Stiff Competition In US Open Qualifiers

Players from ten countries will contest the eight qualifying finals for places in the main draw of the US Open, the seventh PSA Super Series event of the year which is being staged next week at the John Hancock Hall in Boston for the first time.

US National champion Julian Illingworth leads domestic in the final qualifying stages after beating England's Ben Howell 11-5, 11-5, 11-3. The 22-year-old from Yale now faces another Englishman - Daryl Selby, the Essex 24-year-old ranked 50 in the world - for a place in the first round.

Harvard-based Indian Siddharth Suchde pulled off a notable upset when he beat fast-rising Colombian Bernardo Samper 11-3, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 5-11, 11-8 to set up a qualifying final against Omar Elborolossy, the experienced Egyptian who despatched Sweden's Badr Abdel Aziz 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.

1st qualifying round:
Ahmed Maged Hamza (EGY) bt Alex Ingham (ENG) 11-4, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5
Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt Regardt Schonborn (RSA) 10-11 (2-4), 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
Raj Nanda (AUS) bt Taiwo Kuti (NGR) 11-7, 11-10 (2-0), 11-3
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Pat Malloy (USA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-4
Basit Ashfaq (PAK) bt Preston Quick (USA) 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0)
Omar Elborolossy (EGY) bt Badr Abdel Aziz (SWE) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7
Siddharth Suchde (IND) bt Bernardo Samper (COL) 11-3, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 5-11, 11-8
Tony James (AUS) bt Lefika Ragontse (BOT) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt John Fulham (USA) 11-3, 11-3, 11-6
Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt Benjamin Oliner (USA) 11-2, 11-8, 11-8
Julian Illingworth (USA) bt Ben Howell (ENG) 11-5, 11-5, 11-3