WISPA welcomes the addition of three new Board members to its team as it moves into an exciting new phase.

Familiar faces on squash’s women’s professional tour, Ireland’s Aisling Blake, England’s Emma Beddoes and Australia’s Melody Francis were all voted onto the Board by the players at the WISPA AGM in Rotterdam.

Beddoes commented, “Having already helped WISPA in a number of unofficial roles in the past, I feel like I’d now like to use this experience in an official capacity on our board. I understand how tough it can be to raise sponsorship for events and to secure media coverage in a competitive market place but more than that I’m incredibly passionate about growing our game and really want to help make a difference in women’s squash.”

Blake was equally enthusiastic about her election, “For some time now I have thought about becoming part of the WISPA Board, as I feel I could add value to the current Board as voice acting on behalf of all players’ best interests. WISPA is approaching an exciting new era: a change to our name, a rebranding of our image, new tournaments to add to the calendar and growing prize money. I feel very proud of WISPA and our Tour and with that in mind I look forward to the opportunity to add what I can to the WISPA Board.”

Francis added, “After some years’ experience with the WISPA Tour, I feel I am fully equipped with a comprehensive understanding of the players’ needs and desires and can balance those with the demands placed on an international professional tour. I also feel that a continued focus on the development of our younger players and the expansion of the WISPA Tour is imperative. Since Squash Australia’s heightened commitment to the development of WISPA tournaments in Australia, I believe it is important to have a board member in Australia to ensure that WISPA’s presence is heightened in the region. The continued commitment and further expansion of the tour in Australia and its surrounding area needs to be secured and being able to personally interact with a board member would undoubtedly stabilise the process.”

The three players will join current Board members, Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer, Peter Goodman, Anthony Lee, new President Jaclyn Hawkes and Jenny Denyer (Tranfield), who stays co-opted.  Hawkes took over as Acting President following Natalie Grainger’s decision to step down earlier this year. Jaclyn was unchallenged in her election as President and has already shown great leadership qualities and insight.

Line Hansen decided to step down from the Board after serving for two years, as did Suzie Pierrepont. However, Suzie has been co-opted onto the Board because her position in the US is vital to WISPA’s efforts to further enhance the Tour in North America.

REPORTED BY STEVE CUBS |

The Hong Kong youngster, far from being overawed by her opponent or the occasion, really made a game of the second which she lost narrowly, then fired in a series of winning shots at the end of the third to pull a game back. She continued to impress in the fourth, and at 9-8 had an opportunity of the sort she’d been making, but tinned it.
Duncalf needed no second invite as she finished the match off, a match that ended up tougher than she, or anyone else, might have imagined.
 
Coach Rebecca Chiu was pleased with her protege’s performance: “I thought she would be more nervous and make more mistakes than she did,” admitted Chiu, “but she played really well and was hitting some very good winners, and she had a chance to take it to five games.”
    
Duncalf’s next opponent is Malaysian Low Wee Wern who also faced a qualifier in New Zealand’s Kylie Lindsay. The rallies were well contested, mainly at the back of the court, but the Malaysian always had the edge, winning 11/4, 11/4, 11/7.
 
Camille Serme looked determined not to let her young Hong Kong opponent Liu Tsz Ling get a sniff of an upset, moving on with a 11/3, 11/3, 11/1 scoreline.
 
An upset – on paper, not necessarily on current form – came about in the following match as Emma Beddoes won her all-English match with 14th seed Sarah Kippax.
 
“It’s always weird when you play another English player,” commented the winner, “the crowd are very quiet, I don’t think anyone applauded anything for the first two games!”
 
Beddoes took those two 11/6, 11/6 but Kippax stormed back with 11/2 in the third. “She came out hitting winners, which I wasn’t expecting,” said Beddoes, “but I was pleased with how I regrouped to take the fourth.
 
“I’m very pleased, of course, I’ve been playing well and that’s my first ever win over Sarah after playing her a lot over the years, so it’s nice to do it in a big event like this. It’s the last tournament of the year for most of us so the further we can go the better.”
 
The shortest match of the day saw in-form Egyptian Raneem El Weleily breeze past German qualifier Sina Wall 11/6, 11/4, 11/7 in just 17 minutes, while her prospective opponent Madeline Perry needed just over an hour to see off the challenge of another in-form youngster, Dipika Pallikal.
 
The Indian number one had chances of a two-nil lead until a few errors at the end of the second let the fourth seed back in, but it remained an even contest until the death, the Irishwoman eventually winning 5/11, 11/8, 12/10, 5/11, 11/7.
 
“She was firing in winners from everywhere at the start,” said a relieved Perry, “I was expecting the ball to come back to me but it just didn’t. It was all pretty quickfire stuff, not many long rallies until the end, but it was always going to be close as she’s been playing very well.
 
“I felt that if I could stick in I would get some errors from her, which I did, but the fourth was poor from me, the fifth was good though – it was a good match to get me used to the court!”
 
Where Lee Ka Yi had earlier delighted without being a realistic prospect for the second round, the Hong Kong crowd expected Joey Chan to progress and she duly delivered, repeating her Macau Open final victory just days ago, beating Aisling Blake again 11/6, 11/8, 11/6 to join Annie Au in round two.
 
“I was confident going into the match,” said Joey, “having already beaten her in Macau and playing on my home courts this time. I tried to stay calm and keep patient, but I felt she was tiring towards the end of the second so I started to attack more.
 
“I’m really happy to get through to the second round for the first time.”

Women’s Round One (bottom):
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt [Q] Lee Ka Yi (Hkg) 11/4, 11/9, 8/11, 11/9 (34m)
[13] Low Wee Wern (Mas) bt [Q] Kylie Lindsay (Nzl) 11/4, 11/4, 11/7 (29m)
[7] Camille Serme (Fra) bt Liu Tsz Ling (Hkg) 11/3, 11/3, 11/1 (23m)
Emma Beddoes (Eng) bt [14] Sarah Kippax (Eng) 11/6, 11/6, 2/11, 11/5 (43m)
[10] Raneem El Weleily (Egy) bt [Q] Sina Wall (Ger) 11/6, 11/4, 11/3 (17m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt Dipika Pallikal (Ind) 5/11, 11/8, 12/10, 5/11, 11/7 (61m)
[15] Joey Chan (Hkg) bt Aisling Blake (Irl) 11/6, 11/8, 11/6 (42m)
[6] Kasey Brown (Aus) bt Melody Francis (Aus) 11/5, 11/6, 11/7 (30m)

Full reports, quotes and photos on TODAY in Hong Kong: www.squashsite.co.uk/hk/today.htm

Ahn Eun Chan won her second WISPA title at the inaugural Indian Summer event in Minneapolis/St Paul. The Korean number one came from a game down in her quarter final against Celia Allamargot and prevailed in an epic semi final, 14-12 in the fifth, over Scotland’s Alex Clark

Her opponent in the final, Zephanie Curgenven, had never been beyond the 1st round of a tour event but the former England Junior international had shown signs of great improvement recently after rediscovering her passion for the game a few years ago. Curgenven beat Genevieve Lessard of Canada in the 1st round 3-1 and then stunned top seed Milou Van Der Heijden 11-7 in the fifth in the quarter finals. A few weeks ago Curgenven lost in the 1st round of the Santiago Open to Alexandra Norman 3-1, this time though she was in dominant form and eased past the Canadian 3-0.

The final was a fitting climax and neither player showed signs of the efforts from their previous tough matches. Chan in the end just had a bit more in the tank and took the match 11-6 in the decider.

It was Chan’s second title of the year and fourth final in 2011, a place in the top 50 looks imminent.

Final: [4] Ahn Eun Chan (KOR) bt Zephanie Curgenven (ENG) 10-12 11-8 11-6 10-12 11-6 (46m)

Macau Open 10th to 13th November, $16000

Joey Chan won her first title of the year with a straight game victory over Aisling Blake in the final of the Macau Open, back on the calendar after a two year break.

The Hong Kong number two has been on the brink of breaking through to the top twenty for the past year and she seems to have found a new level at the right time.

Chan was untroubled in her first round and quarter final matches but had to fight for over 70 minutes in her semi final against Malaysia’s Delia Arnold. Chan eventually prevailed 11-5 in the fifth against a player ranked one place above her in the latest rankings.

On the other side of the draw, Ireland’s Aisling Blake caused two upsets on the way to her first final since May 2010. In the quarter finals she beat fourth seed Line Hansen in four games and then knocked out top seed Jaclyn Hawkes in straight games.

Although the final was in straight games, the match could have gone either way with nothing separating the players for most of the encounter. Chan won the crucial points near the end of all three games to clinch the fourth title of her career.

Blake will have her chance for revenge in the first round of the Hong Kong Open where she will play home favourite Chan. [Editor's latest update: Joey beat Aisling again in Round 1 of HKG Open! 11/6, 11/8, 11/6 (42m)]

Final: [2] Joey Chan (HKG) bt [5] Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-8 11-9 11-9 (38m)

Caboolture Open 11th to 13th November, $4000

New Zealand’s Megan Craig won her first WISPA title at the Caboolture Open beating second seed Maggy Marshall in the final.

The 18 year old from Blenheim has been in good form this year, reaching the last 16 of Women’s Junior Worlds and reaching two WISPA finals.

Craig upset sixth seed Christine Nunn in the second round and then recovered from two games down to edge top seed Sarah Cardwell 11-9 in the fifth in the quarter finals. Craig again found herself down in the semi final, this time against fourth seed Tamika Saxby, but she won a two tie breaks in the second and third games to ease away to victory in the fourth.

On the opposite side of the draw second seed Maggy Marshall was also having a tough time of it, making it to the final the hard way. She recovered from two games down in the second round to beat Aimee Slatter and then saved match balls in the quarter finals to beat Jessica Turnball in an epic 13-11 in the fifth. Her semi final opponent was a former top 30 player in Melissa Martin, making a welcome return to action. Martin hadn’t dropped a game in her first three matches and gave Marshall all sorts of problems. The second seed however prevailed in four games.

The final saw Marshall start strongly and take the opener, both players hungry for their first tour title. It seemed the previous matches had taken their toll on Marshall though as Craig began to take control of the match and eased through the next two games before holding off a late surge from Marshall in the fourth.

Watch out for Megan Craig in 2012, she could be one to watch.

Final: [10] Megan Craig (NZL) bt [2] Maggy Marshall (AUS) 9-11 11-4 11-1 11-8 (34m)

REPORT BY STEVE CUBS |

Selby was also satisfied: “I thought I did alright, considering the matches I’ve had so far this week. Rachael’s not the easiest to play when you have heavy legs, she holds the ball so well and you have to stop and start and turn so often. But I’m pleased with my tournament, I thought I did credit to myself and I got my laundry done!!”

Teran was happy too: “I’m happy to get started, and to have a tough game to get me ready for the next round, Tesni played well. It’s normally hard to adjust after the travel from Mexico, but I’ve been here a couple of days already and I feel quite comfortable, I’m in good rhythm and playing well.

There was a huge upset in the second batch of women’s matches as teenage Egyptian qualifier Kanzy El Dafrawy ousted eighth-seeded compatriot Omneya Abdel Kawy in three delicately poised games, 12/10, 11/9, 12/10.

“I can’t believe it,” said a delighted Kanzy, “I’ve never even taken a game off her before. But I was playing well, even if she isn’t at her best at the moment, but when I was 10/6 down in the third I told myself I mustn’t let an opportunity like this slip.”

Another upset followed when Dipika Pallikal, who has just moved into the world’s top twenty, took out 14th-seeded Kiwi Jaclyn Hawkes in four games.

“I started well then made too many errors in the second,” said the Indian number one. “In the third and fourth I was trying to be more steady and I thought I did that well. I played Jackie in Malaysia in July so I knew what to expect, you have to be prepared to run and run like she does. “Really happy to get through, it should be a good game against Kanzy …”

There were no further upsets in the afternoon session women’s matches, as Jenny Duncalf, Annie Au, Laura Massaro and Joelle King all progressed never looking in serious danger. King found Swiss qualifier Gaby Huber a bit of a handful: “I’d never really seen her play, so it came as a bit of a surprise to find she hits the ball as hard as I do, which I’m not really used to,” admitted the Kiwi commonwealth gold medallist, who won 11/7, 11/6, 11/6. “It’s good to get started though and I’m very happy to win that one three-nil.” King now meets second seed Duncalf, who had just as tough a time of it against Line Hansen, coming through 11/9, 12/10, 11/7 in just over half an hour.

Meanwhile Duncalf’s English team-mate Massaro managed to quell the lively young Egyptian Yathreb Adel 11/9, 11/7, 11/6 and she’ll meet Annie Au, who won her all-Hong Kong match with Joey Chan in four games. “We play each other so often, it feels strange to come all the way over here just to play each other again,” chuckled Au.
 
The ladies got their first outing on Victoria’s showcourt as locals Orla Noom and Natalie Grinham started their campaigns. Noom, who won the qualifying competition for the wilcard spot, performed well enough but Australia’s Kasey Brown was a tough opponent, and the sixth seed came through in straight games despite Noom’s best efforts and a noisy partisan crowd.”It’s never easy playing the crowd’s home favourite,” admitted Brown, “and they were definitely against me and pretty loud too, but I thought I coped with it well and played pretty well too.”

The following match, featuring four-time finalist Grinham against her qualifier training partner Aisling Blake, was one the crowd had altogether different expectations of, and they weren’t disappointed as the former Aussie who has just returned to the world’s top ten came through in straight games in front of her watching husband and son.

Two contrasting women’s matches followed. France’s seventh seed Camille Serme, having lost to one young Egyptian (El Weleily) in Qatar was in no mood to lose to another today as she took a close first game against Nour El Tayeb, doubled her lead with more ease in the second and gratefully accepted the world junior champion’s retirement with an ankle injury at 2/1 in the third.

Fourth seed Madeline Perry went two games up as well, but her opponent, Emma Beddoes, far from conceding stormed back to take the next two games. It was fairly comfortable for the Northern Irishwoman in the decider, who after an tough hour long match will be grateful for a day’s rest before she takes on Natalie Grinham at the Luxor Theatre on Thursday.

Low Wee Wern had to work hard to secure a three-nil win over US veteran Latasha Khan, while five-time and defending champion Nicol David started off her defence on an outside court against compatriot Delia Arnold. “Delia was struggling with the bounce on the court,” said Nicol after her 11/3, 11/5, 11/6 win, “but I was too to start with, it took a little time to get comfortable on there. I had to remind myself it was the first round of the World Open and not let her get into it, she can be very dangerous if she does.”

That left Donna Urquhart and Nour El Sherbini, who were by now into their fifth game too, Sherbini having taken the lead 2/1 after saving game balls in what proved to be a crucial third game. The fifth was a relative canter, the young Egyptian finally able to celebrate her 16th birthday with an 11/2 decider.

Full reports with quotes and photos available on TODAY on the World Open site here!

Yathreb Adel (Egy) bt Samantha Cornett (Can) 11/6, 8/11, 12/10, 11/8 (46m)
Victoria Lust (Eng) bt Salma Hany (Egy)  11/1, 11/5, 12/10 (30m)
Tesni Evans (Wal) bt Sina Wall (Ger) 9/11, 11/4, 9/11, 11/4, 11/7 (54m)
Heba El Torky (Egy) bt Thaisa Serafini (Bra) 11/9, 11/6, 11/9 (18m)
Siyoli Waters (Rsa) bt Milou Van Der Heijden (Ned)  4/11, 11/4, 12/10, 11/8 (42m)
Kanzy El Dafrawy (Egy) bt Birgit Coufal (Aut) 11/8, 11/9, 0/11, 13/11 (42m)
Lauren Briggs (Eng) bt Sally Skaarenborg (Den) 11/7, 11/4, 11/2 (20m)
Latasha Khan (Usa) bt Coline Aumard (Fra) 9/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/4 (38m)

REPORT BY STEVE CUBS | After a first day of three-nil victories all round, the women’s qualifying competition was anything but dull today…

The men’s matches started with disappointment for the Scots, but there was better news in the women’s qualifying as Lisa Aitken beat seeded Canadian Alexandra Norman 3/0 to progress to a final against Ireland’s Aisling Blake. Gaby Huber and Olga Ertlova also progressed in straight games, but then the drama started in the women’s matches.

England’s Lauren Selby also upset the seedings, coming from 2-1 down in a bruising encounter to beat Lucie Fialova 11/9 in the fifth after 91 minutes, the Czech finishing the match sprawled on the floor after hitting the ball back into the middle for an obvious stroke with Selby moving in to prove she could play the ball.

“It’s just down to focus and determination when you get stuck in a match like that,” said a relieved Lauren. “I can’t say I enjoyed it, but I managed to keep my head at the crucial stages at the end.”

Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini also finished her match on two strokes, and how she needed them after England’s Sarah Jane-Perry recovered from 2-0 down to reach 10-9 match ball in the fifth only to have her string break at that crucial moment.

“I gave her too much respect in the first two,” admitted Perry, “and I hit too many tins too! After that it was much better, but match ball wasn’t a good time for my strings to go, and after that I hit the corner of the front wall twice in a row for strokes. Next time, next time…”

Maud Duplomb, who lost a nailbiting qualifying final in Qatar last week, added to the upsets as she beat Italy’s Manuela Manetta in four, while Kylie Lindsay‘s straight-game win over Leonie Holt was tough, but thankfully lacking the drama of the preceding matches.

There was mixed success for the all-conquering Egyptians as the evening session got under way, with a comfortable wen for Heba El Torky, a less straightforward one for 15-year-old Yathreb Adel over Canada’s PanAm Games heroine Sam Cornett, and a straight-games defeat for Salma Hany at the hands of England’s Vicky Lust.

Germany’s Sina Wall and Welsh tigress Tesni Evans had never met before, despite “seeing each other at countless junior events”. Wall twice took the lead, but Evans fought back, established a lead in the decider and took the match against a tiring German number one in just under an hour.

“Too long,” said Tesni, not exactly a picture of freshness herself, “I knew it was going to be tough and it’s never easy when you’re always behind, but I’m really pleased to be able to come back and win that.”

The last Dutch interest in the qualifying competitions came to an end when Siyoli Waters came from a game down to beat Milou Van Der Heijden before a partisan home crowd.

“Milou made it hard for me, but I also made it difficult for myself,” admitted the South African, “I made a few errors trying to create something out of nothing and lost some good leads.

“You put more pressure on yourself to win when it’s a big event like this, so I’m just aiming to play good squash in my next match and not worry about the score, the opponent or the crowd.”

That next opponent will be Kanzy El Dafrawy who boosted the already impressive Egyptian tally with a 3/1 win over yesterday’s quickest winner Birgit Coufal, although Kanzy needed to refocus after dropping the third game 11/0, which she did to take the fourth 13/11.

The final pair of matches saw two of the more experienced World Open campaigners set up a meeting in the qualifying final. Latasha Khan, making her 12th appearance in the event, came from a game down to beat Coline Aumard while Lauren Briggs, in her seventh World Open, ended the hopes of Sally Skaarenburg. They’ve both been as high as 18 in the world, but one of them will miss out tomorrow…

Monday sees the conclusion of the men’s first round, bottom half, and the women’s qualifying finals.

Full reports with quotes and photos available on TODAY on the World Open site here!

The pair had previously met in July’s Women’s Junior World’s Final in Boston, where Tayeb won the final in 4 games; this time however it was Sherbini who emerged victorious in 4 games.

The 15 year old had not played a WISPA event all year due to a serious knee operation and it was remarkable in itself that she managed to return at the World Junior’s in July and make the final!

Sherbini started strongly in the first round beating Salma Hany in straight games. There were also straight game wins for Tayeb over Emily Whitlock, 2nd seed Aisling Blake over Nouran Ahmed Gohar and 3rd seed Line Hansen over German no.1 Sina Wall. The last seed to make it through to the quarter finals was Kanzy El Dafrawy. The 6th seed survived a marathon match, beating compatriot Farah Abdel Meguid 11/9 in the 5th.

The remaining 3 matches all featured upsets. Lauren Briggs eased passed 7th seed Lucie Fialova. Nouran El Torky won a tight opener against 8th seed Gaby Huber before coming through in straight games. Nouran’s elder sister, Heba El Torky wasn’t so fortunate. The 4th seed was stunned in 4 games by 15 year old Yathreb Adel.

Sherbini continued to perform strongly in the quarter finals. The first 2 games were close with Blake but the 2nd seed couldn’t live with the pace of Sherbini in the third and her resistance faded. Top seed Tayeb had to come through a battle to reach the semi finals. She found herself 2-1 down against Briggs, a former top 20 player, but managed to come through in the 5th after some incredibly long and hard fought rallies. The last two quarter finals were won in straight games but both could have gone either way. Hansen had to win 3 tie breaks to beat Nouran El Torky while El Dafrawy had to save game balls in both the 1st and 3rd games against Adel.

Tayeb had the easier time of it in her semi final. After her tough previous round match Tayeb had too much variety for Hansen and won comfortably in straight games. It was Sherbini and Dafrawy’s first meeting on the WISPA tour and there was nothing between them in the first 3 games, but it was Sherbini who found herself 2-1 up. As she did against Blake, Sherbini increased the pace in the 4th and she broke away to move into the final.

The final between the World’s two top juniors was set and their previous records against each other meant that the match could go either way. This time thought it was Sherbini who had the upper hand. Despite Tayeb taking the 3rd game, Sherbini was in control for the most part of the match and managed to gain revenge for her World Junior final defeat by Tayeb.

It is a welcome return to the tour for Sherbini, who will no doubt move up the rankings in the next few months.

Final:
[5] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [1] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 11/5 11/8 7/11 11/7

Semi Finals:
[1] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [3] Line Hansen (DEN) 11/8 11/5 11/6
[5] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [6] Kanzy El Dafrawy (EGY) 11/8 7/11 11/9 11/3

Quarter Finals:
[1] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Lauren Briggs (ENG) 12/10 7/11 7/11 11/5 11/5
[3] Line Hansen (DEN) bt Nouran El Torky (EGY) 13/11 13/11 12/10
[6] Kanzy El Dafrawy (EGY) bt [Q] Yathreb Adel (EGY) 12/10 11/7 15/13
[5] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [2] Aisling Blake (IRL) 11/8 11/8 11/3

1st Round:
[1] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Emily Whitlock (ENG) 11/5 11/8 11/8
Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [7] Lucie Fialova (CZE) 11/5 11/5 11/5
[3] Line Hansen (DEN) bt Sina Wall (GER) 11/8 11/8 11/7
Nouran El Torky (EGY) bt [8] Gaby Huber (SWI) 16/14 11/6 11/6
[6] Kanzy El Dafrawy (EGY) bt [Q] Farah Abdel Meguid (EGY) 9/11 11/7 11/2 9/11 11/9
[Q] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt [4] Heba El Torky (EGY) 11/4 7/11 11/6 11/7
[5] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [Q] Salma Hany (EGY) 11/2 11/6 11/8
[2] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [Q] Nouran Ahmed Gohar (EGY) 11/9 11/6 11/9

Joelle moves on with ease.

Being the top seed among the qualifiers, Joelle’s match was straight forward with a 3-setter win against Malaysian junior Pushppa Devi. Joelle’s drop shots were flawless and she outclassed the young wallbasher. Joelle however, humble in victory, commended Pushppa on her performance and on her potential to become a better squash player.

Samantha Teran (MEX) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 10/12, 11/2, 11/4, 11/3 (36m)

Line vs Sam

The first set was close with Line playing some good shots while Sam kept it going. In the next few games, Sam took control by stepping up her game, leaving Line frustrated with unforced errors.

There was more than just a squash ball flying around the court in this match. Line’s temperament got the worse of her and we witnessed a flying racquet at some point. Sam stayed focused and kept a good pace, one that Line couldn’t keep up with. Sam now faces Joelle in what is expected to be a tough battle.

Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Zulhijjah Azan (MAS) 9/11, 11/6, 11/7, 11/5 (30m)

Zulhijjah vs Sarah

Zulhijjah did well to take a set off the very experienced Sarah Kippax. Quickly recovering from shock, Sarah stepped up her game as Zulhijjah went down fighting in four sets. Sarah now faces teammate Emma Beddoes for a place in the main draw.

Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) 11/5, 11/6, 11/6 (25m)
In a rare appearance in Malaysia, Emma Beddoes seems to have acclimatized well as she took on Delia’s little sister Rachel in straight sets. All three games were close but Emma managed to pull away from midway to seal victory.

Joey Chan (HKG) bt Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 9/11, 11/2, 9/11, 11/6, 11/3 (41m)
The Hong Kong No. 2, Joey Chan, came into the game with confidence and displayed quality squash with a high level of accuracy in her drop shots. Lisa tried to come back many times in the game but unforced errors on her part left the Australian at the losing end of this 5-setter.

Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) 11/8, 11/3, 11/6 (33m)

Dipika wins in straight sets.

In the absence of teammate Joshna Chinappa, Dipika ensured that Indian interests are kept intact as she swept aside Siti Munirah to advance to the qualifying finals. Having met numerous times on the junior circuit, Dipika said it was good to meet Siti at the senior level. Having trained over the ast few months with squash legend Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Dipika is looking forward to see the seeds of her training bear fruit this season.

Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt Aisling Blake 12/10, 8/11, 12/10, 7/11, 11/7 (78m)

Jaclyn beat Aisling in a 78-minute marathon match.

On paper, one would have thought that Jaclyn would run away with this game but boy, was she proven wrong! A fit looking Aisling was not prepared to give this up until the very end. A very close match indeed with the Kiwi prevailing in a marathon 5-setter.

Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 11/6, 11/4, 11/7 (36m)

Wee Wern keeps home hopes alive.

Wee Wern kept home hopes alive by being the only Malaysian in the qualifiers to stay in the running to the main draw. Looking in good form, the Malaysian No. 2 forged ahead with ease with a straight set victory over American veteran, Latasha Khan.

Head down to the National Squash Centre, Bukit Jalil today for more exciting matches!

French star Camille Serme collected her sixth WISPA title on home turf this week at the Silver 20 WISPA des Pyramides tournament in Le Port Marly.

The popular stop on the tour, which is just on the outskirts of Paris, saw some incredibly high level of squash all week and the fans were treated to some great matches. The main draw featured sixteen players from eleven different nations, a real international flavour to the tournament.

Serme, 22, was making her return after being a semi finalist back in 2009. She had the pressure of the home fans on her but she started the tournament well, easing past Canadian qualifier Stephanie Edmison. The rest of the top eight seeds all made it through to the quarters without too many problems, although it took Line Hansen over seventy minutes to see off local girl Coline Aumard, recovering from 2-1 down.

Onto the quarter finals and Serme continued to delight the home fans by dispatching Lucie Fialova without any problems. Former champion and number two seed Natalie Grinham ran past Hansen in straight games and this was closely followed by Indian number one Dipika Pallikal who dismantled Tenille Swartz. However, Aisling Blake couldn’t complete the semi final line for the top seeds as she was upset by Joshna Chinappa in four closely fought games.

The semi finals showcased two matches with contrasting styles in both. Serme and Grinham, with their athletic and solid games up against Indian stars Pallikal and Chinappa, two of the best attackers in the game. It was the consistency and retrieving of the top two seeds that won out in both matches with Serme and Grinham both coming through in straight games to set up a mouth watering final.

Grinham, the former world number two , was making her 34th showing in a tour final and a second appearance in a final in two weeks after losing out to Samantha Teran in Mexico last week. Serme was featuring in her first final since losing out at home to Nour El Tayeb in the Open International Feminin de Creteil in February 2010. Their head to heads were tied at one each, although Serme’s victory came as the result of a walkover.

Serme started the final superbly controlling the first two games. Grinham hit back to steal the third. The pressure was on the home player now as the fourth game became very tight, in the end though she held her nerve and closed the match out 11-9 in one hour of gruelling squash. For Grinham it was a second final loss to the home favourite in consecutive tournaments. For Serme it was sweet revenge as she lost out in the semi final here two years ago to Grinham. It was also her first title in over two years.

A wonderful tournament in it’s fifth addition. I am sure we will see it back next year, even bigger than before!

Final:
[1] C Serme (FRA) bt [2] N Grinham (NED) 11-4 11-4 6-11 11-9 (60m)

Semi Final:
[1] C Serme (FRA) bt [3] D Pallikal (IND) 11-6 11-4 11-9 (42m)
[2] N Grinham (NED) bt [6] J Chinappa (IND) 12-10 11-4 11-2 (29m)

Quarter Final:
[1] C Serme (FRA) bt [7] L Fialova (CZE) 11-2 11-2 11-8 (27m)
[3] D Pallikal (IND) bt [8] T Swartz (RSA) 11-9 11-3 11-9 (18m)
[6] J Chinappa (IND) bt [4] A Blake (IRL) 11-9 11-7 9-11 11-3 (47m)
[2] N Grinham (NED) bt [5] L Hansen (DEN) 11-9 11-7 11-8 (30m)

1st Round:
[1] C Serme (FRA) bt [Q] S Edmison (CAN) 11-8 11-4 11-3 (28m)
[7] L Fialova (CZE) bt S Wall (GER) 13-11 2-11 11-7 11-6 (37m)
[3] D Pallikal (IND) bt D Lloyd-Water (ENG) 11-2 15-13 11-2 (45m)
[8] T Swartz (RSA) bt [Q] L Eriksen (NOR) 11-3 11-0 11-2 (20m)
[6] J Chinappa (IND) bt E Whitlock (ENG) 4-11 11-4 11-5 11-8 (41m)
[4] A Blake (IRL) bt [Q] C Allamargot (FRA) 11-9 11-4 11-8 (33m)
[5] L Hansen (DEN) bt [Q] C Aumard (FRA) 11-9 8-11 11-13 11-9 11-5 (74m)
[2] N Grinham (NED) bt A Weir-Nunan (RSA) 11-6 11-4 11-3 (19m)

The promo video:

Sam wins her biggest title!

Samantha Teran won her 13^th and biggest career title this week at the Silver 20 Boca Del Rio International in Veracruz, Mexico, a brand new stop on the tour.

Teran, the 30 year old from Mexico City, delighted the home fans and tournament sponsors when she staged a magnificent comeback to outlast top seed Natalie Grinham in the final.

The main draw had a real international flavour, with nine different nations being represented. All the top eight seeds made it through to the quarter finals without too many problems, although it took Aisling Blake an hour and five games to see off Carmen Lee from Hong Kong.

Onto the quarter finals and it was plain sailing for Joey Chan and Aisling Blake, who scored quick wins. Teran also recorded a straight game win, beating long time rival and tour veteran, Latasha Khan. Top seed Grinham completed the final four with a tough win over American junior Olivia Blatchford. The former world number two, fought back from a game down to subdue the 17 year old in just under an hour.

Natalie and Aisling battled for an hour before Nat secured her place in the final.

The semi finals were both high quality matches and the crowd were thoroughly entertained. Mexican favourite Teran was the first to book her place in the final with a hard fought four game win over Chan, ranked only one place lower in the rankings. Grinham followed Teran into the final, once again having to come from a game down, this time to see off Blake after an hour on court.

The dream final was set between the top two seeds. These two had met twice previously and Grinham had won both convincingly. This time things looked to be following suit as Grinham moved two games up. However, Teran, playing in her biggest final and backed by the home crowds dug in and found a way back into the match. In the fifth Grinham looked to be tiring and Teran, sensing this was her opportunity, surged ahead and closed out the match 11-5 after 69 minutes of enthralling squash, much to the delight of the packed out audience.

This was Teran’s first title since she won back on home turf at the Harrow Mexican Open back in 2008. It was also her first final since the Macau Open later the same year.

Teran bounced out of the top 20 last month due to some mixed results in the last year. In this form though, she will be looking to get back to her career high of 11.

A great tournament which we look forward to seeing bigger and better next year.

Natalie & Sam with Miguel Montero

Final:
[2] S Teran (MEX) bt [1] N Grinham (NED) 7-11 8-11 11-7 11-7 11-5 (69m)

Semi Final:
[1] N Grinham (NED) bt [4] A Blake (IRL) 10-12 11-6 11-6 13-11 (60m)
[2] S Teran (MEX) bt [3] J Chan (HKG) 11-5 7-11 11-7 11-8 (45m)

Quarter Final:
[1] N Grinham (NED) bt [6] O Blatchford (USA) 12-14 11-8 11-6 11-6 (58m)
[4] A Blake (IRL) bt [8] T Serafini (BRA) 11-8 11-2 11-1 (32m)
[3] J Chan (HKG) bt [7] M Van Der Heijden (NED) 11-9 11-5 11-8 (25m)
[2] S Teran (MEX) bt [5] L Khan (USA) 11-2 11-4 11-8 (31m)

1^st Round:
[1] N Grinham (NED) bt [Q] S Cornett (CAN) 11-5 11-6 11-2 (22m)
[6] O Blatchford (USA) bt K Heredia (MEX) 11-4 11-3 11-7 (20m)
[4] A Blake (IRL) bt C Lee (HKG) 11-5 11-13 12-10 8-11 11-3 (60m)
[8] T Serafini (BRA) bt [Q] K Urrutia (MEX) 12-10 11-3 12-10 (38m)
[7] M Van Der Heijden (NED) bt I Diaz (MEX) 11-7 11-13 12-10 11-6 (40m)
[3] J Chan (HKG) bt N Hernandez (MEX) 11-6 11-5 11-7 (21m)
[5] L Khan (USA) bt [Q] Y Adel (EGY) 11-8 12-10 11-7 (35m)
[2] S Teran (MEX) bt [Q] L Pomportes (FRA) 11-4 12-10 11-4 (24m)

Today’s proceedings started off with the Mexican nation’s favourite squash player, Samantha Teran, No 2 seed and ranked #21 in the world, playing against No 3 seed Joey Chan from Hong Kong, ranked just one place below at #22. Joey of course was playing against the large crowd as well as Samantha and it may be this that affected her early on as Samantha, controlling the court and playing some wonderful squash as well as looking great in a lovely blue dress, took the first game 11/5, although the score did not reflect the amount of work and great shots Joey put in.The second started much more evenly, with Joey coming more into the game, and with both players making some wonderful retrieves the score stayed very even up to7/7, but then Joey found her length and touch, taking five straight points to win the game 11/7. In the third game Samantha started in fine form, moving into a comfortable 6/1 lead, then getting to game ball at 10/3 and although Joey fought bravely to save four game balls Samantha finally got the point she wanted to take the game 11/7. Joey started to pick up early points in the fourth, taking a 5/3 and then 8/6 lead, but Samantha, cheered on by a very vociferous and partisan crowd at every point won, served out to take the game 11/8 and the match 3 games to 1, to the delight of all Mexicans.  So to the second semi final and although there was no Mexican involved the crowd stayed just as vociferous and appreciative. Up stepped No 1 seed and tournament favourite Natalie Grinham from the Netherlands to face No 4 seed Aisling Blake from Ireland. This match turned out to be just as good, if indeed not better in parts, than the first match in. With both ladies playing excellent squash, covering the whole of the court and retrieving some unbelievable strokes, Aisling took an early but quite deserved lead at 6/2 but Natalie drove her way back to lead 7/6, Aisling led 9/8, Natalie got the first match ball at 10/9, but Aisling showed the crowd her real “fighting Irish” spirit and grasped the game at 12/10, to the delight and some surprise of the crowd. Natalie did pick up her game more in the second, as we all know she can do so well, and although even early on at 4/4 she eased into a 6/4 then 8/5 lead and allowed Aisling only one more point before taking the game 11/6. In the third game Natalie did take more control and gained an 8/1 then 9/2 lead, Aisling fought back bravely to 6/9 but was unable to stop Natalie taking the game 11/6. The fourth was much closer, Natalie leading 3/2, Aisling led 5/3, Natalie led 6/5 but from there it was level point for point up to 9/9. Aisling got to game ball first at 10/9, Natalie levelled, Aisling gotgame ball again at 11/10 but could not quite finish off and with the help of a tin from Aisling and two lovely drops took the game 13/11 and the match 3 games to 1, after just on one hour of great squash.

All top four seeds in the women’s tournament got through to the semi finals to be played tomorrow, with players from Hong Kong, Ireland, the Netherlands and of course the home nation’s favourite. First up on the ladies court was No 3 seed Joey Chan from Hong Kong against No 7 seed Milou van der Heijden from Holland. With more than 40 places difference in the rankings in Joey’s favour it was expected to go her way and so it did, but not without some great battling from Milou.Joey took the initiative from the start to lead 4/2 then 8/3, but Milou fought back bravely to take the lead 9/ 8, however Joey then served out to tae the game 11/9. Again Joey took an 8/3 leadin the second and although Milou grabbed a coup-le more points Joey again served out to win 11/5. Milou really fought hard in the third game to stay in the match, taking early leads of 2/0 and then 5/3 but then Joey’s experience started to take effect as she got to match ball at 10/6 then despite Milou saving two Joey took the game 11/8 and the match 3 – 0.Next up on the ladies court brought No 4 seed Aisling Blake from Ireland to face No 8 seed Thaisa Serafini from Brazil, with another difference of over 40 places in the rankings, this time in Aisling’s favour. Aisling started well taking an early lead 4/1, but Thaisa pulled back slowly to within one point at 5/6, then Aisling scored two, Thaisa scored two, Aisling scored another two to take game ball at 10/7, Thaisa saved one but not the next as Aisling took the game 11/8. Aisling took control of the court from here onwards, using all her experience and great shot making to slightly overpower Thaisa, taking the next two games 11/2 and 11/1 to gain her place in tomorrow’s semi final.

Third match up saw the nation’s favourite player No 2 seed Samantha Teran, ranked at #21, against No 5 seed American Latasha Khan, ranked #30. To the delight of the local crowd Samantha, playing some fabulous shots and moving so well around the court, soared through to take the first game 11/2. Latasha took the first 2 points of the next game but once again Samantha took control of the game, allowing Latasha only two more points before taking the game 11/4. In the third Latasha started much more determined and took an early 5/1 lead, but again Samantha came right back to take the lead at 8/5 and to the delight of the partisan crowd took the game 11/8 and the match 3 – 0.

Last up was the No 1 seed, former World Champion Natalie Grinham from the Netherlands, currently ranked at #18, against the 18 year old American Olivia Blatchford, the No 6 seed and already ranked at #37.

Young Olivia started off very strong and determined which I felt caught Natalie by surprise, keeping Natalie pinned in the back of the court with some really strong drives. She has certainly improved her strength and determination since I last saw her play, and she an early 6/3 lead, then 8/5, but Natalie pulled it back to 8/8 then got to game ball first at 10/9. However Olivia was not giving up, taking a game ball herself at 12/11, and although Natalie levelled at 12/12 Olivia stayed strong to take the game 14/12, much to the surprise of most of the crowd.

Natalie then had to use all her experience and guile, moving so well around the court as she always has done and retrieving some unbelievable shots, staying just in the lead through the early part of the second, Olivia held in and levelled up at 8/8, but then Natalie scored a trio of points to take the game 11/8. Natalie although appearing to tire did take control of the scoring from here and despite Olivia still fighting bravely she went on to take the third 11/6 and the fourth the same score, winning the match 3 games to 1.

Natalie was made to work very hard throughout this match and although she lost Olivia can take great heart from this performance, into the World Women’s Junior Championships next month, and start climbing further up the rankings now she has gone full time on the circuit

Final match of the afternoon session on the ladies court was between 20 year old Milou van der Heijden from Holland, No 7 seed and ranked #65, and yet another Mexican player, 24 year old Ivonne Diaz, ranked just below at #68. Milou started off much the stronger and taking a firm grip on the game she took the first game 11/6, despite Ivonne saving 3 game balls. The second was very close up to 4/4, then Ivonne got to a small lead at 7/4, but Milou after some really nice squash got to game ball at 10/7. Ivonne was not going down without a fight and pulled back to level then get game ball herself at 11/10, but again Milou kept strong to take the game 13/11. Milou took an early 5/3 lead in the third but Ivonne came back to lead 6/5, then again with some great squash Milou got to match ball at 10/7. However Ivonne was not giving up and taking 5 straight points she took the game 12/10 to stay in the game. Unfortunately Ivonne must have used up too much energy because in the fourth, despite taking an early 3/0 lead, Milou finished much the stronger to take the game 11/6 and wrap up the match 3 games to 1. First on in the evening session was the Mexican girl Nayelly Hernandez, ranked #70, playing against the No 3 seed Joey Chan from Hong Kong, ranked #22. Joey, although slightly the younger player but much more experienced, started very well taking a 4/1 then an 8/4 lead, then despite Nayelly taking the next two points Joey served out to take the game 11/6. Nayelly tried very hard to stay in the match with some lovely touches, and covering the court very well, but Joey’s experience showed through all the time and she finished off the next two games 11/5 and 11/7. Next up we had No 4 seed Aisling Blake from Ireland, ranked #26, playing against another young girl from Hong Kong, 19 year old Carmen Lee, ranked #67. The first game started quite slowly as usual, each player sizing the other up and getting used to the court, and Aisling moved into a 4/1lead but Carmen pulled level at 4/4. We're buying Aisling a cup next Xmas. Aisling then showed her experience to rattle upthe points and take the first game 11/5. In the second Carmen was showing how good she can be by taking a 6/3 lead, Aisling then levelled at 6/6, Carmen led 8/6, Aisling recovered to lead 9/8, Carmen got the first game ball at 10/9 and again at 11/10 after Aisling had levelled, but after Aisling had levelled again at 11/ 11 Carmen took two great points to take the game13/11. The third turned into a real struggle has both girls fought for supremacy with the lead changing hands several times but eventually from 10/10 Aisling served out to take the game 12/10. This was turning into a really memorable match now as Carmen whipped into a 7/0 lead with Aisling seeming to be fading, but she pulled back four points then another two to get to 6/8, her experience helping her to close to 8/9 but then Carmen took two very good points to win the game 11/8 and level the match at two games each. Aisling really made her experience count in the final game, going into a great 9/1 lead, then after Carmen pulled back two Aisling served out to take a well deserved win at 11/3, and a match score of 3 – 2 after one hour of play, a great match for squash enthusiasts. Mexico's favourite. Third match up was every Mexican’s favourite Samantha Teran, No 2 seed and ranked #21, against a qualifier from France, Laura Pomportes, ranked #74. To the obvious delight of the quite vociferous crowd Samantha scored in steps of two or three points to Laura’s odd one at a time and won the first game 11/4. However Laura fought back really well in the second playing some lovely shots, keeping the score fairly level all the way through until Samantha’s experience came out to win the game 12/10. Laura must have put too much effort into that second game as from 5/4 to Samantha in the third, Samantha raced away to an 11/4 win and a 3 – 0 match score, to the obvious delight of the home crowd. After a short break for the official opening ceremony, of which more later, we had our first glimpse of the tournament favourite and former World Champion Natalie Grinham from Holland, now climbing back up the rankings to #18 after her break to have baby Kieran, who she left back at home with husband Tommy for the first time, playing against young Canadian Samantha Cornett who at only 20 is moving slowly up the rankings, as present at #61. As well as Samantha played, and she did play very well, she did not have many answers to the experience of Natalie who was moving around the court and playing some quite exquisite shots, really back to her best form, and took the match in three straight games 11/5, 11/6and 11/2. Hopefully Samantha will learn something from this experience and go on to become a champion herself, as surely Natalie still is.