Title-Holder Anjema Ousted From Dutch Open

Hopes of local success in the men's event of the Mamut Dutch Open were dashed when second-seeded Laurens Jan Anjema, the defending champion from The Hague (pictured), crashed out in straight games to England's Stacey Ross in the first round of the PSA Tour event in Almere.

It was a double blow for event organisers who lost Dutch champion Tommy Berden on the eve of the event due to an ankle injury. Originally scheduled to earn his place in the first round after fighting through the qualifiers, Ross was promoted into the main draw to take Berden's place!

The unseeded 31-year-old from London was simply too strong for Anjema, beating the 22-year-old 11-9 11-3 11-3 to avenge his defeat by the Dutchman in last year's semi-finals. Ross will now meet eighth seed Stephane Galifi after the Frenchman clinched an 11-10 2-11 11-9 8-11 11-7 victory over Pakistani qualifier Majid Khan.

England claimed another unexpected place in the last eight when qualifier Scott Handley upset Egypt's third seed Hisham Mohd Ashour 11-6 11-8 4-11 11-5. The 30-year-old from Oxfordshire now meets compatriot Ben Garner, the seventh seed who beat Indian qualifier Ritwik Bhattacharya in four games.

Domestic Dutch Open hopes are now led by world champion Vanessa Atkinson, top seed in the women's WISPA World Tour event. Atkinson, the eight-times Dutch national champion from The Hague, moved comfortably into the last eight with a 9-4 9-6 9-6 victory over English qualifier Lauren Briggs.

But the world number two will face surprise opponent Pamela Nimmo in the quarter-finals: The unseeded Scot pulled off a notable upset by defeating New Zealand's sixth seed Shelley Kitchen 9-0 9-6 9-1, repeating her win over the world No13 in last year's Texas Open.

Atkinson's compatriot Annelize Naude is also still in the hunt for Almere glory. The seventh seed needed five games to overcome England's Stephanie Brind 9-5 2-9 9-7 4-9 9-5 and now takes on another English opponent, fourth seed Linda Elriani, for a place in the semi-finals.

Australia's Natalie Grinham is on course to win her third successive Dutch Open title after beating US qualifier Latasha Khan 9-5 9-3 9-2. The Netherlands-based second seed now faces England's Jenny Duncalf after the fifth seed brushed aside France's Isabelle Stoehr 9-2 9-0 9-3.

Men's 1st round:
[1] Bradley Ball (ENG) bt [Q] Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7
[5] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) 7-11, 11-1, 11-4, 11-2
[Q] Scott Handley (ENG) bt [3] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 11-6, 11-8, 4-11, 11-5
[7] Ben Garner (ENG) bt [Q] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 11-6, 1-11, 11-4, 11-6
[6] Gavin Jones (WAL) bt Raj Nanda (AUS) 11-9, 3-11, 10-11 (1-3), 11-4, 11-8
[4] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Tom Hoevenaars (NED) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3
[8] Stephane Galifi (FRA) bt [Q] Majid Khan (PAK) 11-10 (2-0), 2-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7
Stacey Ross (ENG) bt [2] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-9, 11-3, 11-3

Women's 1st round:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [Q] Lauren Briggs (ENG) 9-4, 9-6, 9-6
Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt [6] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-0, 9-6, 9-1
[3] Nicol David (MAS) bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-3, 9-3, 9-3
[8] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt [Q] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 8-10, 8-9, 9-6, 10-8, 9-6
[7] Annelize Naude (NED) bt Stephanie Brind (ENG) 9-5, 2-9, 9-7, 4-9, 9-5
[4] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) 9-4, 9-4, 9-1
[5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-2, 9-0, 9-3
[2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Latasha Khan (USA) 9-5, 9-3, 9-2