Jenny Duncalf has been given a mountain to climb in her opening match at the National Squash Championships which start next week.

Duncalf, the Harrogate Squash Club player and full-time professional, faces favourite Linda Charman (Sussex) in her first round clash.

Duncalf, who has represtented England for several years, turned full-time professional after leaving Harrogate Grammar School.

Harrogate interest will also centre on seventh seed Simon Parke, a former player at the town's squash club before he moved home - first from Knaresborough and then Harrogate - to live in Nottingham. Parke is fortunate in drawing a qualifier for his opener.

Top seed Peter Nicol, who will kick-start his challenge against a qualifier, has again put down his county as Yorkshire, although he is not attached to a specific club.

The White Rose tag is a throwback to his days when he played for Harrogate in the Yorkshire Men's League before establishing his own squash and fitness centre near Aberdeen and becoming World No 1. Nicol had a high profile fall out with the Scottish administrators of the sport, defecting to England.

"I now regard myself as a Yorkshire player, but do not have a specific club here. I chose Yorkshire because I used to play in the Yorkshire League," he says.

The event is being held at the new National Squash Centre in Manchester, used last year to host the Commonwealth Games.