Boswell Qualifies To Face Compatriot Palmer

Australia's former world No4 Stewart Boswell despatched fellow former world top five player Simon Parke in the qualifying finals of the MPM St Louis Open to set up a first round meeting with ex-Australian team-mate David Palmer at the Missouri Athletic Club in St Louis, USA.

Boswell, fighting back to the top after a two-year layoff with a back injury, took 50 minutes to overcome Parke, the world No26 from England, 11-6 11-4 11-6. The 27-year-old from Canberra's meeting with Palmer, the third seed, will be the pair's first since the 2002 US Open when Palmer won in straight games.

Another Australian Raj Nanda also survived the qualifying event: The 26-year-old from Brisbane ended the run of local coach Gregory la Mude, a former South African national champion, 11-9 10-11 11-6 8-11 11-7 in 66 minutes. Nanda goes on to face England's fifth seed Peter Nicol, who is unbeaten over the last two tournaments.

France's world No1 Thierry Lincou is top seed in the five-star PSA Tour event. The world champion faces Scotland's former world No1 John White in the first round - and is expected to meet England's world No2 Lee Beachill in the final on Tuesday.

Qualifying finals:
Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Simon Parke (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6 (50m)
Matthew Giuffre (CAN) bt Scott Handley (ENG) 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 (45m)
Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Eric Galvez (MEX) 11-10 (3-1), 11-4, 8-11, 3-11, 11-8 (79m)
Raj Nanda (AUS) bt Gregory la Mude (RSA) 11-9, 10-11 (1-3), 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 (66m)