Colin Beecher of Britain ousted Owen Casey 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to deny the Irishman of a main draw place in the $25,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Uzbekistan. Casey had shown continued promising form by beating Jean Noel Grinda of France 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 and Oleg Dyachcnko (Uzbekistan) 6-0, 6-0.

When doubles partner George Blumauer of Austria was obliged to return home with a virus, Casey teamed up with Italian Laurence Tieleman but they went out in the first round to the Indian Davis Cup partnership of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, 6-2, 6-3.