Marray's spirit topples Parmar

There is nothing pretentious about Jonny Marray, whose profile is as low as his world ranking of 883. "I'm not making a living out of tennis," he says, "I'm covering my costs."

That is the reality for competitors such as Marray as they scuffle for points in the lower levels of the professional tour. The 21-year-old from Sheffield typifies the British late developer in several respects, but not all. He did not start playing until the age of 10 and then forsook the junior ladder in order to concentrate on his GCSEs and A-levels.

Marray was 18 when he decided to make tennis his career, since when he has maintained a spirit of enthusiasm and optimism throughout good days and bad days. Yesterday was one of the better days as Marray defeated Arvind Parmar, the second seed, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, to advance to the men's singles quarter-finals of the Hastings Direct National Championships at Bolton Arena, thereby guaranteeing himself £700 to cover his costs this week.

Parmar, the British No 4, has had better days and at least one worse than this: the day in July 2000 when he let slip a two sets to love lead against Giovanni Lapentti in the deciding rubber of a Davis Cup World Group play-off against Ecuador on Court No 1 at Wimbledon.

While acknowledging that Marray served and volleyed well and denied him the rhythm to groove his groundstrokes, Parmar criticised himself for "making a couple of stupid errors and not making enough good points". He also lost to Marray in the 2001 Greater Manchester Challenger event. "Arvind obviously doesn't like my game," Marray said.

Tomorrow Marray plays David Sherwood, his doubles partner and fellow Sheffield citizen, for a place in the semi-finals. Sherwood, the son of Olympic medallists John and Sheila Sherwood, beat Jim May, of Kent, in the second round. "We're both on home turf," Marray said, reminding reporters that he and Sherwood are trained at Bolton Arena by Jim Edgar.

The winner here will play either Jamie Delgado, the third seed, or Luke Milligan, the eighth seed, in the semi-finals. Delgado defeated Oliver Freelove, of Kent, 7-6, 6-3, and Milligan accounted for Jeffrey Hunter, of Surrey, 6-3, 7-6. Today Marray and Sherwood team up to play Ben Kuma-Mintah and Naim Lalji, of Middlesex, in the first round of the doubles.

Hannah Collin, the defending women's singles champion, dropped a set to Anna Hawkins, of Wiltshire, en route to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory which puts her in the quarter-finals. Collin, the fifth seed, now plays the second seed, Lucie Ahl, of Devon, who defeated Luisa Cowper, of Warwickshire, 6-3, 6-2. Julie Pullin, of Sussex, the top seed, also advanced to the last eight with a 6-0, 6-3 win against Kelly Simkin, of Hertfordshire.

Jane O'Donoghue, the 19-year-old from Wigan who lost to Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon and has improved her world ranking from 480 at the start of the year to 292, reached the quarter-finals here yesterday with a 7-6, 6-2 win against Karen Paterson, of East Scotland. Paterson's jigs before receiving serve might have distracted a lesser opponent. "You don't see Venus galloping around, do you?" O'Donoghue said. "She holds position."