WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: EBS Asset Management Dayton Squash Open, Ohio, USA

Qualifying finals:
Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Mikkel Korsbjerg (DEN) 15-8, 15-7, 15-7
Mark Heather (ENG) bt Rafael Alarcon (BRA) 15-11, 15-8, 15-13
Stacey Ross (ENG) bt Matthew Giuffre (CAN) 15-9, 15-5, 7-3 ret.
Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 15-2, 15-8, 15-4

Ricketts Withdrawal Makes Darwish Top Seed In Dayton

Two Englishman have won through the qualifying finals of the $40,000 EBS Asset Management Dayton Squash Open which gets underway today in Ohio, USA.

Following the withdrawal of France's newly-installed world No1 Thierry Lincou as a result of an ankle injury, a further redraw was made on the eve of the event after world No8 Anthony Ricketts was forced to pull out with a knee injury.

Egypt's Karim Darwish, winner of last week's Apawamis Open in Rye, is promoted to top seed and England's Mark Chaloner joins the seeds as eighth seed.

The Dayton Open is one of the fastest-growing events on the PSA Tour.  After starting two years ago as a $10,000 tournament, the 2004 EBS Asset Management Dayton Open will be a $40,000 4-star PSA event, attracting a world-class field.

"We have a great facility to host a squash tournament like this with 5 state-of-the-art ASB squash courts," said organiser Charlie Johnson.  "We hold a large amateur event in conjunction with the PSA event that assures us of overflowing galleries toward the final matches of the event.

"This event has grown so quickly because of the support of our local squash community and some of our major sponsors.  The title sponsor, EBS Asset Management, is an incredibly successful asset management company and all three of its founders, Ron Eubel (E), Mark Brady (B) and Rob Suttman (S), are avid squash players - along with many of partners & staff of the firm. Their enthusiasm, energy and support (both financial and physical) of the event is what has helped make this event so successful and one of the main reasons we've grown in stature," Johnson added.

Revised 1st round draw:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Stacey Ross (ENG)
[6] Omar Elborolossy (EGY) v [Q] Mark Heather (ENG)
[3] Graham Ryding (CAN) v Shahier Razik (CAN)
[5] Simon Parke (ENG) v Julian Wellings (ENG)
[7] Alex Gough (WAL) v Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[4] Paul Price (AUS) v [Q] Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[8] Mark Chaloner (ENG) v [Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA)
[2] Martin Heath (SCO) v Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)