WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: US Open Squash Championship, Boston, Mass, USA

Qualifying finals:
Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Mark Chaloner (ENG) 15-8, 15-11, 15-12
Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Shahier Razik (CAN) 15-8, 15-10, 13-15, 17-15
Graham Ryding (CAN) bt Paul Price (AUS) 15-9, 8-15, 15-11, 15-8
Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Simon Parke (ENG) 11-15, 15-7, 15-9, 15-8

US Open Veteran Parke Exits In Qualifiers

England's Simon Parke, four-times a finalist and champion in 1999, crashed out at the final qualifying stage of the US Open Squash Championship in Boston.

The former world No3, fighting back to the top of his game following ankle surgery, looked awesome for the first 23 minutes of his match against compatriot and fellow Yorkshireman Nick Matthew.  However, the 31-year-old ran out of steam over the next 43 minutes as the rapidly-improving Matthew, aged 23 from Sheffield, took control of the encounter to register an 11-15 15-7 15-9 15-8 victory.

It was a sad exit for Parke who beat both Peter Nicol and Jonathon Power to clinch the title four years ago, then reached his fourth final the following year.  Meanwhile world No24 Matthew, whose US Open breakthrough follows his triumph in reaching the last eight of the English Open in June, now faces eighth-seeded Malaysian Ong Beng Hee in the first round.

It took two hours and five minutes for Adrian Grant to become the second Englishman to claim a place in the main draw with a 15-8 15-10 13-15 17-15 victory over Canada's Shahier Razik.  Grant, also based in Yorkshire, takes on Scotland's 3rd seed John White in the first round.

There was further evidence of youth triumphing over experience when flying Finn Olli Tuominen overcame England's 31-year-old Mark Chaloner in a qualifying finals upset.  Tuominen, 24, from Helsinki, won 15-8 15-11 15-12 to earn a first round clash with Australia's defending champion David Palmer.

North American representation in the event was doubled when Graham Ryding clinched a 15-9 8-15 15-11 15-8 win over Australia's Paul Price to join fellow Canadian Jonathon Power in the main draw.  Ryding, from Toronto, is drawn to face Egypt's 7th seed Karim Darwish.

England's world No1 Peter Nicol, who is seeded to become the first player in history to win the US Open title for a fourth time, faces fellow countryman Lee Beachill in today's first round.  The action takes place at the Boston Symphony Hall - twelve months after the Open became the first-ever sporting event to be staged at the world-famous 101-year-old concert hall.

Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Peter Nicol (ENG) v Lee Beachill (ENG)
[7] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Graham Ryding (CAN)
[4] Jonathon Power (CAN) v Joseph Kneipp (AUS)
[5] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Amr Shabana (EGY)
[6] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v Martin Heath (SCO)
[3] John White (SCO) v [Q] Adrian Grant (ENG)
[8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v [Q] Nick Matthew (ENG)
[2] David Palmer (AUS) v [Q] Olli Tuominen (FIN)