Ameeshenraj Chandaran shocked No.2 seed Velavan Senthilkumar on a sweltering day in Solihull as the Quilter Cheviot British Open qualifiers began at the Solihull Arden Club.
64 players are competing this week at Solihull Arden, with the winners of the qualification tournament set to earn a spot in the main draw of the Diamond-level event, which will take place at ‘the Rep’ Theatre in Birmingham.
Malaysian World No.78 Chandaran went into the match ranked 29 places below India’s Senthilkumar, though he had claimed a win in the pair’s last meeting in the JSW Indian Open.
Senthilkumar made the better start to the match, taking the opener 11-6.
Chandaran hit back hard, though, edging a pair of hotly-contested tie breaks to move into a 2-1 lead.
Senthilkumar struggled from here, finding it difficult to deal with Chandaran’s pace, as the Malaysian closed out 11-2 to book his spot in the second round against Sotuh Africa’s Dewald van Niekerk, who defeated New Zealand’s Oliver Dunbar 3-0.
“I’ve always played well at the British Open, and I was confident coming into it. It feels good to do it again,” Chandaran said.
“I’ve always struggled with being consistent, but I think I’m starting to push the top 50-60, and I’ve been getting some more wins now.
“I lost to Dewald last time we played, but I’m playing well and I’m excited for tomorrow!”
In the women’s draw, Spain’s Noa Romero claimed one of the biggest wins of her career to date as the World No.75 took down World No.47 Ainaa Amani of Malaysia.
In a tough opening game, Romero held her nerve, saving two game balls when trailing 10-8 to force a tie break, then saving another before eventually claiming the opener 14-12.
That win appeared to give Romero confidence. The World No.75 – who came into the match with a point to prove after a disappointing showing in her last match in England, a 3-1 defeat to Swiss World No.94 Ambre Allickx in the first round of the World Championship qualifiers – took the game to Amani, claiming game two 11-5 and sealing the victory with an 11-9 win in game three.
Afterwards, Romero said: “She’s the highest ranked player I’ve ever beaten so I’m excited to get this win!
“I would never have expected to be playing a Dimond at this stage after turning pro, I’m really excited for the next round.
“To come through qualifying and play [on the glass court at the Rep] would be a dream come true!”
Elsewhere, Malik siblings Perry and Bailey played out an entertaining match. The brothers, incredibly just two of five Malik siblings contesting the British Open this year (Bailey, Curtis, Heston, Perry and Torrie) were evenly matched in their opening game, with Perry recovering from 8-3 down to eventually claim an 11-9 win before cruising through games two and three 11-4, 11-5.
Another high-flying sibling was Mohamed Gohar, brother to Egypt squash legend and three-time British Open champion Nouran, who saved two match balls in an epic five gamer against compatriot Mohamed Sharaf.
There was a rankings upset in the final match of the day, as World No.173 Yusuf Sheikh of England held his nerve to see off injury-hit World No.47 Ryunosuke Tsukue.
Round two of qualification takes place tomorrow, 27 May, from 12:00 (GMT+1).
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Results: Quilter Cheviot British Open Qualifying Round One (Men’s)
[16] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt. Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-2 (22m) [6] Salman Khalil (EGY) bt. Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (27m) [11] Yassin Shohdy (EGY) bt. Dylan Molinaro (AUS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (30m) [14] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bt. Oliver Dunbar (NZL) 3-0: 12-10, 11-5, 11-5 (48m) [1] Adrian Waller (ENG) bt. Owain Taylor (WAL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 13-11 (43m) [10] David Bernet (SUI) bt. Duncan Lee (MAS) 3-0: 11-9, 14-12, 11-7 (43m) [13] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) bt. Finnlay Withington (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (34m) Ameeshenraj Chandaran (MAS) bt. [2] Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) 3-1: 6-11, 15-13, 12-10, 11-2 (62m) [8] Samuel Osborne – Wylde (ENG) bt. Dylan Roberts (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (38m) [15] Matthew Lai (HKG) bt. Elijah Thomas (NZL) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (50m) Adam Hawal (EGY) bt. [4] Henry Leung (HKG) 3-1: 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9 (67m) [9] Perry Malik (ENG) bt. Bailey Malik (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-5 (31m) [3] Balazs Farkas (HUN) bt. Heston Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 11-4, 3-11, 12-10 (51m) Mohamed Gohar (EGY) bt. [12] Mohamed Sharaf (EGY) 3-2: 12-10, 6-11, 11-7, 6-11, 14-12 (64m) [7] Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) bt. Rui Soares (POR) 3-1: 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (51m) Yusuf Sheikh (ENG) bt. [5] Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (24m)Results: Quilter Cheviot British Open Qualifying Round One (Women’s)
Farida Walid (EGY) bt. [13] Madeleine Hylland (NOR) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (29m) [11] Toby Tse (HKG) bt. Ella Jane Lash (NZL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-7 (20m) Noa Romero (ESP) bt. [9] Ainaa Amani (MAS) 3-0: 14-12, 11-5, 11-9 (34m) [3] Habiba Hani (EGY) bt. Tanvi Khanna (IND) 3-1: 11-5, 14-12, 8-11, 11-5 (48m) [5] Joelle King (NZL) bt. Olivia Besant (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-1 (27m) [8] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt. Olivia Owens (ENG) 3-1: 10-12, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (41m) [4] Lauren Baltayan (FRA) bt. Emily Coulcher-Porter (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8 (38m) [7] Nicole Bunyan (CAN) bt. Alison Thomson (SCO) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (27m) [16] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt. Wai Yhann Au Yeong (SGP) 3-2: 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7 (60m) [15] Ruqayya Salem (EGY) bt. Madison Lyon (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-2 (23m) [1] Haya Ali (EGY) bt. Menna Walid (EGY) 3-1: 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5 (36m) [6] Alina Bushma (UKR) bt. Kiera Marshall (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (29m) Saskia Beinhard (GER) bt. [10] Cindy Merlo (SUI) 3-2: 5-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 (45m) [2] Jana Swaify (EGY) bt. Mariam Eissa (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (16m) Asia Harris (ENG) bt. [12] Hayley Ward (RSA) 3-1: 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (36m) [14] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) bt. Nour Khafagy (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-13, 13-11, 12-10 (56m
