Marathon Defeat Earns Lucky Loser Slot For Illingworth

If a 'Lucky Loser' slot were given to a player for endeavour, then marathon man Julian Illingworth thoroughly deserved his breakthrough in the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions in New York.

In the very last match of the qualifying finals for the prestigious PSA Tour event which will celebrate its tenth anniversary at Grand Central Terminal this week, current US national champion Illingworth battled against Stacey Ross for 93 minutes before succumbing to the Englishman in his second marathon match in two days, losing 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9.

While Ross earned the qualifying place against sixth seed John White, the fates smiled on Illingworth who became the 'lucky loser' to pick up the main draw spot vacated by Dutchman Laurens Jans Anjema, the 14th seed who withdrew on the eve of the event due to injury.

Illingworth will face Australian qualifier Dan Jenson, who dismissed Czech number one Jan Koukal in the qualifying finals 11-6, 11-9, 11-4.

Englishman Mark Heather, now a teaching professional in Chicago after a stint at the New York Athletic Club as assistant pro, made it into the ToC main draw for the second consecutive year after defeating Aussie Steve Finitsis 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (4-2), 7-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-8 after 66 minutes.

The only four-time winner of the national collegiate championships, 2006 Princeton graduate Yasser El Halaby, also played his way into the main draw with a comprehensive 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 victory in 32 minutes over France's Julien Balbo. The 22-year-old from Cairo now faces fellow Egyptian Ramy Ashour, the sixth-seeded teenage sensation who has already picked up two PSA Tour titles this year.

Saurav Ghosal became the first Indian to earn a place in the Tournament of Champions main draw when he beat England's former European Junior champion Chris Simpson 11-4, 11-8, 11-8. The 20-year-old student at Leeds University in the UK, who won the Indian national title last year, takes on Finland's No10 seed Olli Tuominen.

Qualifying finals:
Stacey Ross (ENG) bt Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9 (93m)
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt Bradley Hindle (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-1, 11-4 (45m)
Mark Heather (ENG) bt Steve Finitsis (AUS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (4-2), 7-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-8 (66m)
Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) bt Simon Rosner (GER) 5-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6 (73m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt Laurent Elriani (FRA) 4-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-9, 11-9 (81m)
Dan Jenson (AUS) bt Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (34m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-4, 11-8, 11-8 (45m)
Yasser El Halaby (EGY) bt Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (32m)