Pilley Downs Zaman To Earn Windy City Windfall

Australia's Cameron Pilley scored a notable upset in the qualifying finals of the SSA Global Windy City Open to earn a place in the main draw of the first major PSA Tour event of the year, the $50,000 5-star event which has attracted the world's top players to Chicago, USA.

Pilley, 22, from Queensland, defeated Shahid Zaman - the Pakistan No1 who last week won the Virginia Professional Championship in Richmond, USA - 11-10 11-8 11-8 and is now drawn to face Egypt's former world champion Amr Shabana, the fourth seed, in the first round.

Simon Parke, the only English player to qualify after beating compatriot Jonathan Kemp 11-9 4-11 11-5 11-3, is drawn against seventh seed Jonathon Power. Only three months ago, Parke qualified in the St Louis Open in the US, and again drew the Canadian in the first round.

England's defending champion Nick Matthew is the sixth seed in the event's star-studded field - and faces qualifier Wael El Hindi. The Egyptian survived one of the toughest qualifying finals, overcoming England's Joey Barrington 11-8 10-11 11-10 8-11 11-7.

Lee Beachill is the event's top seed, who faces unseeded Egyptian Mohammed Abbas in the first round. The Englishman, now ranked two in the world, is expected to face the new world No1 Thierry Lincou in the Windy City Open final on Tuesday. Frenchman Lincou first meets Australia's Dan Jenson.

Qualifying finals:
Simon Parke (ENG) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-9, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3
Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Shahid Zaman (PAK) 11-10 (3-1), 11-8, 11-8
Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Mark Heather (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-6
Wael El Hindi (EGY) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-10 (4-2), 8-11, 11-7