RESULTS: METROsquash US Open, Chicago, USA

Qualifying finals:
Robin Clarke (CAN) bt Tyler Hamilton (CAN) 14-12, 12-10, 11-4
James Snell (ENG) bt Jonas Laursen (DEN) 11-6, 11-6, 11-4
Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX) bt Omar El Kashef (EGY) 11-6, 11-4, 11-7
Joel Hinds (ENG) bt Chris Walker (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5
Tom Pashley (ENG) bt Lefika Ragontse (BOT) 11-5, 7-11, 11-2, 11-6
Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Matthew Serediak (CAN) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8
Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt Graham Bassett (USA) 11-3, 11-4, 11-7
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Jonathan Harford (ENG) 11-5, 12-10, 11-4


England players claimed three of the eight qualifying places on offer in the 2010 METROsquash US Open after successes in the qualifying finals of the $80,000 5-star PSA World Tour squash event at the University Club of Chicago in Chicago.

James Snell, Joel Hinds and Tom Pashley will all make their debuts in the long-established event which will move to an all-glass showcourt in the city's Millennium Park from the quarter-final stage.

Snell, from Exeter, beat Chicago-based Dane Jonas Laursen 11-6, 11-6, 11-4, while Pashley, from Brighton, defeated Botswana's Lefika Ragontse 11-5, 7-11, 11-2, 11-6.

Hinds, recent winner of the World University Championship crown, overcame 43-year-old compatriot Chris Walker, a former England captain and runner-up in the 1994 championship, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5.

France's former world number one and world champion Thierry Lincou is favourite to win the prestigious title for the first time. The 34-year-old world No8 from Marseille, who made his debut in the 2000 event and reached the semi-finals both in 2002 and 2003, faces local hope Christopher Gordon, from New York, in the opening round.

Following the late withdrawal of Egypt's defending champion Amr Shabana with a back injury, Lincou is expected meet Wael El Hindi, also an Egyptian, in the final. El Hindi, the world No11 who is based in New York, begins his Chicago campaign against Mexican qualifier Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira.

Updated 1st round draw:
[2] Wael El Hindi (EGY) v [Q] Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX)
[9] Shahier Razik (CAN) v [Q] James Snell (ENG)
[7] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) v [Q] Tom Pashley (ENG)
[13] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v [Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[4] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) v Gilly Lane (USA)
[10] Tom Richards (ENG) v [Q] Robin Clarke (CAN)
[8] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v Stephane Galifi (ITA)
[12] Julian Illingworth (USA) v [Q] Clinton Leeuw (RSA)
[15] Chris Ryder (ENG) v Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[5] Alister Walker (ENG) v Zac Alexander (AUS)
[11] Simon Rosner (GER) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)
[3] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Yann Perrin (FRA)
[16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) v [Q] Joel Hinds (ENG)
[6] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [Q] Shawn Delierre (CAN)
[14] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) v Adrian Waller (ENG)
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Christopher Gordon (USA)

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