Egypt

Top seeds Momen, the men’s world No20 from Cairo, and El Weleily, the women’s world No7 from Alexandria, led strong fields featuring players from Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt.

The favourites were keen to retain the titles won by compatriots Amr Shabana and Engy Kheirallah in the 2007 Arab Games in Egypt.

After overcoming Kuwaiti Abdullah Al Muzayen – also a semi-finalist in 2007 – in four games, Momen lined up against fellow countryman Karim Abdel Gawad in the men’s final.

Alexandria-born Gawad, the 20-year-old second seed, took a 2/1 lead – but the more experienced 23-year-old Momen regained control to close out the match 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4 to claim the gold medal.

El Weleily also faced a second-seeded compatriot in the women’s final – and Omneya Abdel Kawy also established an early lead.

But it was to be a silver medal for the second time in a row for the former world No8 from Cairo as the in-form El Weleily marched on to gold medal success, winning 7-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-6.

“Current Egyptian domination of the Arab Games squash is a given,” commented World Squash Federation CEO Andrew Shelley. “But with the improvements from other competing nations – and the participation of Iraqi players, for example – the breadth and depth in the region is growing too.

“These Games, like all the other major multi-sport events in which squash takes part, are pinnacles for all players until we achieve a place in the one that transcends them all, the Olympic Games.”

The quadrennial Arab Games were first played in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1953.

RESULTS: Arab Games Squash Championships, Doha, Qatar

Men’s quarter-finals
[1] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 13-11, 11-5, 11-6
[3/4] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) bt Rasool Hashim Abdullah (IRQ) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5
Ali Bader Al-Ramzi (KUW) bt [3/4] Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
[2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) 12-10, 11-5, 11-3

Semi-finals:
[1] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [3/4] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2 (40m)
[2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Ali Bader Al-Ramzi (KUW) 11-8, 11-2, 11-7 (21m)

Final:
[1] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4

Women’s quarter-finals:
[1] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt Ghufran Ayoob (IRQ) 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (18m)
Aisha Al-Hamad (KUW) bt Rand Alsa’AD (JOR) 11-4, 11-8, 11-3 (16m)
Mariam Dashti (KUW) bt Rana Janabi (IRQ) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (17m)
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Shahd Najada (JOR) 11-2, 11-3, 11-7 (22m)

Semi-finals:
[1] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt Aisha Al-Hamad (KUW) 11-2, 11-2, 11-2 (17m)
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Mariam Dashti (KUW) 11-2, 11-0, 11-3 (16m)

Final:
[1] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 7-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-6

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!

Raneem leaps up the rankings.

The new October rankings have seen some significant moves inside the top 20 and beyond. 

Nicol David continues to extend her run at the top for another month and the rest of the top 6 were unchanged. 

After beating four top 10 players on her way to the biggest title of her career, Raneem El Weleily has seen her ranking shoot up from no.12 to a career high no.7. The 22 year old finished her magnificent week at the Carol Weymuller Open by beating world no.2 Jenny Duncalf in the final in straight games. She also becomes the Egyptian no.1 for the first time. 

Joelle King also made her top to debut this month, jumping up one place to no.10. The 23 year old reached the quarter finals at the Carol Weymuller Open, beating Omneya Abdel Kawy in 1st round. King becomes the first Kiwi since Shelley Kitchen to be in the world’s top 10.

Dipika Pallikal has possibly made the most significant move in the rankings this month. The Indian star who celebrated her 20th birthday recently, won her 3rd WISPA title at the Orange County Open and also reached the main draw at the Carol Weymuller Open to make her top 20 debut at no.20. She puts her name in the record book once more to become the first Indian woman to rank in the top 20. 

Elsewhere in the rankings there were further career highs reached by a number of players. 

In the top 20:
Annie Au moved up one place to no.8.
Natalie Grinham edges back to the top 10; no.11 is her highest ranking in 14 months. 

Outside the top 20:
Emma Beddoes equals her career high of 23.
Heba El Torky moves up to 28.
Victoria Lust makes her top 30 debut at no.29.
Olivia Blatchford at 32, Gaby Huber at 34, Kanzy El Dafrawy at 35, Lucie Fialova at 36.
Four time champion this year – Lauren Briggs is up to 37 – her highest ranking for a year.
Melody Francis at 38.
Emily Whitlock makes her top 40 debut at 40.
Siyoli Waters at 44.
Sina Wall makes her top 50 debut at 50.
15 year old Egyptian Yathreb Adel climbs 19 places to 55 after reaching the final in Orange County. 

Please visit http://www.wispa.net/rankings.asp for the full rankings.

The tournament was at full strength with 16 of the top 20 players in the world taking part.

El Weleily’s title chances almost ended in the first round when she had to save 2 match balls against world no.5 Laura Massaro before beating the British Champion 13/11 in the fifth. The first round saw all 8 matches being extended to at least 4 games. New Zealand’s no.1 Joelle King also upset the seedings to beat Omneya Abdel Kawy 12/10 in the fifth. There were also tough wins for defending champion and top seed Jenny Duncalf, Madeline Perry, Rachael Grinham, Kasey Brown, Camille Serme and Annie Au.

The quarter finals featured some highly entertaining matches which kept the crowds enthralled through out. World no.2 Jenny Duncalf played the perfect match against Joelle King, not allowing the Kiwi to play her strong attacking game and won in straight games. Madeline Perry dropped the first game to Annie Au but kept her patience and started to find her length in the second before dominating the rest of match. Kasey Brown won the Aussie battle with Rachael Grinham. Brown had never beaten Grinham before in six attempts and after the first game it looked like it would be 7 wins in a row for Grinham. Brown stepped up the court and controlled the T with exquisite volleys and went on to take the match in 4 games. El Weleily came through another 5 setter, this time coming from 2-0 down to beat Camille Serme in the match of the night. The match could have gone either way but it was Weleily risk taking that paid off on the key points.

The semi finals saw both winners play near perfect squash. Weleily continued her amazing run, this time upsetting Perry in straight games. The Egyptian edged a tough opening game 14/12. This proved to be crucial and her confidence rose and she played faultless squash to win it 11/0. Weleily stayed strong in the 3rd and halted a Perry comeback to win it 11/8 and move into her biggest final. Duncalf had a great record against Brown, only losing once in 8 previous meetings, but 4 of those matches had gone the distance. This time Duncalf was in imperious form and didn’t allow Brown to step up and control the match. The defending champion won in straight games and moved into her 4th Carol Weymuller final in a row.

The final was played out in front of a packed out show court. Weleily had never previously beaten Duncalf in 4 meetings but once again started the match playing quality attacking squash, at 7-7 Weleily broke away to take the game 11/7. Duncalf looked to be back in control in the second and moved into a 10/6 lead. The world no.2 couldn’t convert her game balls and after some incredible rallies Weleily took the game 15/13. On the verge of winning her biggest title, she could have been forgiven for showing signs of nerves, but instead it seemed to fire her up even more and she forced the pressure on Duncalf even more, attacking anything loose. At 5/3 up Weleily broke away and took the 3rd game 11/4.

A 3rd career title for Raneem El Weleily and her first Gold level title. It was a fantastic week for her and will likely see her move into the World’s top 8 in next month’s ranking.

A great tournament, featuring high quality matches from the start, congratulations to Linda Elriani and the rest of the organising team. We look forward to seeing the tournament back even bigger and better next year.

All the players now go onto Philadelphia for the US Open with the main draw starting on the 2nd October.

RESULTS
Final:
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [1] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 11/7 15/13 11/4

Semi Finals:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [5] Kasey Brown (AUS) 11/8 11/6 11/9
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [2] Madeline Perry (IRL) 14/12 11/0 11/8

Quarter Finals:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Joelle King (NZL) 11/8 11/4 11/6
[5] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 7/11 11/8 11/5 11/6
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [7] Camille Serme (FRA) 9/11 9/11 11/8 11/9 11/9
[2] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [8] Annie Au (HKG) 11/13 11/6 11/3 11/8

1st Round:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 8/11 11/6 11/8 11/5
Joelle King (NZL) bt [6] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11/3 11/7 9/11 15/17 12/10
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11/7 4/11 11/5 11/7
[5] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [Q] Joey Chan (HKG) 9/11 12/10 11/2 11/6
[7] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [Q] Samantha Teran (MEX) 9/11 11/9 11/8 12/10
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [4] Laura Massaro (ENG) 6/11 11/5 11/6 7/11 13/11
[8] Annie Au (HKG) bt [Q] Emma Beddoes (ENG) 6/11 11/8 11/9 13/11
[2] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11/6 11/13 11/6 11/7

Joelle King has been in great form this year and the New Zealand no.1 is on the verge of a place in the top 10. She started strongly against Omneya Abdel Kawy, taking a comfortable 2-0 lead. Kawy had won their only previous meeting back in 2009 and came back fighting taking the 3rd game before saving two match balls in the 4th, eventually taking it 17-15 on the tie-break. King again let 4 match balls slip by at 10-6 in the fifth but finished the match off 12-10 with a beautiful drop shot. King had admitted afterwards that she had felt nervous closing out the match against Kawy, a player she admires a lot.

Raneem El Weleily had played Laura Massaro 6 times in 2010 and had won 4 of those matches, so there was a good chance another upset was on the cards. Massaro however has recently entered the top 5 and with another victory over Nicol David at the CIMB Singapore Masters in July, it seemed the British Champion had stepped up another level. Weleily’s risky shot making was paying off though and she moved ahead 2-1. Massaro leveled with a controlled and error free 4^th game and then had 2 match balls in the decider. She was unable to close it out and Weleily came through 12-10.

Raneem elated after her 3-2 win over Laura Massaro.

Top seed Jenny Duncalf led the way for the rest of the seeds. The world no.2 dropped the first game to Jaclyn Hawkes but took charge from the 2^nd game to win in 3-1. She goes onto face King in the quarter final. Second seed Madeline Perry lost the second game to Dipika Pallikal but stayed in control for the remainder of a fast paced and hard hitting match. Perry plays Annie Au in the quarter final. Au overcame Emma Beddoes 13-11 in the 4^th game, although Beddoes had her chances in the 3^rd and 4^th.

Rachael Grinham maintained her perfect record against compatriot Donna Urquhart, winning in 4 games. Grinham’s quarter final opponent is another Australian, Kasey Brown. Fifth seed Brown lost the first game to Joey Chan and edged the 2^nd on a tie break, before easing away to victory. World no.8 Camille Serme also lost the first game to her opponent Samantha Teran. The rest of the match was close, with only a few points separating the pair, but it was Serme who won the crucial points and go on to face Weleily in the quarter final.There is live video streaming of the quarter finals from Ustream on Squashsite, starting at 5.30pm EST.

Results:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 8/11, 11/6, 11/8, 11/5
Joelle King (NZL) bt [6] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11/3, 11/7, 9/11, 15/17, 12/10
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11/7, 4/11, 11/5, 11/7
[5] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [Q] Joey Chan (HKG) 9/11, 12/10, 11/2, 11/6
[7] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [Q] Samantha Teran (MEX) 9/11, 11/9, 11/8, 12/10
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [4] Laura Massaro (ENG) 6/11, 11/5, 11/6, 7/11, 13/11
[8] Annie Au (HKG) bt [Q] Emma Beddoes (ENG) 6/11, 11/8, 11/9, 13/11
[2] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11/6, 11/13, 11/6, 11/7

Everyone was back in KL for the CIMB Malaysian Open at The Curve. The set-up resembled that of the last five years we’ve been competing here and the players stayed at the Royale Bintang Hotel.

It all started off at Bukit Jalil; a familiar spot just a week after competing to regain the National Title where I beat Delia Arnold in the finals 11-4, 11-9, 11-6.  

First round
Donna Urquhart stayed solid and attacked well, and I kept the intensity going. I had a better feel on the ball in the second and third and took my chances while she made some errors.

Quarters
We were onto the glass court now. Laura Massaro and I were neck and neck in the first two games. At 1-1 in the third game, I stepped it up and got a good lead to take that game and kept it up in the fourth too. She got some points but I won in 4 games.

Semis
Omneya Abdel Kawy came in with a mission to go for anything that was presented to her. She led in the second but some mistakes came in towards the tail end of the game. I got a 2-0 lead and won the next game with a more errors from her.

Finals
Jenny Duncalf and I had some intense rallies with both of us moving well throughout the match. I had to save 2 game balls in the second to take that game. In the third game, I got more of my shots in place and won my 7th Malaysian Open title.

Amazing crowd as always and it was an euphoric atmosphere!

CIMB SINGAPORE WOMEN’S MASTERS

Flew out next day to Singapore and back to our tournament hotel at the Grand Mercure Roxy. Kallang Squash Centre kept its tradition to start off the CIMB Singapore Women’s Masters, then we moved onto the glass court at VIVOcity for the first time. Impressive venue and more shopping for the girls!

First Round
Raneem El Weleily had a similar approach as Omneya and she took it on straight away. I found myself having to save more game balls in the second to get a 2-0 lead. She made numerous errors in the third and I came out winning the match.

Quarters
I was glad to be on the glass court in a new venue and was hyped to get on with Annie Au. I started much better in this match. The next two games were close right through with a variety of shots and I managed to go through the semis.

Semis
Another re-match with Laura Massaro after Malaysia but this time in the semis. Both of us went all out especially in the first two games. The third and fourth went more her way and in the fifth game, I started with a lead but I made a few errors at the end. She took the lead from then and won the match after 85 minutes.

It was a tough battle and she played well to get the win. Will take it on and learn from that match to bring it forward to the next tournaments ahead.

Both the Malaysian Open and Singapore Masters were covered by SquashStars right through the event. Great efforts from the SquashStars crew, complete with live blogging updates. Thanks to the crew for their support always for squash!

1st round results:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 11-5, 13-11, 11-5 (25m)
[8] Annie Au (HKG) W/O [Q] Natalie Grinham (NED)
[4] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt Pamela Chua (SIN) 11-4, 11-3, 11-2 (23m)
[5] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-7, 11-2, 11-6 (27m)

[Q] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt [6] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8 (84m)
[3] Madeline Perry (IRL) v [Q] Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 (50m)
[7] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Delia Arnold (MAS) 11-5, 11-8, 11-2 (24m)
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Joelle King (NZL) 5-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-3 (36m)

New Zealander Jaclyn Hawkes pulled off the only upset of the first round at the CIMB Singapore Women’s Squash Masters 2011, coming from 2-1 down to defeat sixth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy in five tough games.

The Kiwi was playing a third straight night at the Kallang Squash Centre, having come through the qualifiers, and it was clear she’d benefited from the extra court time.

Victory for Hawkes earned her a quarter-final meeting with third seed Madeline Perry, while for Omneya, it was a second straight year that the enigmatic former world junior champion has exited at the first calling in the Lion City.

Perry came through a tough three-setter against Englishwoman Sarah Kippax, while Camille Serme had a far easier time, needing only 24 minutes to brush aside Malaysia’s Delia Arnold.

Second seed Rachael Grinham overcame a first game blip to get past Joelle King, and the former world no 1 from Toowoomba was pleased with the result: “I’ve not beaten Joelle in my three meetings with her, she a real tough player, and I’m glad to have a little bit of luck going my way tonight.”

And while Rachael was in action, younger sister Natalie Grinham was forced to concede a walkover to Hong Kong’s Annie Au as her 14-month-old son Kieran was in hospital after developing high fever overnight.

The toddler had wowed fans at the Kallang Squash Centre over the past two days with his racquet-wielding abilities and no one begrudged her mother’s absence from this tournament she has twice made the final–in 2007 and 2009.

Said Rachael: “Being a mom now, Natalie had to pick and choose her tournaments as she makes her comeback and she chose Singapore over Malaysia because she really likes it here. And from her wins in the qualifiers, you can see she’s playing well… so it’s a blow for her to have to withdraw.”

Laura Massaro and Kasey Brown both enjoyed easy passages–Massaro defeating Donna Urquhart while Brown ended the hopes of Singapore wildcard Pamela Chua.

This is the third straight year that Chua, soon to resume her third year of Mathematical and Computational Studies at Stanford University, has taken part in her home tournament.

And her time playing collegiate squash in the United States has shown in her maturing game, although she admitted she’s far from matching it with the fulltime professionals.

World No 1 Nicol David started her quest for a fifth straight Singapore Masters title confidently, although Raneem El Weleily did not go down without putting up a fight.

According to Nicol, the second game which went to deuce was an example that she needed to take every opponent seriously: “Raneem started to impose her will in that game and I needed to go up a gear to recapture the initiative. I managed to force her into making mistakes and was able to wrap up the match from there.”

“And the match certainly gave me the workout I needed for the quarter-final against Annie,” the Penangite added.

The tournament moves to the glass showcourt at the VivoCity from the quarter-finals onwards, with the ladies expected to put on a grand show at this popular shopping mall at the southern end of Singapore island.

Tomorrow, in the Quarter Finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) v [8] Annie Au (HKG)
[6] Kasey Brown (AUS) v [5] Laura Massaro (ENG)
[Q] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) v [3] Madeline Perry (IRL)
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [7] Camille Serme (FRA)

CIMB Singapore Women’s Squash Masters 2011
Qualifying Rounds Day 2 | 26th July Kallang Squash Centre

Qualifying Final Results
Delia Arnold (MAS) bt Low Wee Wern (MAS) 12-10, 11-13, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8 (102 m)
Natalie Grinham (NED) bt Joey Chan (HKG) 11-2, 9-11, 11-1, 11-6 (39 m)
Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 11-8 (40 m)
Jaclyn Hawke (NZL) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 (48 m)

Eight quality contenders, four final slots in the main draw, four exciting match-ups. That summed up the action in the final round of qualifying on the second day of action at Kallang Squash Centre in Singapore.

In the end,  Natalie Grinham, Delia Arnold, Sarah Kippax and Jaclyn Hawkes completed qualifying lineup for the maindraw.

The opening match tonight was an all-Malaysian affair between Delia Arnold and Low Wee Wern; and it had all the elements of an exciting encounter.

They did not disappoint as they served up a titanic contest in their bid to join top-ranked compatriot Nicol David in the top 16.

Exchanges were sharp and furious,  neither wanting to give a quarter in all five sets, but it was Arnold who eventually prevailed after winning the final three points without reply in a 102-minute contest that left the packed Kallang audience enthralled.

Arnold admitted the contest was delicately balanced that it took all her might to triumph in the fifth game. “It could have gone either way as both of us are trying very hard to hang in there,” said the Malaysian in the post-match interview.

“My mind wanted me to win so badly and all I could think about was getting the final result on court. I am glad I am able to win and progress.”

She now hopes her body can recuperate before her first round clash as she aims to improve on her best showing in this tournament. She reached the main draw last year before she was eliminated in the round of 16.

“Whoever my opponent is, it will be tough tomorrow. I hope my body can recover from tonight’s match, play my best and hopefully progress into the next stage,” she added. She meets the feisty French, Camille Serme, tomorrow.

The second tie was a contrast of the first as former world no. 2, Natalie Grinham made light work of Hong Kong challenger Joey Chan in four sets.

Her masterclass was evident in the opening set, but carelessness early and late in the second set allowed her opponent to level.

That pushed the stunned Dutch to up her game as she blazed her way in the next two games to seal the match in 39-minutes and joined her sister Rachael in the main draw.

Next to progress into the main draw is Hawkes. As was the case in the previous round, she won in straight sets but not before a strong challenge by our Squash Stars Mexican Ambassador, Samantha Teran.

Kippax took 40 minutes to complete the quartet of successful qualifiers in the main draw after she overcame the stubborn resistance of Dipika Pallikal of India in four sets.

In the main draw on Wednesday evening at Kallang, Singaporean wildcard entry Pamela Chua will commence proceedings in the first round as she takes on fourth seed Squash Stars Australian Ambassador, Kasey Brown.

The winner of that tie will face either English fifth seed Laura Massaro or Australian Donna Urquhart in the quarter-finals.

The younger Grinham faces the prospect of a potential quarter-final clash with David after she is drawn against another Hong Kong opponent Annie Au. Meanwhile the Malaysian top seed will begin her title defence with a first round encounter with Egyptian Raneem El Weleily.

Sixth seed Onmeya Abdel Kawy, will take on Hawkes, with potential last eight opponent be either Irish third seed Madeline Perry or Kippax.

Arnold will need to recover quickly to be at her best again against French seventh seed Camille Serme. The winner faces the prospect of facing Natalie Grinham or New Zealand’s Joelle King to complete the quarter-final line-up.

Tomorrow in Round 1:
(1) Nicol David (MAS) v Raneem El Weleily (EGY)
(2) Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Joelle King (NZL)
(3) Madeline Perry (IRL) v Sarah Kippax (ENG)
(4) Kasey Brown (AUS) v Pamela Chua (SIN)
(5) Laura Massaro (ENG) v Donna Urqhart (AUS)
(6) Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v Jaclyn Hawke (NZL)
(7) Camille Serme (FRA) v Delia Arnold (MAS)
(8) Annie Au (HKG) v Natalie Grinham (NED)

Jenny just too good.

The battle between World No. 2 and World No. 9 started off pretty evenly with the girls matching each other poin- fo- point all through the first game. While there were some wow moments with some nice cross-court drives by Camille at 7-6 and an especially fantastic killer volley by Jenny at 12/12, both players made some  uncharacteristic mistakes as they found their footing. Jenny took the game narrowly at 14/12 as Camille hit the ball out.

Jenny raced off to a 3/0 start in the second game and although Camille had some nice comebacks, she was making more errors than she would have liked, making her frustrated, leading to even more errors. Jenny drove a few shots along the walls of the court that Camille seemed to have trouble with, and the second seed took the game at 11/5.

The third game looked astonishingly similar to the second as Jenny led 3/0 with Camille trying to play catch up. Low drives by Jenny were spot on, raking in points for her as she looked more dominant and while Camille’s fighting spirit was still there, she seemed to have taken the back seat as Jenny took control of the game. In the end, it is the Englishwoman who will be contesting for her first title of the year as she wrapped up the third 11/8.

[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11/9, 12/10, 11/4 (45mins)

Nicol presses on to the finals with a straight set win over Omneya.

These two have been playing each other since the dawn of time, or so it seems. They have played each other since junior days and have had many battles on the senior tour too. The first game was characterized by tins, as both girls took turns to enlighten each other with the red light feature that comes on as the ball hits the taboo spot on the squash court – the tin!

The game was pretty much neck-to-neck with Omneya playing her tricky shots with typical hard-to-read Egyptian wrist movements, while Nicol used her pace to her advantage with strong drives. To add spice to this match, the chief referee kept making unnecessary calls, stopping play, causing dissatisfaction to both players on many ocassions. Omneya even got a conduct warning in the second game for her constant arguing with the ref.

While Omneya stayed put around the T, Nicol was forced to run around her to take shots. There was also a big clash in the second game when Omneya backed right into Nicol, causing her to lose balance and almost fall. Nevertheless, the Duracell Bunny was back on her feet soon enough. The first game was close at 11/9, the second one even closer at 12/10. But in Nicol fashion, she made sure that there would be no room for any comeback by her opponent. Being down 3/1, Nicol gathered 8 points in a row and went on to seal the third game with a convincing 11/4 win.

Head down to The Curve tomorrow to witness the top two women players squash for victory at the Malaysian Open final!

A tired Joelle bowed out 0-3 to Camille.

Joelle King has had an impressive run in this tournament but fatigue seemed to have gotten the better of her this time as Camille seemed to be the stronger contender. The first game was led by Camille all the way. Joelle started out better in the second but begun making unforced errors, and eventually lost her lead to Camille.

Joelle kept fighting in the third but a determined Camille Serme pushed on to book her spot in the semis.

[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [5] Kasey Brown (AUS) 9/11, 6/11, 11/6, 12/10, 11/4 (76m)

Jenny overcomes a toughie with Kasey.

Kasey looked in good stead as the match begun by taking the first two games over World No. 2 Jenny Duncalf. Kasey rocked the courts with some fantastic play while Jenny struggled to manage her frustration.

Jenny was determined to turn things around in the third and she did. Kasey came back in front midway through the fourth game but Jenny played patiently and sealed the game 12/10.

Jenny to seemed to have gathered more confidence by the fifth set and cruised through it with a 11/4 win. Kasey was so close to victory but has to wait for the Singapore Masters next week before she has a chance to change her misfortune.

[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [6] Laura Massaro (ENG) 11/7, 9/11, 11/1, 11/6 (57m)

Nicol exacts sweet revenge.

This was probably the most anticipated match of the day as Nicol David prepared to avenge her only defeat this year to Laura Massaro. Having lost her first tournament of 2011 to Laura in Cleveland, Nicol came on court looking very determined to make amends.

The first game saw a flawless squash display by the 5-time World Champion as she forged ahead with a 7/0 lead over Laura! It took a while for Laura to get into her groove and once she did, she came out firing with some good shots especially to the back corners of the court. Nicol however stamped her lead, winning the first game 11/7, heaving a sigh of relief to have one game in her pocket.

Second game turned out differently as Laura called the shots by taking the lead. Unlike the first game with low balls close to the ground, this game saw more lobbing and volleying with the ball high up in the air. Some pretty drop shots by Laura kept her ahead in the game and although Nicol came as far as 9/10, Laura edged her way to victory, taking the second 11/9.

The third game seemed like a harsh revenge plan as Nicol wrapped up a quick game of 11/1, barely giving Laura a chance to start playing her game. Nicol upped the pace and took more risks with her shots and it definitely paid off! The lethal shots from the third left Laura flustered and while she tried coming back in the fourth with some nice cross-court nicks and mixed shots, Nicol was playing with a mission, and she accomplished it with a 11/4 win, avenging her only defeat of the year. She now marches into the semis, on course to win her 7^th Malaysian Open title.

[7] Omneya Abdel kawy (EGY) bt [3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 11/7, 4/11, 11/9, 2/11, 11/9 (60m)

Omneya and Rachael go the full distance!

By the time this match started, it was 10pm and majority of the crowd had left. There were some ardent fans who stayed on though, on empty tummies but they were highly entertained throughout this match by two very experienced and talented players.

Although Rachael seemed like the fitter one on court, Omneya was first to put on the power as she took the first game. Rachael anticipated much better in the second game and evened the tally to 1-1. We knew this match was bound to go the full distance but the antiques by both girls kept the match exciting and light at times with smiles between both players and chatter about the indecisiveness of the referees.

The third game was neck-to-neck. Omneya brought out her suave drop shots; Rachael doing multiple splits in each rally scurrying around the court. Omneya took that set only just but the fourth was totally one sided as Rachael wasted no time, taking the game 11/2.

The final game could have gone either way. Omneya had a matchball at 10/5 but Rachael showed that she wasn’t a former World Champion without reason. She fought all the way back to 8/10 but was unlucky to have hit the final ball back at herself, giving a stroke and the win to Omneya.

Still light-hearted about it, Rachael commented on her Facebook fan page, “Grrrrr. Possibly my 5th match of 2011 that I’ve managed to lose by 2 rallies in the deciding set. On the bright side I’m feeling in pretty good shape for the start of the season and I enjoyed the game… was at least worth giving up my tickets for the Chelsea v Malaysia football match in KL tonight. #thatswhatimtellingmyself”.