Parke Extends Tournament of Champions Run In New York

Veteran Englishman Simon Parke battled through the qualifying finals of the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions to achieve his eleventh successive appearance in the main draw of the established USA PSA Tour event at Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Parke, the 33-year-old former world No3 from Leeds, beat Australia's Ben Gould 11-7, 8-11, 11-2, 11-10 (3-1) and will now face another Australian, world No1 and top seed David Palmer, in the first round.

Mark Chaloner, Parke's England team-mate in the 1995 World Championship-winning squad, also came through the final qualifying round at the New York Athletic Club. The fellow 33-year-old beat Egypt's US-based Yasser El Halaby 11-6, 10-11 (1-3), 11-9, 11-1, to set up a first round meeting with Australia's 14th seed Stewart Boswell.

Bernardo Samper caused a notable upset in the qualifying finals, beating Mexican Eric Galvez 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 to become the first Colombian to reach the main draw of the Tournament of Champions. The 23-year-old from Bogotá will face France's 11th seed Gregory Gaultier.

Mark Heather, the New York Athletic Cub assistant pro, gave his club members something to cheer about as he staved off muscle cramps and an early departure from the event. "I started getting leg cramps in the second game," said the 29-year-old Englishman. "But there was such a good crowd cheering me I got the extra energy boost that I needed to win."

After being on the court for two hours and falling behind early in the fifth game, Heather gathered just enough momentum to eke out an 11-10 (4-2), 6-11, 11-10 (3-1), 10-11 (1-3), 11-9 victory over Canada's Shawn Delierre to earn a first round clash with fellow Englishman Nick Matthew, the ninth seed.

The biggest upset of the day was the departure of Dan Jenson, the former world No5 from Australia who was beaten 11-10 (2-0), 11-3, 9-11, 11-5 by 18-year-old German Simon Rosner.

Qualifying finals:
Simon Parke (ENG) bt Ben Gould (AUS) 11-7, 8-11, 11-2, 11-10 (3-1)
Mark Heather (ENG) bt Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-10 (4-2), 6-11, 11-10 (3-1), 10-11 (1-3), 11-9
Mark Chaloner (ENG) bt Yasser El Halaby (EGY) 11-6, 10-11 (1-3), 11-9, 11-1
Bernardo Samper (COL) bt Eric Galvez (MEX) 11-7, 11-7, 11-9
Matthew Giuffre (CAN) bt Clive Leach (ENG) 9-11, 11-5, 11-10 (3-1), 11-2
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
Liam Kenny (IRL) bt Alex Stait (ENG) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Dan Jenson (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-3, 9-11, 11-5