A second successive straight games qualifying win in the ROWE British Grand Prix in Wolverhampton sees local hero Chris Ryder boost to eight the number of Englishmen competing in the PSA World Series squash event which gets underway tomorrow (Monday) at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.
The ROWE British Grand Prix - Manchester 2011, the fourth of nine PSA World Series championships in 2011 - and the biggest squash event to be staged in the UK this year - has attracted a star-studded field featuring 16 of the world's top 20 players, including six former world number ones.
But it was at the Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club that Ryder, the club's former pro, delighted the crowd by defeating Finn Henrik Mustonen 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 in 44 minutes to celebrate his second successive appearance in the event's main draw.
The reward for the 31-year-old world No38 from Leamington Spa is a first round clash with defending champion Ramy Ashour, the world No2 from Egypt.
Ryder led a cosmopolitan group of players celebrating successes in the qualifying finals - including a German, Spaniard, Swiss, South African and three Egyptians.
And it was Alexandria teenager Marwan El Shorbagy who had cause for the biggest celebration after beating England's Robbie Temple to earn his first ever appearance in a PSA World Series event. Still in his first year as a member of the PSA, El Shorbagy has been making major strides on the World Tour since winning the world junior title in July.
After ousting experienced training partner Joey Barrington in the first qualifying round, the 18-year-old defeated Temple 6-11, 11-2, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4 in 61 minutes.
"It's only my second World Series event and my first time to qualify," said the world No65 who begins a course at the University of the West of England in Bristol this autumn. "I am obviously really happy and have been having quite a few good wins since the world juniors."
El Shorbagy, who is coached by British squash legend Jonah Barrington, will now line up against Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the No8 seed and a former world number one, in the first round.
"It is getting more exciting for me now - and I always remember Jonah used to tell me that every match I play could be the match of my life so I hope to get as much experience against the top players as I can in this event."
Compatriots Tarek Momen and Mohammed Abbas also survived the qualifiers - bringing the Egyptian interest in the main draw to nine players. Abbas, a former world No13, needed five games to see off France's Mathieu Castagnet 8-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 in an 88-minute marathon, while 23-year-old Momen was also fully extended before overcoming top-ranked Scot Alan Clyne 11-9, 11-3, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7.
In the shortest match of the night South African Stephen Coppinger overcame England's Anthony Graham 11-4, 11-6, 11-9, whilst in the final match of the evening Borja Golan of Spain beat France's Gregoire Marche 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 showing much of the form that made him a top 10 player a couple of years ago.
And German number one Simon Rosner will join his fellow countryman Jens Schoor, the wild card player, in the main draw after seeing off Siddharth Suchde, of India, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.
Nicolas Mueller becomes the first Swiss player to compete in the ROWE British Grand Prix after his 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-2 victory over Malaysian Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan.
RESULTS: ROWE British Grand Prix, Wolverhampton, England
Qualifying finals:
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Siddharth Suchde (IND) 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (43m)
Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 8-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 (88m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (44m)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-2 (62m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (34m)
Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Robbie Temple (ENG) 6-11, 11-2, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4 (61m)
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Anthony Graham (ENG) 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 (29m)
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-9, 11-3, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7 (64m)
Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Jens Schoor (GER)
Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v [Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
[7] Peter Barker (ENG) v [Q] Stephen Coppinger (RSA)
[5] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Hisham Mohamed Ashour (EGY)
Tom Richards (ENG) v [Q] Simon Rosner (GER)
Adrian Grant (ENG) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[4] James Willstrop (ENG) v [Q] Borja Golan (ESP)
[3] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Stewart Boswell (AUS)
Alister Walker (BOT) v [Q] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) v Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[8] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v [Q] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY)
[6] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Saurav Ghosal (IND)
Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [Q] Chris Ryder (ENG)
For all the latest information, visit the official website: www.britishsquashgrandprix.com