Heads Up! Some Semi Final Speculations:

Today’s quarter final has seen all the tops seeds through—as predicted. Tomorrow, Nicol David will meet Madeline Perry; and so the question on everyone’s lips—will Madeline succeed in a repeat of the British Open, last year? Or will Nicol, prevail? It is safe to say that with a head-to-head count of 5 to 1, luck might favor the Penangite instead. ”I bounced back quickly from that defeat and went on to win the World Open right after that. Right now, I’m feeling fit and am staying focused for the next match,” said David.

While the Perry vs David is probably going to be the highlight of the semi final tomorrow, Rachael Grinham vs Alison Waters will not be any less interesting to watch. What intrigues us is while Rachael IS seeded higher than Alison, the former world champion has been losing ground to the English lass in their last two meets—losing in straight sets. Could it be different this time round? It is possible for Rachael to turn the table on Alison, as she has had some very easy games—one would consider them warms ups to playing Alison. Alison, on the other hand has been playing very well this season and if she is focused tomorrow, there is no stopping her.

What happened in the Quarter Final:

Madeline Perry denies Annie Au a place in the Semi Final.

Madeline Perry (IRL) (6) bt Annie Au (HKG) (Q)
9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-4 (54m)
Madeline wore a different attire today as opposed to her customary blue outfit. White and maroon seemed to work well for her as she came back from a game down against a fighting Annie Au. The first game saw Annie moving around the court well, pushing Perry around and not only was Perry tired of all the running, she wasn’t too happy with some of the calls made by the the referees.

Annie started off the second game 3-0 with beautiful drop shots—all irretrievable by Perry but she didn’t stay down for long. Perry came back strongly to take the game in extra points and went on to win the next two games as Annie seemed to have wore out by the fourth game. A good run for the young player from Hong Kong and good on Perry to make it into yet another semi final.

Alison Waters (ENG) (3) bt Camille Serme (FRA)
12-10, 3-11, 11-9, 11-6 (43m)

This match started off with very close competition between the two ladies, with Alison coming out on top 12-10. The second game started with continuous tins by Serme, giving Alison a 5-1 lead. Serme’s energy levels seemed to have plunged from the first game. She made many unforced errors and was seen tapping her head with her racquet in frustration. Firmly placed at the ‘T’, Alison controlled the game well and won the second game comfortably.

Camille had to make a comeback in the third game and rushed off to a 5-2 lead. With some errors from Alison this time, Camille sealed the game 11-9 with a nice crosscourt nick. Although Camille seemed to have better control in the fourth game, the tired looking Frenchwoman went down slowly to Alison, 4-7, 4-9 and bowed out 6-11.

Rachael Grinham (AUS) (2) bt Natalie Grainger (USA) (5)
11-5, 11-3, 11-7 (20m)
With two ex-world champions on court, Rachael Grinham comes out on top, recording the shortest match time, again! “It was never going to be a long match with Natalie,” said Rachael, “she always goes for her shots and even if we went to five games it would be quick.” Looking in good shape, Rachael’s movements were fluid and didn’t seem to be affected much by Natalie’s attacks as the world number three stretched herself in various corners of the court, picking up most of Natalie’s shots.

In the third game, Natalie seemed flustered and wasn’t going for as many balls as she had in the first two games. The overall pace of this match was slower than the previous two matches and Rachael had a rather comfortable win to cruise into the semi final. Rachael is set to face world number four, Alison Waters in the semis tomorrow.

Nicol David (MAS) (1) bt Kasey Brown (AUS) (7)
11-7, 11-5, 11-6 (40m)

In the first half of the game, Nicol took control of the rallies, leading the game but Kasey did well to come back into the game but went down 7-11. As Kasey stumped around in the second, Nicol raced up to a 5-0 lead. A very persistent Kasey worked hard at retrieving all the shots by the world champion, catching up from behind as Nicol’s lead grew wider. An obviously flustered Kasey commented after, ”at times it felt like I had to win the rallies several times over just to win a point!”

Nicol was the dominating factor in the third game, with a huge 7-1 lead over Kasey. Rallies were shorter and Nicol seemed to be rushing to wrap up the game. Kasey gained momentum, catching up to 5-7. From then on, the game went Nicol’s way with some hard and low drives to the back. With that, Nicol booked her spot in the semis with a 11-6 win.

Live scores will be posted on www.facebook.com/SquashStars

The Semi Final line up (Matches to start at  7:00PM SGT):

Alison Waters (ENG) (3) vs Rachael Grinham (AUS) (2)

Nicol David (MAS) (1) vs Madeline Perry (IRL) (6)

Last match was played at 10:30pm to a full house. Great crowd.

We begin our live coverage today!
Live scores will be posted on www.facebook.com/SquashStars

It begins downunder!

Kasey Brown (AUS) [7] bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL)
11-3, 12-14, 11-6, 11-7 (55m)
The first match in Round 1 of the main draw went according to seeding with Kasey Brown’s win over her  trans-Tasman neighbour—Jaclyn Hawkes. It was not an easy win with Jaclyn stretching Kasey in the second game in a close battle with some long rallies. Kasey now moves on to the quarter finals to meet current world champion, Nicol David.

Annie Au (HKG) [Q] bt Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) [4]
7-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9 (46m)
Annie Au provided the first and only upset of the day by beating Omneya. The young Hong Kong star played some good shots at the front of the court while Omneya kept moving the ball behind. Annie had some fantastic dead shots aimed at the back of the court causing the veteran Egyptian to fall prey to it, numerous times. Kawy still looked a little tired from her matches last week but credit is due to Annie who showed maturity and calmness in steering her way through to the quarter final. “I was nervous in the first game and could not catch Omneya’s shots. But I told myself not to give up and just concentrate and play a good game.” Well done, Annie!

Madeline Perry (IRL) [6] bt Low Wee Wern (MAS) [Q]
12-10, 5-11, 11-1, 11-5 (36m)
Wee Wern started out strong pushing the sixth seed into extra points in the first game and came back from one set down to win the second. Madeline stepped up her game in the third and fourth games, leaving Wee Wern a little misplaced. The lack of depth from some of Wee Wern’s shots and some errors from her in the last two games allowed the Irishwoman to win the match without having to go for a decider. Madeline will meet Hong Kong’s sole survivor and wonder kid—Annie Au in tomorrow’s line up.

Alison through to the quarters.

Alison Waters (ENG) [3] bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG) [Q]
11-2, 11-6, 11-9 (26m)
The game started off with Alison taking charge, not allowing Rebecca to do much—it went very quickly to the Englishwoman at 11-2 in the first set. The second game was more evened out with Rebecca taking the lead at some points of the game but Alison proved too strong and did well to overcome her opponent. The third game was very entertaining as both players tried to constantly outdo each other. Both were taking the balls early and Alison seemed to be doing some ballet moves on court, reaching out for the ball from afar with her racquet outstretched. Rebecca had a much better performance in the third game but it wasn’t enough to stave off the Englishwoman as Alison took the third game 11-9.

Camille Serme (FRA) [8] bt Donna Urquhart (AUS)
11/7, 11/3, 6/11, 10/12, 11/8 (48m)
In the first game, it was all about Camille. As always, there were lots of stretches and some splits from the French star (who I suspect will make a good gymnast too!). First two games went Camille’s way but in the third game, the leftie from Australia stepped up the pace to take the game 11-6. The fourth game was entertaining with the ball being placed at all four corners of the court by both girls with Donna prevailing in extra points. Camille went the extra mile in the fifth game with a very determined stance. Donna tinned a few shots and clawed her way back to 7-9 but lost out 11-9 in the end. Strong play by both girls! Camille faces Alison Waters in the quarter final.

Natalie Grainger (USA) [5] bt Delia Arnold (MAS) [Q]
8-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-2 (45m)
Delia took the first two games off WISPA’s principal and seemed to be the stronger contender, likely to win in three games. But in the third game, Natalie avenged with some forceful shots and took a quick 5-0 lead—whitewashing Delia 11-2! There were numerous strokes given to Natalie in the last two games as Delia seemed to be making more errors, hitting the ball towards herself. She seemed a little out of focus, losing quickly in the fifth game to a more experienced Grainger. “I haven’t played much lately, so it was a matter of finding the right shots and getting the fluidity back, and even adjusting to seeing the ball early. I’m really pleased to be able to come back into the game with a change of tactics, and simply hitting the ball a little deeper.”

Both Delia and Wee Wern were probably experiencing fatigue from their long games yesterday. They have done well to make it to Round 1 and we will definitely be seeing more of these young Malaysians in tournaments to come.

Rachael Grinham (AUS) [2] bt Pamela Chua (SIN)
11-3, 11-2, 11-3 (18m)
This match seemed like a formality to Rachael, rounding up the game in merely 18 minutes! Pamela had an uphill task against the former world number one who was moving well around the court and seemed at ease all through the match. Pamela, the wild card entrant to this tournament, put up a fight in the first two games but by the third, she seemed to have taken a back seat with Rachael taking full control of the match. Rachael kindly commented, “There were no easy points, Pamela was in the rallies and I couldn’t let up for a minute. She moves and hits well but she’s got to play more of these matches to get used to the intensity.”

The home crowd was also very supportive with “oohs” and “aahs” each time Pamela played a good shot. Kudos to the crowd for their encouragement!

Raneem steals a set of top seed, Nicol David. Photo with thanks to www.chroniclepeople.com

Nicol David (MAS) [1] bt Raneem El Weleily (EGY)
8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (42m)
This match was expected to be exciting as Raneem stunned some top seeds just last week at the Malaysian Open. In the first game, Raneem raced to a quick start over the World Champion with a 6-1 lead. Nicol caught up but was still scrambling around the court and lost the first game 8-11. The Egyptian youngster seemed to be on track to create another upset. Perhaps it was the Katong Laksa she had earlier, Nicol’s movement became more fluid and she began to read Raneem’s game better. Raneem, who is known for her perseverance on court, did a fantastic job retrieving most of Nicol’s killer shots but went down fighting to the world number one.

Nicol commented, “She played really well—she was literally firing for all the shots in the first game. It took me awhile to actually get into it. When it came to the second game, I just got a bit more feel of the ball and was hitting the ball better; she slowly made some errors and gave me a better edge to start off each set.”

Live scores will be posted on www.facebook.com/SquashStars

Quarter final line up. (Matches to start at  6:30PM SGT)

Nicol David (MAS) (1) vs Kasey Brown (AUS) (7)

Annie Au (HKG) (Q) vs Madeline Perry (IRL) (6)

Camille Serme (FRA) vs Alison Waters (ENG) (3)

Natalie Grainger (USA) (5) vs Rachael Grinham (AUS) (2)

This year, the CIMB Singapore Masters, now in it’s fourth year, will feature an all-glass court for the first time at Kallang Leisure Park after a 12-year absence. According to sources, it is a necessity that has forced the Singapore Squash Rackets Association (SSRA) to invest some $300,000 in a lease-to-buy arrangement for the equipment. Round 1 & 2 of the qualifying rounds will be held at the Kallang Squash Centre, starting today—the 26th of July.

The court is already up at Kallang Leisure Park.

Nicol Set to Capture Singapore title, too.

Raneem El Weleily vs Nicol David will prove to be an interesting match.

Fresh from her recent victory at the CIMB Malaysian Open last weekend against WISPA No. 2 Jenny Duncalf—Nicol David is now set to defend her title in Singapore. She will be meeting young Egyptian, Raneem El Weleily in the first round which starts this Wednesday, the 28th of July. Raneem recently stunned two top seeded players, Rachael Grinham and Laura Massaro at the Malaysian Open, only to be stopped by Jenny Duncalf in the semi final. Jenny Duncalf will be missed from this event, opening opportunities to other seeded players to make it through to the finals.

Besides the heavyweights, another player to watch for will be the recently crowned American World Junior Champion, Amanda Sobhy who will be playing another talented junior, Joey Chan of Hong Kong in the first qualifying round.

The tops seeds are:

(1) Nicol David (MAS)
(2) Rachael Grinham (AUS)
(3) Alison Waters (ENG)
(4) Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)
*(5) Natalie Grainger (USA)
(6) Madeline Perry (IRE)
(7) Kasey Brown (AUS)
(8) Camille Serme (FRA)

*Pegged ranking.

Click here to view the full draw.

SquashStars.com will only officially start live coverage and reports for this tournament, starting Round 1 of the main draw. Reports on Qualifiers can be found here!

Battle of the Sexes is back!

Right after the Singapore Masters will be the Battle of the Sexes! Here are the details:

Match #1 : Low Wee Wern (World No.26) vs Timothy Soh (Singapore National Junior)

Match #2 : Nicol David (World No.1) vs Udai Singh (Battle of The Sexes Part 1 Winner)

Event Details
Venue: Kallang Leisure Park Atrium
Date: 1st August 2010 (Sunday)
Time: 2.30pm – Meet the Fans & Autograph Signing Sessions
3.00pm - Match #1
3.45pm – Match #2
4.30pm – Prize Presentation

Seats: FREE*

*Confirm your seats to avoid disappointment, book seats in advance at S$15 each.
Email ultimatesquasher@yahoo.com or call 9455 9707 for payment details.

The Malaysian crowd getting ready.

The Stompers charging up the atmosphere before the big finals.

The BIG awaited match between World number one and two promised to be a spectacular match. Although Nicol had won 16 of their previous 18 meetings, Jenny showed some excellent form at the end of 2009, defeating Nicol in two consecutive tournaments. However, following those two losses, Nicol won the next two matches after—in 2010 at the Chennai Open and Cayman Islands Open.

The epic 72 minute match.

Jenny, donned in a purple Adidas top, was the first to serve. The game started off rather evenly with both girls looking in top form. Nicol kept volleying while Jenny was slowing it down. Jenny was playing some good boasts with Nicol saving them one by one, lobbing the ball to the back each time. At 10-6, Nicol returned Jenny’s excellent volley nick with a nice drop shot to take the first game 11-6! The second game started off well for Jenny with a 4-point lead over Nicol at 6-2. Dressed in a trendy and chic grey Adidas dress, Nicol was seen puffing her cheeks, working hard to take points off her opponent. At 10-6, with game ball to Jenny, Nicol makes a stretch but misses it, and Jenny evens the score tally to 1-1. The third set started off with a stroke to Nicol as Jenny hit the ball back at herself. Many low backhand drives from Nicol and some long fantastic rallies put Nicol in an 8-5 lead. Nicol eventually takes the set 11-7, making it 2-1.

Jenny, looking for an opening.

Both ladies were doing lots of running around the court in the fourth set. There was some scrambling around the court by Nicol when she tripped over Jenny and accidentally hit the ball before she could ask for a let. The referees decided on a “no let” call. A dissatisfied Nicol tried to make her case but the point was given to Jenny and the score was leveled at 7-7. The game turned very similar to the point-for-point game between Nicol and Alison. Jenny finally won the game in extra points at 12-10.

Nicol, making her move.

Pressure was mounting on both players as they moved into the fifth game. Nicol sent some strong dead shots to the back of the court, taking a 3-0 lead. Jenny seemed to be making some errors on the tin and soon enough, Nicol was way ahead with a 9-3 lead. Jenny kept fighting and took Nicol to 5-10 but the game ended with a stroke in Nicol’s favour, making it six Malaysian Open titles in a row for the world champ! “Hard match again. Jenny just played some amazing shots that’s irretrievable. I just knew I had to work hard again. Just glad to win it! Now with my first win in Malaysia for the season, I hope to bring the momentum over to Singapore. Looking forward!”

Congratulations, to both Nicol and Jenny for a game well played!

Azlan Iskandar made it a double victory for Malaysian Squash as he won the Men's category against a feisty Tarek Momen of Egypt in straight sets—11/5, 11/6, 11/8 (37 minutes).

CIMB Malaysian Open 2010: Semi final highlights

Great crowd! Photo with thanks to GlennGuan of TheStar.

“…she went down fighting to the very last point…”

Jenny Duncalf bt. Raneem El Weleily 11/8, 11/5, 8/11, 12/10 (54 mins)

After dispatching two higher ranked players, Raneem seemed to be in good shape to pose a decent threat to Jenny Duncalf, seeded second in this tournament. Jenny started off strongly in the first two games while Raneem was trying to get her rhythm. Raneem made some nifty shots but hit a number of tins as well, giving away the first two games 8-11 and 5-11 respectively.

Raneem’s mental strength and determination took her through the third game with a 11-8 win. If there’s anything we’ve learned about this young lady is that she has an admirable “never say die” attitude. In the fourth set, Raneem pushed Jenny to extra points but Jenny held on to her game plan and worked her way to seal a place in the final with a 12-10 victory over the 21-year old Egyptian fighter.

Jenny now takes the head-to-head with Raneem to 4-0 but a strong point has certainly been made to the other players on the circuit of Raneem’s prowess.

A pleased Jenny said, “I had a great start in the fourth, no pressure at all, then she turned up the pace and it took me by surprise, really. I was very fortunate to put it away and I look forward to playing in my first final here in Malaysia. It has been a great tournament and a great crowd!”

“…and then the crowd went wild!”

Nicol David bt. Alison Waters 14/12, 12/10, 6/11, 11/7 (64 mins)

Photo with thanks to GlennGuan of TheStar.

The match between Nicol and Alison was expected to be an interesting one but it was a treat to the crowd when the first game itself was battled point-for-point. After trailing Alison for most of the game, Nicol was awarded a let at 10-10 but the end was not in sight yet. The scores were evened at 11-11, then 12-12 and Nicol went on to take the first game 14-12 with a tight forehand drive.

The second game looked pretty much like the first one. It was nailbiting to say the least! Alison played a tight game and Nicol was kept on her feet, retrieving every shot that came off Alison’s racquet. Once again, Nicol was trailing 7-10 and it seemed that the game would go Alison’s way. A determined Nicol took it one point at a time and went up 2-0 with a 12-10 win in the second game.

Fitness levels of both players were stretched today as the rallies were long and hard but both of them remained persistent and focused. This time around, Alison produced some amazing forehand winners and did not allow Nicol to play another game of cat and mouse, emerging as the winner in the third game at 11-6.

The scenario in the fourth game was slightly different—Nicol looking more focused and vicious, while Alison showed some signs of fatigue. At 9-7, Nicol led the game and was awarded a stroke when Alison hit the ball back at herself. It didn’t take too long from then for Nicol to wrap up the match at 11-7, to make a date with Jenny in the final tomorrow.

It was a game of high quality squash tonight between these two girls and definitely an entertaining one for the audience.

Nicol spoke to SquashStars after the match… “She just played a really good match—just solid squash. I was really trying to dig in deep to stay with her… really glad to pull it off to play in the finals tomorrow. It’s always good matches with Alison.”

Don’t forget to catch the final tomorrow at 4pm (GMT +8) for another thrilling match between the World Number 1 and 2!

CLICK HERE FOR THE LIVE BLOG. STARTS @ 3:00PM MALAYSIAN TIME

Tournament article archive:
• Cream of the Crop at Malaysian Open 2010
• The Online Contest — Make your Predictions!
• Highlights from Qualifiers, Round 1
• Highlights from the Qualifiers, Round 2
• Highlights from the Quarter Final
• Semi Final Live Blog
• Semi Final Highlights

Click to join in the conversation!

View full draw here.

Malaysian TV, Astro Arena will be airing the tournament live on Channel 801.

Click below to join in the conversation now!

View full draw here.

Malaysian TV, Astro Arena will be airing the tournament live on Channel 801.

CIMB Malaysian Open 2010: Quarter final highlights

Jenny proved too good for Malaysian rising star.

English Dominated Semi-Finals tomorrow. Can they be stopped?

It’s impressive how the English have dominated squash. With a total of 4 players in the main draw; 3 being the top seeds in the tournament—2 managed to fight their way up to the semi final of this tournament! It is safe to say that they are looking at hoarding a pile of medals in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, October this year. How many English girls did you predict would make it through to the semi final, here?

Jenny Duncalf bt. Low Wee Wern 11/5, 11/6, 11/3 (36 mins)
Jenny Duncalf stamped her mark of authority on court today. She definitely looked more comfortable on the court from the beginning of the match, leading 6-0 in the first set. The second set saw Wee Wern equalizing it at 5-5 but Jenny carried a good momentum right through the match. It’s definitely a great experience for Wee Wern being on the glass court and the quarter final of a tournament for the first time. Jenny faces, Raneem El Weleily, tomorrow.

Omneya, looking fitter but not playing her usual game.

Alison Waters bt. Omneya Abdel Kawy  11/4, 11/3, 3/11, 11/4 (38 mins)
Omneya seemed a little out of sorts today, possibly a little shaky from her 5-setter game yesterday—looking to find her rhythm in the first and second sets. Alison was consistent and was leading strongly throughout with Omneya making some unforced errors.

The third set saw a more familiar Omneya Abdel Kawy on court—taking charge from the first point to the last and sealing it with a beautiful backhand drop shot to the front corner. Then came the fourth set where Alison stepped up 2-notches. She was just too fast and it was already too late for Omneya as Alison took a strong lead at 6-3, dropping only 1 point before calling it a day at 11-4. A very convincing win, for Alison.

That's 2 in a week for Raneem, will Jenny be next?

Raneem’s at it again!

Raneem El Weleily bt. Laura Massaro  11/6, 7/11, 7/11, 11/4, 13/11 (51 mins)
The first surprise of the day came from Raneem El Weleily who performed superbly against a higher seeded, Laura Massaro. Despite Laura’s best efforts in the 2nd and 3rd sets, the fourth set saw Raneem racing ahead and winning it with a breathtaking dropshot to the front. The fifth game was a nail biter where Raneem seemed to be taking more risks and playing winning shots every chance she got. At 5-5, Laura made a costly mistake which allowed Raneem to lead ahead, 8-5 before she fought back. At 11-11, Raneem was scrambling up and down the court—winning rallies and finishing the game at 13-11 as Laura hit the last point into the tin. It was a wonderful game of squash, where the better player came out on top.

A jubilated Raneem spoke personally to SquashStars later, “I’m really happy to have won today. It’s my first time to make it to the semis in a big tournament. I’ve played Laura 3 times this year. Two of it was 3-2, very close. This was a tough match even mentally. Once you get to the point of winning you start thinking if you’re going to win, and lose focus, then you have to reboot all over again. Really close today but I made it.”

Congratulations, Raneem!

The Flexible French: Camille awed the crowd with her long reach.

Nicol for the home stretch

Nicol David bt. Camille Serme  11/4, 11/4, 11/8 (29m)
The last game of the day started at 9.20pm with Nicol literally stretching the new WISPA top 10 entrant—Camille Serme—to the hilt. The first set saw Nicol taking an early lead with relentless assaults while Camille tried to find her rhythm. Camille then led the second set with a fantastic (and long) rally, taking a short lead at 3-4 when Nicol tinned it. However, an undeterred Nicol, picked it up without dropping anymore points to finish it at 11/4…again!

The third set saw a very determined Camille leading the scoreboard with some of those wonderful long lunges of hers. It was quite an even play, up till 6-6 when Nicol took charge to finish the game. A very happy Nicol commented, “Was fired up to play on the glass court and felt focussed throughout the match. It’s her first time playing the quarters in Malaysia and I knew she’d go for it if she had a chance. Glad to win it in 3 games, but it wasn’t easy.”

No it wasn’t, Nicol—but the challenge from Camille really showcased some beautiful squash to complete the quarter final! Till tomorrow—await our LIVE BLOG!

Malaysian TV, Astro Arena will be airing the tournament live on Channel 801.

CIMB Malaysian Open 2010: Round 1 Highlights

The junior faces of women’s squash are definitely rising up to the challenge this Malaysian Open. If you have participated in our Online Contest—predicting the outcome of this tournament, you would be kicking yourself now due to some shocking defeats witnessed here this afternoon at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil. Click here for a full view of the draw.

Wee Wern delivered the first shock of the day!

Shock #1: Low Wee Wern bt Natalie Grainger  9/11, 11/8, 11/7, 12/14, 11/7 (52 mins)
Round 1 started off with an upset by local talent Low Wee Wern who tamed former World No.1, Natalie Grainger in 5 games to progress to the quarter final of the tournament. Kudos to Wee Wern for a match well played—a little unfortunate for Natalie who is trying to make a comeback after a long hiatus plagued with injuries. A very ecstatic Wee Wern, spoke to SquashStars.com after her match, “Just really happy with the result because I didn’t really expect to win. I knew I had a chance, but didn’t really expect myself to win it. I will be playing Jenny Duncalf tomorrow—lost to her in the HK Open last year 3-0, but I’m playing well now so I will give my best and see what happens!”

Raneem's first victory over former World No. 1, Rachael Grinham.

Shock #2: Raneem El Weleily bt. Rachael Grinham  12/10, 14/16, 11/9, 12/10 (49 mins)
Raneem created the second major upset in the women’s draw as she sent squash veteran, Rachael Grinham packing. The Egyptian had to endure three games with extra points against a more seasoned Rachael but did well to progress with a 3-1 win. “I’ve never beaten Rachael before. Played her six to seven times. We always have close matches. She has great technique. Usually I get frustrated after the first few games. This time round, I tried to change that and tried not to get stuck in her pace. Glad it worked out and happy to win it!” Raneem meets Laura Massaro in the next round—let’s hope she has a strategy to work Laura too!

Camille going for the shot!

Shock #3: Camille Serme bt Madeline Perry 11/2, 5/11, 11/6, 11/5 (44 mins)
The third and final upset of the day was pulled off by Frenchwoman Camille Serme as she eliminated higher seed Madeline Perry with a 3-1 victory.  The first game was fully controlled by Camille with Madeline struggling to get her footing right. However, Madeline came back strong to take the second game. Camille’s long-reaching stretches proved too good as she took the 3^rd and 4^th games.

And then, there were some close calls:

Laura and Dipika, both fighting for every ball.

Laura Massaro bt Dipika Pallikal 9/11, 11/9, 9/11, 11/8, 11/9 (61 mins)
Laura was challenged by the upcoming Indian junior with a close scoreline in all 5 games—making this the longest match for Round 1. Laura’s calm demeanor served as a stark contrast against young Dipika’s mounting frustration on court. India’s rising star played well to make it this far and is definitely the player to watch in future professional circuits. Ironically, this is Laura’s first tournament after her ankle injury earlier this year against Jenny Duncalf in the KL Open quarter final round. She is now scheduled to meet another up and coming squash talent, Raneem El Weleily in the next round.

Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Kasey Brown 8/11, 11/8, 7/11, 11/9, 11/3 (55 mins)
This game was a close battle between the world number 6 and 9—the match was pretty even over 5 games with Omneya finishing on top. Sweet victory indeed for Omneya as she lost in the same round, at the same tournament last year to Kasey Brown with a 3-0 scoreline!

Alison Waters bt Tania Bailey 10/12, 11/5, 12/10, 11/6 (50 mins)
Alison took the lead in this great English battle against the Captain of the English Women’s Team with a 3-1 victory. “The last time I played Tania… has been a while now, probably 2 years ago here in Malaysia and it was a 3-2 and Tania won it. It (This) was a tight match. Two of the games were 12-10, she got tired at the end which was good for me. Been having a good couple of months off… has been good. Glad to be back on court, really.”

Business as usual:

Jenny Duncalf bt Jaclyn Hawkes 11/6, 11/3, 11/6 (30 mins)
This match went according to seeding with Jenny having a seemingly good match over Jaclyn with a 3-0 win. Jenny is looking very dangerous and in good shape—and is predicted to make her way to the final showdown. But first, she has to overcome a very confident, Low Wee Wern tomorrow.

Nicol David: The Smiling Assassin

Nicol David bt Joelle King 11/7, 11/5, 11/4 (31 mins)
Nicol’s speed was definitely put to test today as Joelle moved the ball well all around the court, making Nicol work hard for her points. The first game started off pretty evenly with Nicol doing most of the running but by midway, Nicol was hitting well and pulled away.

The next two matches saw many tins from the Kiwi. Shortly into the second game, Joelle’s left ankle seemed to have given way as she dropped to the ground briefly. She was up on her feet soon enough and continued play but Nicol upped her level to make quick work of Joelle in 31 minutes. Satisfied with her own performance, Nicol commented, “Was well eager to play today especially not playing tournaments the last 2 months. Playing Joelle for the first time was new to me. First game, we had some close, hard rallies­—the other two games, I worked hard to keep the ball moving and felt better on the ball. Very happy with this first round match.”

Submit the most accurate entry and win the new Prince EXO3 Rebel Racquet.
Submissions no later than July 21st, 2010, 3:59PM Malaysian time!

Are you Rebel enough?

July 21st, 2010

So far 6 out of the 10 questions have been answered after Round 1 today! They are:

How many 3-0 in the Quarter final: 2
Madeline Perry vs Camiller Serme: Camille Serme 3-1
Low Wee Wern vs Natalie Grainger: Low Wee Wern 3-2
Tania Bailey vs Alison Waters: Alison Waters
How many seeded players will continue to the quarter finals? 5
Who will go further in this tournament, Alison or Rachael: Alison