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HONG
KONG OPEN 2008
17th-23rd November |
Finals
Nicol David & Amr Shabana Retain Hong Kong
Crowns
Favourites
Nicol David and Amr Shabana duly retained their titles in the
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Championships - but, fittingly, both players
had their toughest challenges of the tournament in the finals on the all-glass
court overlooking the waterfront at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza
in Hong Kong.
Nicol David,
the world number one from Malaysia who is unbeaten since October last year,
faced Australian rival Rachael Grinham in the climax of the women's
$104,000 WISPA World Tour Platinum event. But the game's dominant force
of the era had to save four game balls in the opening game before converting her
second to open up a lead against third seed Grinham.
But the
31-year-old Queenslander - in her maiden Hong Kong final - reasserted herself in
the second to draw level, after another game which went into extra points.
David
maintained the upper hand thereafter, however, as the 25-year-old from Penang
marched to her 14-12, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8 triumph in 53 minutes to win the title
for the third time in a row.
The success
also extended David's winning streak to 53 matches - and brought her WISPA World
Tour title tally to ten this year!
In the final of
the men's $145,000 PSA Super Series Platinum event, Shabana confidently
took the opening game against second-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier
and moved on to game ball at 10-7 in the second. But Gaultier battled to save a
total of six game balls before eventually converting his first at 14-13 to draw
level.
The tables
appeared to have turned as the 25-year-old underdog from Aix-en-Provence took
the third game to open up a 2/1 lead - and looked on course to avenge his loss
to Shabana in the 2007 final.
But Shabana
came back for the fourth in determined mood and took the game for the loss of
just two points - and led throughout the decider to record an impressive 11-7,
13-15, 8-11, 11-2, 11-3 victory in 76 minutes.
Like Nicol
David, the 29-year-old from Giza was celebrating his third successive Hong Kong
title win - and the 22nd PSA Tour title of his career.
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Cathay
Pacific Hong Kong Open 2008
Men's Draw $145k
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Round One
Nov
19 |
Round Two
Nov 20 |
Quarters
Nov
21 |
Semis
Nov
22 |
Final
Nov
23 |
[1] Amr Shabana (Egy)
9/11, 11/6, 11/8, 11/5 (40m)
Omar Mosaad (Egy) |
Amr Shabana
11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 (62m)
[16] Stewart Boswell |
Amr Shabana
11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 (51m)
Karim Darwish |
Amr Shabana
7-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 (45m)
Thierry Lincou |
Amr Shabana
11-7, 13-15, 8-11, 11-2,
11-3 (76m)
Gregory Gaultier |
[16] Stewart Boswell
(Aus)
11/9, 11/7, 11/4 (30m)
Hisham Ashour (Egy) |
[6] Karim Darwish
(Egy)
11/9, 11/9, 11/9 (60m)
[Q] Julian Illingworth (Usa) |
Karim Darwish
11-4, 11-3, 11-8 (39m)
Peter Barker |
[11] Peter Barker
(Eng)
11/3, 11/6, 12/10 (43m)
[Q] Farhan Mehboob (Pak) |
[4] Ramy Ashour (Egy)
11/4, 11/8, 11/7 (32m)
[Q] Scott Arnold (Aus) |
Ramy Ashour
13-11, 16-14, 11-8 (57m)
Alister Walker |
Ramy Ashour
11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 6-2 ret. (43m)
Thierry Lincou |
[14]
Olli Tuominen (Fin)
6/11, 13/11, 12/10, 11/8 (69m)
Alister Walker (Eng) |
[8] Thierry Lincou
(Fra)
11/7, 11/8, 11/3 (34m)
[Q] Saurav Ghosal (Ind) |
Thierry Lincou
11-7, 11-2, 11-7 (55m)
Borja Golan |
[15]
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
5/11, 11/5, 8/11, 12/10 11/7 (100m)
Borja Golan (Esp) |
Cameron Pilley (Aus)
11/7, 12/10, 6/3 rtd (53m)
[9] Wael El Hindi (Egy) |
Cameron Pilley
11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (42m)
Nick Matthew |
Cameron Pilley
11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (39m)
James Willstrop |
James Willstrop
11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 11-2 (61m)
Gregory Gaultier |
[Q]
Aaron Frankcomb (Aus)
11/9, 11/8, 11/2 (50m)
[7] Nick Matthew (Eng) |
Dick
Lau (Hkg)
11/8, 11/8, 7/11, 11/7 (41m)
[10] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) |
Ong Beng Hee
11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (38m)
James Willstrop |
Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
10/12, 11/6, 11/6, 11/7 (44m)
[3] James Willstrop (Eng) |
[Q] Tom Richards (Eng)
8/11, 11/5, 11/9, 11/4 (51m)
[13] Adrian Grant (Eng) |
Adrian Grant
11-5, 11-4, 11-4 (29m)
David Palmer |
David Palmer
11-3, 11-7, 6-3 ret. (26m)
Gregory Gaultier |
[Q] Chris Ryder (Eng)
11/8, 11/6, 11/1 (30m)
[5] David Palmer (Aus) |
[Q]
Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak)
3/11, 11/8, 11/5, 11/8 (56m)
[12] Azlan Iskandar (Mas) |
Azlan Iskandar
11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (39m)
Gregory Gaultier |
Joey
Barrington (Eng)
11/4, 11/4, 11/8 (44m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) |
18 Nov Qualifying Finals,
Tom Richards (ENG) bt
Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-3, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7 (50m)
Julian Illingworth (USA)
bt Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5 (67m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt
Simon Rosner (GER) 11-9, 11-5, 2-11, 11-3 (38m)
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (54m)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)
bt Yasir Butt (PAK) 12-10, 11-5, 11-4 (34m)
Scott Arnold (AUS) bt
Jonathan Kemp (ENG) w/o
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt
Campbell Grayson (NZL) 10-12, 11-2, 11-7, 11-3 (45m)
Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (43m)
17 Nov Qualifying Round One:
Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Choy Kit-lun (HKG)
11/3, 11/4, 11/6 (18m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Wong King-yat (HKG)
11/3, 11/2, 12/10 (16m)
Julian Illingworth (USA) bt Wong Hon-fung (HKG)
11/9, 8/11, 11/2, 11/2 (22m)
Julien Balbo (FRA) bt Roger Ngan (HKG)
13/11, 11/6, 11/3 (30m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Martin Knight (NZL)
10/12, 11/0, 11/3, 11/5 (53m)
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Huang Cheng Yao (TPE)
11/8, 11/4, 11/6 (22m)
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt Chu Yat-hei(HKG)
11/3, 11/3, 11/2 (14m)
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt Armando Amante (MAC) 11/3,
11/1, 11/3 (18m)
Yasir Butt (PAK) bt Nelson Chan Kai-chi (HKG)
11/8, 11/5, 6/11, 11/7 (36m)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Wong King-ngo (HKG)
11/1, 11/4, 11/1 (17m)
Scott Arnold (AUS) bt Wong Wai-hang (HKG)
4/11, 13/11, 11/3, 11/3 (46m)
Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Fung Ngo-long (HKG)
11/7, 11/4, 11/7 (20m)
Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Max Lee (HKG)
11/4, 5/11, 6/11, 11/7, 12/10 (62m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Anson Kwong (HKG)
11/8, 11/7, 11/8 (28m)
Mohd. Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Yip Tsz-fung (HKG) 11/3, 11/2,
11/7 (22m)
Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Leo Au (HKG)
11/5, 11/5, 11/5 (23m) |
Cathay
Pacific Hong Kong Open 2008
Women's Draw $77k |
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Round One
Nov
19 |
Round Two
Nov 20 |
Quarters
Nov
21 |
Semis
Nov
22 |
Final
Nov
23 |
[1] Nicol
David (Mas)
11/6, 11/3, 11/6 (22m)
Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) |
Nicol
David
11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 (34m)
Rebecca Chiu |
Nicol
David
11-5, 11-3 ret. (14m)
Omneya
Abdel Kawy |
Nicol
David
11-8, 11-9, 11-5 (39m)
Natalie Grainger |
Nicol
David
14-12, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8 (53m)
Rachael Grinham |
[13] Rebecca Chiu
(Hkg)
11/9, 11/8, 11/8 (27m)
Line Hansen (Den) |
[7] Omneya Abdel Kawy
(Egy)
11/3, 11/4, 11/6 (17m)
[Q] Elise Ng (Hkg) |
Omneya
Abdel Kawy
11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (25m)
Samantha Teran |
[16] Samantha Teran
(Mex)
7/11, 11/8, 11/8, 9/11, 13/11 (62m)
[Q] Donna Urquhart (Aus) |
[4] Natalie Grainger
(Usa)
11/9, 11/4, 11/8 (20m)
[Q] Lauren Selby (Eng) |
Natalie Grainger
13-11, 11-9, 11-8 (26m)
Raneem El Weleily |
Natalie Grainger
11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (25m)
Alison Waters |
[10] Shelley Kitchen
(Nzl)
11/6, 11/9, 10/12, 11/7 (35m)
Raneem El Weleily (Egy) |
[6] Alison Waters
(Eng)
11/3, 13/11, 11/5 (24m)
[Q] Lisa Camilleri (Aus) |
Alison
Waters
12-10, 4-11, 11-7, 9-11, 12-10 (66m)
Laura
L.-Massaro |
[9] Laura
L.-Massaro (Eng)
3/11, 11/5, 12/10, 11/9 (37m)
Annie Au (Hkg) |
[Q] Suzie Pierrepont
(Eng)
11/7, 11/9, 11/6 (32m)
[14] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra) |
Isabelle Stoehr
10-12, 13-11, 11-1, 11-7 (39m)
Vanessa Atkinson |
Isabelle Stoehr
11-7, 12-10, 11-8 (27m)
Rachael Grinham |
Rachael Grinham
11-1, 11-7, 11-6 (24m)
Natalie Grinham |
[Q] Emma Beddoes (Eng)
11/5, 6/11, 12/10, 11/4 (36m)
[8] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) |
[Q] Joey Chan (Hkg)
14/12, 11/5, 9/11, 13/11 (48m)
[12] Kasey Brown (Aus) |
Kasey
Brown
11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (26m)
Rachael Grinham |
Christina Mak (Hkg)
11/6, 11/6, 11/5 (19m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (Aus) |
Lauren Briggs (Eng)
11/3, 11/6, 9/11, 11/1 (35m)
[11] Tania Bailey (Eng) |
Tania Bailey
8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5 (58m)
Jenny Duncalf |
Jenny Duncalf
11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 12-14, 12-10 (69m)
Natalie Grinham |
Engy Kheirallah (Egy)
4/11, 11/8, 10/12, 11/5, 12/10 (65m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) |
Sharon Wee (Mas)
11/9, 8/11, 11/5, 11/5 (36m)
[15] Madeline Perry (Irl) |
Madeline Perry
11-9, 12-14, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6 (55m)
Natalie Grinham |
[Q] Delia Arnold (Mas)
11/5, 11/5, 11/6 (26m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (Ned) |
18 Nov Qualifying Finals,
Joey Chan (HKG) bt
Latasha Khan (USA) 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-3 (49m)
Elise Ng (HKG) bt Kylie
Lindsay (NZL) 11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11, 18-16 (56m)
Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt
Liu Tsz Ling (HKG) 11-5, 11-7, 14-16, 11-2 (32m)
Delia Arnold (MAS) bt
Joelle King (NZL) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
Suzie Pierrepont (ENG)
bt Song Sun-Mi (KOR) 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 (26m)
Lauren Selby (ENG) bt
Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3 (33m)
Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt
Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9 (33m)
Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt
Mami Nishio (JPN) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (18m)
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17 Nov Qualifying Round One:
Latasha Khan (Usa) bt Tong Tsz-Wing (Hkg)
11/4, 11/4, 8/11, 11/9 (37m)
Joey Chan (Hkg) bt Ahn Eun-Chan (Kor)
11/5, 11/0, 11/2 (17m)
Elise Ng (Hkg) bt Szeto Ka-Hei (Hkg)
11/4, 11/9, 11/6 (19m)
Kylie Lindsay (Nzl) bt Lee Ka-Yi (Hkg)
11/4, 11/4, 11/2 (17m)
Lisa Camilleri (Aus) bt Dorothy Ko Sin-Ting (Hkg)
11/1, 11/7, 14/12 (23m)
Liu Tsz-Ling (Hkg) bt
Park Eun-Ok (Kor) bt
11/8, 11/5, 7/11, 11/13, 11/9 (40m)
Delia Arnold (Mas) bt Ho Tsz-Lok (Hkg)
11/7, 11/1, 11/0 (13m)
Joelle King (Nzl) bt Chan Wing-Hei (Hkg)
11/8, 11/5, 11/4 (15m)
Song Sun-Mi (Kor) bt Chu Ka-Hei (Hkg)
11/0, 11/4, 11/6 (23m)
Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) bt Karman Siu (Hkg)
11/9, 11/1, 11/4 (17m)
Lauren Selby (Eng) bt Ho Ka-Pp (Hkg)
12/10, 11/2, 11/4 (21m)
Sarah Kippax (Eng) bt Emma Pike (Aus)
11/5, 11/5, 11/3 (13m)
Dipika Pallikal (Ind) bt Victoria Lust (Eng)
11/13, 11/8, 11/8, 11/7 (35m)
Emma Beddoes (Eng) bt Karla Chong (Hkg)
11/6, 11/4, 11/3 (19m)
Mami Nishio (Jpn) bt Carmen Lee (Hkg)
11/7, 11/7, 11/2 (15m)
Donna Urguhart (Aus) bt Leung Shin-Nga (Hkg)
11/5, 11/8, 11/8 (21m)
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Reports
Semi Finals
Shabana & David In Sight Of Hong Kong Hat-Tricks
Top seeds
Amr Shabana and Nicol David are both now just one match away from
third successive title victories in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open
Championships after impressive semi-final wins on an all-glass court at the
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza in Hong Kong.
In the opening
semi-final of the men’s $145,000 PSA Super Series Platinum event, Shabana
recovered from a game down to overcome Tour rival Thierry Lincou 7-11,
11-3, 11-3, 11-4 in 45 minutes. The world number one from Egypt is now in the
33rd PSA Tour final of his career and his sixth this year.
Later,
second-seeded Frenchman Gregory Gaultier ended a two-match winning Tour
run by Englishman James Willstrop when he beat the third seed 11-4, 8-11,
11-7, 11-2 in 61 minutes.
The win takes
the 25-year-old from Aix-en-Provence into his 29th Tour final - and a repeat of
last year's final clash with Shabana.
There was a
surprise in the second semi-final in the women's $104,000 WISPA World Tour
Platinum event when Australia's third seed Rachael Grinham dismissed
her second-seeded younger sister Natalie Grinham 11-1, 11-7, 11-6 in just
24 minutes to make the Hong Kong final for the first time in her fourth attempt.
Nicol David,
the world number one from Malaysia looking for her tenth Tour title this year,
took 39 minutes to overhaul Natalie Grainger, the fourth seed from the
USA, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5.
The win takes
David into the 48th WISPA final of her career.
Quarter Finals
World Champions In Injury-Blighted
Quarter-Finals In Hong Kong
Recently-crowned world
squash champions Ramy Ashour and Nicol David were both involved in
quarter-final matches in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Championships
in Hong Kong which were cut short by injury.
Egyptian Ramy Ashour,
fourth seed in the men’s $145,000 PSA Super Series Platinum event, faced
former champion Thierry Lincou, the No8 seed from France. Ashour drew
level after the Frenchman took the opening game, but Lincou fought back to take
the fourth and opened up a four-point lead in the fourth when Ashour conceded
the match at 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 6-2 (ret.) - apparently suffering with the
recurrence of a recent hamstring injury.
Lincou, in the semi-final
for the second year in a row, will now face Ashour's senior compatriot Amr
Shabana, the world number one who is expected to win the title for the third
year in a row.
Shabana took on Karim
Darwish, his in-form fellow Egyptian who won the Qatar Classic last
month and rose to a career-high world No2 this month. In a match worthy of the
final, Shabana beat the sixth seed 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 to avenge his defeat
in the Doha climax.
The other men's semi will
feature England's James Willstrop and Frenchman Gregory Gaultier.
Willstrop, the third seed who has been suffering with an ankle injury for the
past few months, ended Cameron Pilley's giant-killing run - beating the
unseeded Australian 11-5, 11-8, 11-6.
Gaultier, runner-up twelve
months ago, also ousted an Australian. The second seed beat a
less-than-full-strength David Palmer when the fifth seed retired injured
with the score at 11-3, 11-7, 6-3.
In the second
quarter-final in the women's $104,000 WISPA World Tour Platinum event,
Malaysian favourite Nicol David took just 14 minutes to claim her
place in the last four when Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy conceded the match
after just two games.
Defending champion David,
whose unbeaten Tour record now stands at 51 matches since October 2007, will now
face USA's fourth seed Natalie Grainger, who despatched England's
Alison Waters, the sixth seed, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5.
The other semi-final will
provide the second meeting between the Australian-born Grinham sisters in three
weeks. Third seed Rachael Grinham required just 27 minutes to overcome
surprise French opponent Isabelle Stoehr, the 14th seed, 11-7, 12-10,
11-8.
But second seed Natalie
Grinham, the world No2 now representing Netherlands, battled for 69 minutes
to see off fifth-seeded Englishwoman Jenny Duncalf 11-8, 11-9, 4-11,
12-14, 12-10.
Second Round
Pilley Powers Into Maiden Super Series Quarters In Hong Kong
Rising Australian Cameron Pilley pulled off his second successive upset
in today’s (Thursday) second round of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open
Squash Championships when he defeated England’s seventh seed Nick Matthew
in straight games to reach the last eight of the men’s $145,000 PSA Super
Series Platinum event in Hong Kong.
The
shock 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 victory – which avenges his loss to the higher-ranked
Yorkshireman in September’s Dutch Open final – takes Pilley into the
first Super Series quarter-final of his career.
The
26-year-old world No20 from New South Wales now faces a further Englishman,
after third seed James Willstrop despatched Malaysia’s tenth seed Ong
Beng Hee 11-8, 11-7, 11-6.
Favourite Amr Shabana was stretched for more than an hour before
overcoming Australia’s 16th seed Stewart Boswell 11-8, 7-11,
11-5, 11-6 in 62 minutes to earn his place in the last eight. The 29-year-old
from Giza is joined in the quarter-finals by fellow Egyptians Karim Darwish
and Ramy Ashour – both of whom beat Englishmen. Shabana takes on Darwish
for a place in the semi-finals.
In
the women’s $104,000 WISPA World Tour Platinum event, Malaysian favourite
Nicol David extended her unbroken Tour run to 50 matches after beating
Asian rival Rebecca Chiu. The world number one was taken to four games
by the Hong Kong number one before winning 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 in 34 minutes.
Later in the day, France’s Isabelle Stoehr earned a surprise place in the
last eight when she beat former world champion Vanessa Atkinson, the No8
seed from the Netherlands. Atkinson took the first game and narrowly missed out
in the second. But Stoehr, the 14th seed, piled on the pressure to
clinch her 10-12, 13-11, 11-1, 11-7 victory – and a meeting with Australia’s
third seed Rachael Grinham in the quarter-finals.
First Round
Nicol David Poised To Make Half-Century
Malaysian favourite Nicol David is one match away from extending her
unbroken WISPA World Tour run to 50 matches after beating New Zealand’s
Jaclyn Hawkes in today’s (Wednesday) first round of the Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong Open Squash Championships in Hong Kong.
The
world’s leading players – led by world number ones David and Amr Shabana
- are competing in one of the biggest joint men’s and women’s events of the
year, celebrating its 23rd consecutive year of sponsorship by
Cathay Pacific.
Defending champion Nicol David took just 22 minutes to despatch Hawkes 11-8,
11-3, 11-6 in the $104,000 WISPA Platinum event - and will now face Asian
rival Rebecca Chiu in a bid to win her 50th match in a row
en-route to her tenth Tour title triumph this year.
Local favourite Chiu, the 13th seed, defeated Denmark’s Line
Hansen 11-9, 11-8, 11-8.
Egypt’s Raneem El Weleily pulled off the only upset on the opening day of
women’s action. The 19-year-old from Alexandria defeated Shelley Kitchen,
the No10 seed from New Zealand, 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7 in 31 minutes and will
now face USA’s fourth seed Natalie Grainger for a place in the
quarter-finals.
After a troubled year following knee surgery in April, Tania Bailey made
a welcome return to Tour action with an 11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 11-1 victory over
English compatriot Lauren Briggs. The 29-year-old 11th seed
from Lincolnshire, who has dropped from five to 17 in the world rankings since
July, will now battle with England team-mate Jenny Duncalf, the fifth
seed.
Australian Cameron Pilley pulled off biggest upset in the men’s $145,000
PSA Super Series Platinum event. The 26-year-old from New South Wales
beat Wael El Hindi when the ninth seed from Egypt retired injured with
the score at 11-7, 12-10, 6-3 ret. to the Australian.
Unseeded Englishman Alister Walker celebrated his second win in three
years over higher-ranked Finn Olli Tuominen when he beat the 14th
seed 6-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8. The Botswana-born 26-year-old from Leeds will
now meet Ramy Ashour, after the world champion from Egypt beat Australian
qualifier Scott Arnold 11-4, 11-8, 11-7.
But
the longest encounter of the day saw Spaniard Borja Golan continue the
form which saw him win the Santiago Open earlier this month. The
unseeded 25-year-old battled for 100 minutes – twice coming back from behind –
before beating Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, the 15th seed,
5-11, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7
Qualifying
Shabana & David In Bids For Hong Kong
Hat-Tricks
Amr Shabana
and Nicol David, from Egypt and Malaysia, respectively, are both seeded
to win their third successive titles in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open
Squash Championships in Hong Kong, where the long-established Tour event
celebrates its 23rd consecutive year of sponsorship by the country’s
world-renowned airline.
Shabana will
make his 11th successive appearance in the $145,000 PSA Super
Series Platinum event and will face compatriot Omar Mosaad in
tomorrow’s (Wednesday) first round en-route to an anticipated place in the final
on Sunday.
Two former
men’s champions are also in the men’s draw – France’s 2004 winner Thierry
Lincou is seeded to reach the quarter-finals for the fifth time, and
David Palmer, the fifth seed from Australia, is looking for his sixth
successive semi-final berth since winning the trophy in 2001.
Lincou’s first
round opponent is India’s Saurav Ghosal – one of three Asians to make it
through today’s qualifying finals – while Palmer takes on Chris Ryder, one of
two Englishmen to qualify.
Nicol David is
only making her fourth appearance in the women’s $104,000 WISPA World Tour
Platinum championship. With 11 successive Tour titles under her belt since
November 2007, David has notched up 48 WISPA matches without defeat – and will
be looking to chalk up her half-century in the second round. The 25-year-old
from Penang faces New Zealand’s Jaclyn Hawkes in the opening round.
But David will
face stiff opposition from a number of quarters – led by the Australian-born
sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham, seeded two and three,
respectively, and Natalie Grainger, the fourth seed from the USA.
Hong Kong
celebrated two notable victories in the women’s qualifying finals when Joey
Chan beat top qualifying seed Latasha Khan 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11,
11-3, and Elise Ng battled to a 56-minute 11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11, 18-16
win over New Zealander Kylie Lindsay.
Chan and Ng
join Annie Au, Christina Mak and 13th seed Rebecca
Chiu to provide the biggest ever local main draw entry in the history of the
women’s event.
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