway strings at varying prices, from £12.00 for SupernickXL to £15.00 for Powernick15.
Several Wilson Ncodes coming through, nothing unusual so far, all around 28lbs.