Parke Overcomes First Hurdle In Dunlop British Open Qualifiers In Nottingham

Simon Parke, formerly based in Nottingham for almost two decades, made a successful return to the city when he beat Oxfordshire's Scott Handley 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 in the first qualifying round of the Dunlop British Open, being staged at the University of Nottingham for the first time.

The 34-year-old Yorkshireman from Leeds - a former world No3 - will now take on Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee in his bid to make a 14th appearance in the sport's most prestigious event, which has roots back to the early 1920s.

Beng Hee, who stopped Parke in last year's first round, brushed aside Canada's Shawn Delierre 11-8, 11-4, 11-4.

Six other Englishmen will compete in today's (Wednesday) second qualifying round matches - including Alister Walker, the Leeds-based 23-year-old from Gloucestershire; Peter Barker, the world No26 from Upminster in Essex; Joey Barrington, son of six-times British Open champion Jonah Barrington, from Glastonbury in Somerset; Londoner Adrian Grant, the world No17 based in Halifax in Yorkshire; Daryl Selby, 23, from Witham in Essex; and Cornwall-born Lee Drew, from Colchester.

Drew, ranked 75 in the world, pulled off one of the notable upsets of the first qualifying round when he beat Pakistan's Shahid Zaman, the world No27 from Quetta, 11-2, 8-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9.

Derbyshire fire-fighter Laura Hill recorded an outstanding upset in the women's event when she beat English compatriot Suzie Pierrepont - ranked more than 100 places higher in the world - 9-3, 10-9, 9-4 to earn a surprise place in the second round. The 30-year-old part-time player from Duffield will now take on Welsh No1 Tegwen Malik who beat France's Celia Allamargot 9-0, 9-1, 9-3.

The longest women's battle saw Merseyside's Georgina Stoker overcome Ireland's Stockport-based Laura Mylotte 7-9, 9-7, 9-6, 10-9 in 69 minutes. The reward for the 20-year-old world No51 is a clash with the qualifying event's top seed Natalie Grainger, the former world No1 from the USA who also beat an Irish opponent Aisling Blake 9-2, 9-10, 9-6, 9-6.

Stoker and Hill are joined by five other English women in the next round, including Dominique Lloyd-Walter from Harrow in Middlesex; Lauren Briggs from Chingford in London; Jenna Gates from Brighton; Rebecca Botwright from Manchester; and Sarah Kippax from Cheshire.

The 2006 Dunlop British Open - featuring world-class men's, women's and masters events - gets underway with main draw first round action on Friday, leading to finals on Monday (18 September).

Men's 1st qualifying round:
Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 (25m)
Simon Parke (ENG) bt Scott Handley (ENG) 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (40m)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Wael El Hindi (EGY) 7-11, 8-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-10 (2-0), 11-7 (77m)
Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Tom Pashley (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (33m)
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Laurence Delasaux (ENG) 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (19m)
Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt Andrew Whipp (ENG) 11-6, 11-9, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7 (48m)
Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Jethro Binns (WAL) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (26m)
Alister Walker (ENG) bt Jonathan Harford (GBR) 11-2, 4-11, 11-3, 11-1 (40m)
Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt Joe Lee (ENG) 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 (21m)
Peter Barker (ENG) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (37m)
Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) 11-8, 11-9, 11-7 (38m)
Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Shaun le Roux (ENG) 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 (32m)
Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Stacey Ross (ENG) 2-0 ret.
Alex Gough (WAL) bt Bradley Ball (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-10 (3-1) (40m)
Lee Drew (ENG) bt Shahid Zaman (PAK) 11-2, 8-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9 (36m)
Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Alex Stait (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-3 (48m)

Women's 1st qualifying round:
Natalie Grainger (USA) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 9-2, 9-10, 9-6, 9-6 (46m)
Georgina Stoker (ENG) bt Laura Mylotte (IRL) 7-9, 9-7, 9-6, 10-9 (69m)
Tegwen Malik (WAL) bt Celia Allamargot (FRA) 9-0, 9-1, 9-3 (20m)
Laura Hill (ENG) bt Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) 9-3, 10-9, 9-4 (40m)
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt Kirsty McPhee (ENG) 9-3, 9-2, 9-1 (31m)
Runa Reta (CAN) bt Susannah King (ENG) 9-4, 9-4, 9-6 (31m)
Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Emma Beddoes (GBR) 9-2, 9-1, 9-2 (23m)
Soraya Renai (FRA) bt Camille Serme (FRA) 9-4, 9-7, 9-5 (33m)
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt Adel Weir (RSA) 9-1, 9-4, 9-6 (34m)
Tricia Chuah (MAS) bt Daniela Schumann (GER) 9-5, 9-2, 9-3 (34m)
Jenna Gates (ENG) bt Jenny Wright (WAL) 9-6, 9-7, 9-2 (36m)
Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt Amnah El Trabolsy (EGY) 9-1, 9-2, 9-5 (23m)
Line Hansen (DEN) bt Leonie Holt (ENG) 9-3, 5-9, 10-9, 9-4 (51m)
Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt Harriet Ingham (ENG) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 (11m)
Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Milja Dorenbos (NED) 9-2, 9-3, 9-2 (26m)
Annelize Naude (NED) bt Lauren Siddall (GBR) 9-2, 9-3, 9-5 (36m)