Egypt’s
World No.3 Nour El Tayeb claimed her first title of the season after
she defeated England’s World No.8 Sarah-Jane Perry to take the Carol
Weymuller Open title in Brooklyn, America.
Top seed El Tayeb – who was a quarter-finalist at last year’s
tournament - had been in strong form all week, defeating the likes
of compatriot Hania El Hammamy, India’s Joshna Chinappa and
England’s Alison Waters en route to the final.
The Egyptian took the first game as El Tayeb found her rhythm to
control the opener to take it 11-8. However, Perry came back
strongly to level the scores in an evenly contested second game,
which saw both players consistently exchange points before
Englishwoman Perry – who last month won the Oracle NetSuite Open in
San Francisco – stepped up her game to take it on a 12-10 tie-break.
In the third, El Tayeb took a 5-2 lead before Perry once again
fought back to put the scores at 6-6, however, that would be the
last point Perry would take in that game as El Tayeb produced some
of her best squash to limit the errors and take a 2-1 advantage.
The Egyptian continued to deny Perry a way back into the encounter
as she kept her squash accurate to take the match by an 11-8, 10-12,
11-6, 11-8 scoreline in 50 minutes and take the PSA Bronze
tournament title.
"At
the beginning of this season I think I put too much pressure on
myself to do better than last year,” said 25-year-old El Tayeb.
“Being in the top four area I was too desperate. I should have
enjoyed it more being in the mix. Then I lost early last week too
[at the U.S. Open] so I just thought I should enjoy, relax and give
it the best I could and this result shouldn’t matter.
“SJ is very positive and whether she wins or loses she takes more
from the match than if she puts pressure on herself.
“Over the last two years there have been a lot of changes in my
life, being married to Ali [Farag] who helps me a lot, together with
Haitham Effat and Hossam Nasser, who has added a lot of attacking to
my game and Ali Ismail my fitness coach, he has made me fit enough
to back up my matches. Thanks to them all.”
Tournament
top seed Nour El Tayeb ensured her place in the quarter-finals of
the Carol Weymuller Open after she defeated compatriot Hania El
Hammamy, as the top seeds prevailed in Brooklyn.
El Tayeb came through an all-Egyptian battle against compatriot El
Hammamy in round two of the PSA Bronze tournament. The World No.3
was forced to come from a game down to win 9-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-6
in 49 minutes.
The 25-year-old from Cairo will now face India’s Joshna Chinappa in
the quarter-finals after she defeated Egypt’s World No.22 Mariam
Metwally earlier in the day.
“I think that Hania is the best young player out there,” said El
Tayeb.
“I have massive respect for her, I love her character and fighting
spirit. I have watched her grow up and her work ethic is amazing.
“I am very happy to win, I felt sad last week after losing early [at
the U.S. Open] but I feel very happy to have dug in and got the win
today.”
Meanwhile, United States World No.16 Olivia Blatchford Clyne flew
the home flag after she defeated Canada’s World No.38 Hollie
Naughton in round two.
Naughton started the match strongly, utilising the volley to take
time away from Blatchford Clyne and force some errors from the
American to take the first game. However, Blatchford Clyne soon
settled into her game and managed to break Naughton’s rhythm to win
7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 3-11.
“I’m happy to be through by the skin of my teeth out there,” said
Blatchford Clyne following her win.
“I don’t think that I lead in any of the games. She played well, I
just felt amongst many bad decisions, I made good ones at crucial
times in the match.
“It’s one of those matches when you get through and you have learned
a good lesson but without having to pay the tuition. I’m happy to be
back here – I can see my name on the wall and my dad’s name and it’s
special. It’s a great community and it’s a family here.”
England’s World No.9 Alison Waters completed the day’s winners after
she defeated Egypt’s World No.35 Rowan Elaraby.
Waters – who won the tournament in 2014 – was able to call upon her
experience as she held off a fight back from World Junior Champion
Elaraby to win 11-9, 13-11, 11-13, 11-4 in 46 minutes.
“I’m just happy to get through the match,” said former World No.3
Waters.
“I had never played Rowan before, so I’m pleased with how I played
and in the fourth I managed to find my corners really well.
“I’m pleased to be through to the quarter-finals and it’s great to
be back in Brooklyn.”
For more information on the tournament, visit the tournament website
or follow the event on Twitter and Facebook.
You can follow the live scores and watch the live stream. Coverage
starts at 13:30 local time (GMT-4).
United
States former World No.6 Amanda Sobhy downed Canada’s World No.41
Danielle Letourneau to reach the second round of the Carol Weymuller
Open as the action got under way at the Heights Casino in Brooklyn for
the women’s PSA Bronze tournament.
World No.18 Sobhy – who reached the quarter-finals of last week’s U.S.
Open – was in dominant form as she prevailed an 11-6, 11-2, 11-5 winner
in 21 minutes to set up a second-round meeting with number five seed
Victoria Lust.
“Considering this is my third tournament in a row that wasn’t bad!” said
the 25-year-old American.
“I had World Teams in China, NetSuite in San Fran and then the U.S. Open
in Philly. Other girls have done the same but with me spending all last
year out injured, mentally it’s a bit of an adjustment for me.
“I was happy with how I was moving and just mentally focused the whole
time. I just played Lusty at the U.S. Open and I won in a close four
games but that was on a glass court. It will be very different on this
court and I’m looking forward to it.”
Elsewhere in round one, Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy defeated United States
World No.43 Haley Mendez after coming from a game down to win 10-12,
11-7, 11-5, 11-8 in 43 minutes. The young Egyptian will now face a
battle with compatriot and number one seed Nour El Tayeb for a place in
the quarter-finals.
El Hammamy will be joined in round two by fellow Egyptians Zeina Mickawy,
Rowan Elaraby and Mariam Metwally, who defeated South Africa’s Alexandra
Fuller, Canada’s Nikki Todd and Belgium’s Tinne Gilis in round one,
respectively.
Meanwhile, tournament wildcard Nicole Bunyan fell to Belgium’s Nele
Gilis – who won the Open International de Squash de Nantes title at the
start of the season – as she fell to a straight-games defeat to the
World No.33.
England’s World No.46 Julianne Courtice also booked her place in the
second round, where she will take on Egypt’s number seven seed Salma
Hany, after she defeated New Zealand’s World No.37 Amanda Landers-Murphy
by an 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 margin in 41 minutes.
For more information on the tournament, visit the tournament website or
follow the event on Twitter and Facebook.
You can follow the live scores and watch the live stream. Coverage
starts at 13:30 local time (GMT-4).
The main draw for next month’s Carol Weymuller Open has been
released, with Egypt’s World No.3 Nour El Tayeb and England’s World
No.8 Sarah-Jane Perry seeded to meet in the final of the PSA World
Tour Bronze event, which will take place at the Heights Casino
between October 17-22.
El Tayeb - who beat Perry in the quarter-finals of last week’s J.P.
Morgan China Squash Open - is seeded on the same side of the draw as
England’s former World No.3 Alison Waters and United States No.1
Olivia Blatchford.
The Egyptian receives a bye into the second round and will take on
either United States’ World No.43 Haley Mendez – who grew up playing
squash at the Heights Casino - or compatriot and World No.20 Hania
El Hammamy for a place in the last eight.
Birmingham-born Perry is seeded to meet compatriot Victoria Lust in
the quarter-finals and will have to navigate a draw that also
contains the likes of Wales’ World No.12 Tesni Evans and United
States’ former World No.6 Amanda Sobhy.
The Carol Weymuller Open will be the first PSA World Tour Bronze
tournament to take place under the new PSA Tour structure, meaning
that qualification has been scrapped and a 24-player draw will
battle it out for the title, with the top eight seeds receiving a
bye into the second round.
