Squash: Eager Heath upsets Parke

Wednesday 27 August 1997 18:02 EDT
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England's Simon Parke lost to Scotland's Martin Heath in the biggest upset of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open so far. Heath, last week's Singapore Open champion and ranked 20th in the world, won 15-5, 15-7, 15-9 to knock out the fifth-seeded Englishman in the first round.

Meanwhile, the world No 1 Jansher Khan has said he wants to win every title in the world at least 10 times before he retires. Jansher, 28, defeated Greece's Paul Gregory 15-2, 15-12, 15-9 in the first round of the Hong Kong Open and is determined to make up for last year's defeat in the final, where he lost to Australia's Rodney Eyles.

The Pakistani said the Hong Kong event, which he has won seven times, was part of his plan to try and win as many titles as possible and set records that would be almost impossible for future generations to better.

Jansher already has six British Open titles to his name and has won the World Open a record eight times. Jansher faces England's Nicholas Taylor in the second round today.

The defending champion Eyles had to work hard to overcome Canada's Graham Ryding 15-17, 15-6, 8-15, 15-11, 15-9 in the first round. England's Peter Marshall, the former world No 2 who is making a comeback after a lengthy absence, advanced to a second-round clash with Eyles after beating another Australian, Anthony Hill, 15-4, 15-6, 15-3. Chris Walker, from Essex, the seventh seeded England No 1, went down 15-8, 15-6, 9-15, 15-13 to a fellow left-hander, Paul Johnson of Kent.

Nottingham's Peter Marshall progressed with a win over Australia's Anthony Hill, while Stephen Meads of Berkshire removed the French champion, Julien Bonetat, in straight games.

Johnson thought his win over Walker, who had confessed to an unaccountable nervousness in such an experienced player, was his best PSA World Tour performance.

Taylor's match against Jansher came courtesy of a 15-11, 13-15, 10-15, 15-8, 15-13 win over the Irish champion Derek Ryan, with whom he trains in Manchester.

Today Mark Chaloner of Lincolnshire and Del Harris of Essex play each other, while Alex Gough of Wales plays Canada's Jonathon Power and the British champion, Mark Cairns of Oxford, meets Scotland's world No 2, Peter Nicol.

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