Malvern College’s top player Will Vanston faces a tough opening battle in the National Schools Championships at Queen’s Club, west London this weekend.

The 17-year-old former national junior finalist and an outstanding squash player, takes on the second seed Richard Owen, of Cheltenham, in the Foster Cup elite senior championship, for the top 16 players in the UK, in a match which, on paper at least could go either way.

In the other half of the draw, Jonny Maltz (Tonbridge), last year’s under 16 champion is tipped to meet the favourite Nick Hopcroft (Wellington) for a place in the final.

Two years ago, Hopcroft, a junior squash international, became the youngest player ever to win the Foster Cup, but then lost to Christian Portz (Winchester) in last year’s final.

Hopcroft who, like Vanston, fits his academic and rackets commitments alongside a busy schedule on the squash tournament circuit, is desperate to regain the title.

But Vanston and Maltz, who both have another year left in the competition, each look capable of inflicting upsets on their higher-ranked opponents.

Malvern College’s head of school and rackets captain Arthur Wakeley is seeded three in the other senior championship, the Renny Cup, and although unseeded, his in-form team-mates Will Wright and Matt Saxton are also tipped to reach the latter stages of the heavily-subscribed event, which has attracted 78 players.

A total of 15 Malvernians are involved in the different age-groups of the National Schools Championships which this year boast a record number of entries, testament to the growing popularity of the ancient sport.

All the Malvern players have been training hard on the college’s newly-refitted Victorian rackets courts which are now among the best in the country. They will be hosting the British Professional Championship in January 14 to 16.

Rackets, which began in the 18th century in the two big London debtors’ prisons, the King’s Bench and the Fleet, is the ancient forerunner of squash.

It is the world’s fastest ball-game with a small white ball which cracks round the high black-walled courts at speeds of up to 160 mph, so some players wear protective goggles.

There are six clubs and 14 schools where rackets is played in Britain.