Olesen Makes Grasshopper Cup Line-Up

Denmark's Kristian Frost Olesen became the lowest-ranked player to qualify for the 2014 Grasshopper Cup in Switzerland - and added a ninth nation to the main draw line-up of the PSA World Tour International 50 squash event taking place at the ezw-Unterwerk Selnau in Zurich.

The Grasshopper Cup, which dates back to 1979, returned to the PSA Tour in 2012 - and this year, with the tournament level raised to PSA International 50 status, has attracted a star-studded field including nine players from the world top 20, led by England's world No6 James Willstrop.

Olesen, ranked 64 in the world, battled for 63 minutes to overcome England's Eddie Charlton, ranked nine places higher, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 in the qualifying finals.

The 25-year-old from Odense (pictured right with Charlton) will now take on No.6 seed Tarek Momen, the World No.12 from Egypt.

Fellow qualifiers include Finland's Henrik Mustonen and Egyptian pair Mohamed Abouelghar and Mohd Ali Anwar Reda.

Mustonen, the World No.38 from Hollola, defeated England's Charles Sharpes 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-2, whilst Reda beat higher-ranked Jaymie Haycocks, also an Englishman, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9 and Abouelghar overcame Malaysian Muhd Asyraf Azan 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8.

Top seed Willstrop, who is making his Grasshopper Cup debut, begins his campaign against Olli Tuominen, the former World No.13 from Finland who has twice reached the event's final and was champion in 1999.

The 30-year-old Englishman is expected to contest Sunday's final against second seed Borja Golan, the World No.5 from Spain who was a semi-finalist in 2013.

Grasshopper Cup image courtesy of Helen Ree

Updated 1st round draw:
[1] James Willstrop (ENG) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[5] Simon Rösner (GER) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[6] Tarek Momen (EGY) v [Q] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN)
[4] Daryl Selby (ENG) v [WC] Reiko Peter (SUI)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Alister Walker (BOT)
[8] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [Q] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
[7] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v [Q] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY)
[2] Borja Golan (ESP) v [Q] Henrik Mustonen (FIN)