RESULTS: Mamut English Open Squash Championship, Sheffield
1st qualifying round:
Stacey Ross (ENG) bt Shaun le Roux (ENG) 11-0, 11-5, 11-5
Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Yann Perrin (FRA) 11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8
Scott Handley (ENG) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Jonathan Harford (ENG) 11-1, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8
Alex Stait (ENG) bt Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-9
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt James Snell (ENG) 11-3, 11-9, 11-7
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt Adam Fuller (ENG) 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 5-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-6
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Eddie Charlton (ENG) 11-5, 11-5, 11-6
There will be domestic interest in all four qualifying finals of the Mamut English Open Squash Championship, hosted by Sheffield City Council, after five Englishmen came through today's (Thursday) first qualifying round in the 5-star PSA Tour event in Sheffield.
Qualifying is being staged simultaneously at the Abbeydale Park and Hallamshire squash clubs in the city - leading to the first round of the main draw taking place for the first time at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on Saturday (15 December), through to the final on Tuesday.
Surrey's Stacey Ross headed the qualifying draw - and comfortably beat fellow Englishman Shaun le Roux, from Yorkshire, 11-0, 11-5, 11-5. The 34-year-old from Sutton will now face Czech number one Jan Koukal for a place in the main draw.
Another Surrey player pulled off a notable upset: Tom Richards, back in action after a six-month knee injury layoff, defeated Leeds-based Jonathan Harford, ranked 40 places higher in the world, 11-1, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8. Richards now faces fellow countryman Scott Handley, from Oxfordshire, who took five games to get the better of young Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8.
Manchester-based Alex Stait also secured an upset to earn a place in the qualifying finals. The 28-year-old from Gloucester, ranked 85 in the world, despatched Hungary's world No63 Mark Krajcsak 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 to set up a clash with Australian Aaron Frankcomb.
England's World Universities champion Chris Ryder will also take on an Australian for a place in the main draw. The 27-year-old from Wolverhampton beat Nottinghamshire's Eddie Charlton 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 and will now face Ryan Cuskelly, from New South Wales, in the qualifying finals.
Qualifying finals line-up:
Stacey Ross (ENG) v Jan Koukal (CZE)
Scott Handley (ENG) v Tom Richards (ENG)
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) v Alex Stait (ENG)
Chris Ryder (ENG) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
Tickets, priced from £12.50 - £25.00, are available with immediate effect from Ticketmaster, either via the website www.Ticketmaster.co.uk or by telephone on 0870-150 0541. All details are available on the event's official website www.englishopensquash.co.uk