Qualifying Stage Gets Under Way in Stortford Classic

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The first qualifying round of the Flo.Money Stortford Classic, PSA M10 tournament saw World No.140 Joe Green lead the English charge as he fought to a 3-1 victory over compatriot Robert Dadds.

Dadds took the opening game after a fast start from the 24-year-old prevented Green from finding his rhythm. Green edged the second though and soon established himself on the match as he followed that up with further victories in games three and four to reach the next round courtesy of an 11-13, 11-9, 11-6, 14-12 triumph.

He will face off with 40-year-old veteran Ben Ford for a place in the main draw, with Ford storming past Elliot Selby in a comfortable three-game salvo as he failed to drop a single point in the first game.

Michael Harris is the other Englishman through to the final qualifying round on home soil. Harris, fresh off the back of a maiden PSA World Tour final appearance in last week’s Jersey Squash Classic, continued his fine form into his encounter with second qualifying seed Lyell Fuller and dispatched him in four games to secure his next round berth. Emyr Evans will lie in wait there after he defeated Bermuda’s Micah Franklin in a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

Meanwhile, top qualifying seed Lewis Walters eased into the final round of qualifying thanks to a routine win over Stefan Burkwood and he will go up against South Africa’s Tristan Eysele, who saw off the attentions of Cai Younger.

Portugal’s Rui Soares and Ondrej Uherka of the Czech Republic will go head-to-head in the final qualifying round’s other fixture after they claimed respective victories against Oliver Latham and Brian Byrne.

Results – First Qualifying Round: Flo.Money Stortford Classic 2016
[1] Lewis Walters (JAM) bt [L] Stefan Burkwood (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 (22m)
[6] Tristan Eysele (RSA) bt [L] Cai Younger (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (25m)
Ondrej Uherka (CZE) bt [8] Brian Byrne (IRL) 3-1: 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (57m)
[4] Rui Soares (POR) bt [L] Oliver Latham (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (22m)
[3] Joe Green (ENG) bt Robert Dadds (ENG) 3-1: 11-13, 11-9, 11-6, 14-12 (50m)
[5] Ben Ford (ENG) bt [L] Elliot Selby (ENG) 3-0: 11-0, 11-3, 11-5 (25m)
Emyr Evans (WAL) bt [7] Micah Franklin (BER) 3-2: 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5 (84m)
Michael Harris (ENG) bt [2] Lyell Fuller (ENG) 3-1: 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (55m)

Draw – Final Qualifying Round
[1] Lewis Walters (JAM) v [6] Tristan Eysele (RSA)
Ondrej Uherka (CZE) v [4] Rui Soares (POR)
[3] Joe Green (ENG) v [5] Ben Ford (ENG)
Emyr Evans (WAL) v Michael Harris (ENG)