Quartet of UK players qualify for Windy City Main draw.

With American Champion Preston Quick and compatriots Beau River, Dylan Patterson, Robert McFazdon, and Ryan Donegan ALL losing in the first round qualifiers, the final qualifier became an all foreign affair.

Welshman Gavin Jones led a quartet of Britons who survived the final qualifying round of the SSA Global Windy City Open Squash Championship in Chicago, USA, to earn a place in the main draw at the University Club of Chicago.

Gavin Jones takes out top seed Dan Jenson for a place in the main draw. (photo: ©2004 Debra Tessier)

England's Simon Parke, the former world No3 who won his last two PSA Tour titles in the USA, also successfully battled through the qualifiers, beating compatriot Mark Heather 15-11 15-12 9-15 15-12 to set up a first round clash with Canada's fifth seed Graham Ryding.

Frenchman Gregory Gaultier is seeded to reach the final for the third successive year. The 21-year-old world No12 from Aix-en-Provence, runner-up for the past two years, takes on Scotland's Martin Heath in the first round - and is expected to meet favourite Karim Darwish, the world No5 from Egypt, in Sunday's final.

Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Alex Gough (WAL)
[5] Graham Ryding (CAN) v [Q] Simon Parke (ENG)
[3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Rodney Durbach (RSA)
[8] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v Mark Chaloner (ENG)
[7] Renan Lavigne (FRA) v [Q] Ben Garner (ENG)
[4] Omar Elborolossy (EGY) v [Q] Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[6] Paul Price (AUS) v [Q] Gavin Jones (WAL)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Martin Heath (SCO)

Final round results. All matches 3-1.

RESULTS: SSA Global Windy City Open Squash Championship, Chicago, USA

Qualifying finals:
Gavin Jones (WAL) bt Dan Jenson (AUS) 16-17, 15-8, 15-5, 15-9
Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Lee Drew (ENG) 15-12, 15-5, 8-15, 15-10
Ben Garner (ENG) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 10-15, 15-9, 15-9, 15-3
Simon Parke (ENG) bt Mark Heather (ENG) 15-11, 15-12, 9-15, 15-12