YMG Capital Classic 2002

England's European Junior Champion, James Willstrop, made what may come to be
seen as his senior touring breakthrough in Toronto on Saturday, defeating
the experienced Del Harris 15-14 15-11 15-13 in a qualifying final to take a
main draw place in the YMG Capital Canadian Classic.

The 19-year-old Pontefract player, who is widely expected to end his junior
career by winning the World Junior Championship in Chennai, India, next
month, had never before met the 33-year-old Harris in tournament play. "I
have won a qualifying final for the British Open more or less on home ground
in the past, but this is the first time I have actually come out of the
qualifiers of a major PSA World Tour event to challenge the top guys in the
main draw, and to beat Del Harris for the first time to do it makes me think
I have done quite well," Willstrop told SquashNow today.

Harris, a former British National Champion in every age group and 14 years
ago himself the world junior champion, commended Willstrop's win. "It was
not quite what I planned for Toronto," he admitted. "But it was a very good
performance from James. I was playing pretty well but, once he took the first
game very strongly on a single point tiebreak, I was always chasing him."

Harris has always been seen as the gentle giant of British squash. Tall,
blonde and amazingly athletic, he took the game by storm through the late
1980s and early 1990s. Willstrop, also blonde and even taller at 6 feet five
inches, looks capable of moving naturally into the same role.

He meets Australia's Stewart Boswell, the world number four, in today's first
round session on a glass showcourt at BCE Place in Toronto, with England's
world champion, Peter Nicol, up against the Canadian wild card player, Graham
Ryding, in the same session, Scotland's Martin Heath facing Rodney Durbach of
South Africa and Ong Beng Hee of Malaysia playing Australia's Paul Price.

"I have never played Stewart either," Willstrop acknowledged. "But that is
what I am on the tour for; to meet these top guys and work them out."

Simon Parke, yet another of England's former world junior champions these
days working their way out of qualifying tournaments, defeated Canada's
Victor Berg 13-15 15-7 15-9 10-15 15-4 in a demanding qualifying final on
Saturday to reach a first round match against Mark Chaloner in yesterday's
first round session. Which also featured the British National Champion, Lee
Beachill, against Joe Kneipp of Australia, John White of Scotland against
Belgium's Stefan Casteleyn, and David Evans of Wales against the second
seeded Canadian, Jonathon Power.

Peter Nicol, the top seed and defending champion, sprained an ankle playing
in the England National squash League last Tuesday but is in Toronto Happy,
haealthy and ready to play, according to today's latest news from the
practice courts.

YMG Capital Canadian Classic.
Toronto, Canada.

Qualifying Finals Results:
Stefan Casteleyn (Bel) bt Jean Delierre (Can) 15-4 15-12 15-8
Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Shahier Razik (Can) 7-15 15-3 8-2 ret inj
Simon Parke (Eng) bt Victor Berg (Can) 13-15 15-7 15-9 10-15 15-4
James Willstrop (Eng) bt Del Harris (Eng) 15-14 15-11 15-13

Update First Round Draw:
Sunday
4 p.m. - [4] John White (SCO) v [Q] Stefan Casteleyn (BEL)
5 p.m. - [2] Jonathon Power (CAN) v David Evans (WAL)
6 p.m. - [6] Lee Beachill (ENG) v Joseph Kneipp (AUS)
7 p.m. - [7] Mark Chaloner (ENG) v [Q] Simon Parke (ENG)
Monday
6 p.m. - [5] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v Paul Price (AUS)
7 p.m. - [1] Peter Nicol (ENG) v Graham Ryding (CAN)
8 p.m. - [3] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v [Q] James Willstrop (ENG)
9 p.m. - [8] Martin Heath (SCO) v [Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA)