28/03/2009
NSC SERIES No. 5
Iskandar & Bailey Win NSC Titles In KL
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Reports
Tania Bailey quote |
NSC
Series No. 5 2009
Men's Draw
23-28 Mar, Kuala Lumpur, $20k |
Round One
25 Mar |
Quarters
26 Mar |
Semis
27 Mar |
Final
28 Mar |
[1] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)
11/7,11/8,11/5 (34m)
[Q] Matthew Karwalski (Aus) |
Azlan Iskandar
11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (40m)
Saurav Ghosal |
Azlan Iskandar
11-5, 11-4, 13-15, 11-7 (47m)
Hisham Ashour |
Azlan Iskandar
11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6 (73m)
Omar Mosaad |
[5]
Saurav Ghosal (Ind)
9/11,11/4,11/4,11/1 (53m)
Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) |
[3]
Hisham Ashour (Egy)
11/7,11/6,4/11,11/8 (47m)
[Q] Clinton Leeuw (Rsa) |
Hisham Ashour
11-1, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
Mohn Nafiizwan Adnan |
[8] Mohn Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas)
11/4,11/9,12/10 (36m)
Adil Maqbool (Pak) |
Stephane Galifi (Fra)
11/6,11/2,4/1 rtd (15m)
[7] Yasir Butt (Pak) |
Stephane Galifi
11-2, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7 (61m)
Renan Lavigne |
Stephane Galifi
11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (40m)
Omar Mosaad |
Nafzahizam Adnan
11/4,11/6,11/6 (31m)
[4] Renan Lavigne (Fra) |
[Q] Mathieu Castagnet (Fra)
6/11,9/11,11/6,11/9,11/3 (61m)
[6] Kashif Shuja (Nzl) |
Mathieu Castagnet
11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 (54m)
Omar Mosaad |
[Q] Zac Alexander (Aus)
7/11,11/6,11/4,11/5 (50m)
[2] Omar Mosaad (Egy) |
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NSC
Series No. 5 2009
Women's Draw
23-28 Mar, Kuala Lumpur, $25k |
Round One
25 Mar |
Quarters
26 Mar |
Semis
27 Mar |
Final
28 Mar |
[1]
Madeline Perry (Irl)
11/7,11/8,11/7 (35m)
Lim Woke Yah (Mas) |
Madeline Perry
11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (36m)
Aisling Blake |
Madeline Perry
15-13, 11-9, 11-6 (46m)
Annie Au |
Madeline Perry
11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (42m)
Tania Bailey |
[8]
Delia Arnold (Mas)
11/4,8/11,12/10,11/8 (51m)
Aisling Blake (Irl) |
[3]
Kasey Brown (Aus)
11/5,11/3,11/8 (26m)
[Q] Lisa Camilleri (Aus) |
Kasey Brown
12-10, 11-7, 11-9 (43m)
Annie Au |
[6]
Annie Au (Hkg)
11/7,8/11,11/6,14/12 (45m)
[Q] Maria Toor Pakay (Pak) |
Donna Urquhart (Aus)
9/11,11/6,11/1,11/3 (35m)
[5] Tania Bailey (Eng) |
Tania Bailey
7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 (52m)
Shelley Kitchen |
Tania Bailey
11-2, 12-10, 11-3 (30m)
Vanessa Atkinson |
[Q] Amelia Pittock (Aus)
11/7,11/5,11/4 (28m)
[4] Shelley Kitchen (Nzl) |
[Q] Low Wee Wern (Mas)
11/9,11/7,6/11,2/11,11/2 (50m)
[7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Eng) |
Dominique Lloyd-Walter
11-6, 13-11, 11-4 (32m)
Vanessa Atkinson |
Sarah Kippax (Eng)
7/11,11/8,11/8,8/11,11/4 (55m)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) |
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"I am really, really, pleased
about winning the tournament. It feels great and makes the trouble I have had
over the last year and a half all worth it. To also beat Shelley, Vanessa and
Madeline all in the same tournament is great! To be able to back up matches
against the top players is a real bonus.
"It's been so long since I won a WISPA tournament (and I haven't
won many either!) I forgot how good it feels!
"Last year there were times when it looked like I might not be
able to play any more and where I didn't see any improvements in my knee for
months at a time. There were even times when it actually got worse rather than
better. I was always 100% dedicated to my rehab and I did absolutely everything
I could do to help myself and, although it was extremely tough, I have
definitely come out of it a stronger person.
"I have had great support through the EIS and England Squash in
Manchester (where I practically lived for most of last year) - particularly the
help I have had from Adam Wright, my sport psychologist. They have all helped
me to get back on court. Also my family and friends have been great. When
things were going badly, they were always there to take my mind off it.
"I am really enjoying playing now more than ever and realise how
lucky I am to be doing what I am doing. I hope I can continue to play for many
more years and hopefully maybe pick up a few more titles!"
Tania
Bailey
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Reports
Iskandar & Bailey
Win NSC Titles In KL
Local hero Mohd
Azlan Iskandar and England's Tania Bailey triumphed in the men's and
women's finals, respectively, of the NSC Series No5 Squash Championships
to bring the five-event series of international Squash events at the Bukit
Jalil National Squash Centre in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to
a close.
Tania Bailey
celebrated her first WISPA World Tour title success for almost three
years - and the biggest of her career - when she beat Madeline Perry, the
top seed from Ireland, in the climax of the women's $25,000 championship.
It was the
29-year-old fifth seed from Lincolnshire's third successive upset in three days,
after notable victories over fourth-seeded New Zealander Shelley Kitchen
in the quarter-finals and former world champion Vanessa Atkinson, the
second seed, in the previous round.
Bailey's triumph
comes after an injury-stricken period which included knee surgery last year and
necessitated a four-month Tour layoff.
The former world
No4, who finished outside the top 20 at the end of last year, can now look
forward to a significant rankings boost in next month's WISPA list.
Mohd Azlan Iskandar
also celebrated a long-awaited return to the winner's podium after his success
in the men's $20,000 PSA Tour event.
The 26-year-old top
seed from KL, who was marking his 20th appearance in a Tour final, battled for
73 minutes to overcome Egypt's No2 seed Omar Mosaad 11-9, 11-5, 7-11,
6-11, 11-6.
The victory marks
Iskandar's 11th Tour title - but the first since winning the KL Open in
July 2007.
Bailey Battles
Into KL Climax
England's Tania
Bailey produced her second upset in 24 hours in the NSC Series No5 Squash
Championships when she beat No2 seed Vanessa Atkinson in straight
games to reach the final of the women's $25,000 WISPA World Tour event at
the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre in the Malaysian capital
Kuala Lumpur.
The 29-year-old
fifth seed from Lincolnshire, who dismissed fourth-seeded New Zealander
Shelley Kitchen in the previous round, defeated former world champion
Atkinson, from the Netherlands, 11-2, 12-10, 11-3 in 30 minutes to reach the
14th Tour final of her career – but her first since July 2007.
Bailey, a former
world No4 who is fighting back to her old form after knee surgery last year,
will now face Madeline Perry, the top seed from Ireland.
Perry survived a
tough opening game in her semi-final against rapidly-improving Annie Au
before beating the 20-year-old from Hong Kong 15-13, 11-9, 11-6.
The 10 times Irish
National champion from Belfast is celebrating her 13th WISPA final appearance.
Malaysian interest
rides high in the men's $20,000 PSA Tour event where favourite Mohd
Azlan Iskandar needed four games to overcome Egyptian Hisham Mohd Ashour,
the No3 seed, 11-5, 11-4, 13-15, 11-7.
The 26-year-old
from KL – now marking his 20th appearance in a PSA Tour final – will line up
against Egypt's second seed Omar Mosaad.
The 21-year-old
from Cairo ended the unexpected run of Frenchman Stephane Galifi, beating
the unseeded 30-year-old from Aix-en-Provence 11-7, 11-4, 11-8.
Galifi Grabs
Surprise Semi-Final Slot In KL
More than nine
years after last meeting on the Tour, Stephane Galifi repeated his upset
over higher-ranked French compatriot Renan Lavigne in the quarter-finals
of the NSC Series No5 Squash Championships to reach the last four of the
men's $20,000 PSA Tour event at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre
in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
The unseeded
30-year-old from Aix-en-Provence beat Lavigne, the fourth seed, 11-2, 5-11,
11-9, 11-7 in 61 minutes in the only upset in the men's event.
Galifi will now
face Omar Mosaad, the No2 seed from Egypt who also triumphed over a
Frenchman, beating qualifier Mathieu Castagnet 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7.
Favourite Mohd
Azlan Iskandar maintained local interest in the championships when he beat
fifth-seeded Indian Saurav Ghosal 11-9, 11-5, 11-9. The 26-year-old
Malaysian will face Egypt's third seed Hisham Mohd Ashour, an 11-1, 11-6,
11-6 winner over local player Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, the eighth seed.
There were two
quarter-final upsets in the women's $25,000 WISPA World Tour event.
England's Tania Bailey brought to an end a 13-match-winning run by
Shelley Kitchen in the NSC Series in KL when she upset the fourth seed 7-11,
11-8, 11-7, 11-3 in 52 minutes.
The former world
No4 from Lincolnshire, still fighting back to her old form after knee surgery
last year, will now take on second seed Vanessa Atkinson for a place in
the final. The Dutch star despatched England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter
11-6, 13-11, 11-4.
Hong Kong's
Annie Au continued her upward rise on the WISPA Tour: The 20-year-old sixth
seed dismissed Australia's Kasey Brown, the No3 seed, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9
and will now face Irish favourite Madeline Perry in a surprise
semi-final.
Blake Blows
Local Hopes In KL Championship
Ireland's
Aisling Blake reduced local hopes for success in the NSC Series No5
Squash Championships after upsetting Malaysia's No8 seed Delia Arnold
in the opening round of the women's $25,000 WISPA World Tour squash event
at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre in the country's capital
Kuala Lumpur.
The unseeded
27-year-old from Sligo beat world No23 Arnold 11-4, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8 in 51
minutes and will now face Irish rival Madeline Perry in an unexpected
quarter-final. Top seed Perry also ousted a Malaysian, beating Lim Yoke Wah
11-7, 11-8, 11-7.
Second seed
Vanessa Atkinson needed five games to overcome Sarah Kippax – the
Dutch star beating her unseeded English opponent 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4 in
55 minutes.
It was a good day
for France in the men's $20,000 PSA Tour event. Mathieu Castagnet
became the only qualifier to make the last eight after dismissing New Zealand's
sixth seed Kashif Shuja 6-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 in 61 minutes.
Castagnet, from Le
Mans, progresses to meet Omar Mosaad, the No2 seed from Egypt who took
four games to defeat Australian qualifier Zac Alexander 7-11, 11-6, 11-4,
11-5.
A surprise
all-French quarter-final clash is the result of the unexpected demise of
Pakistan's Yasir Butt. The fifth seed retired injured midway through his
third game against unseeded Stephane Galifi – leaving the Frenchman to
line up against compatriot Renan Lavigne, the fourth seed who beat
Malaysian Nafzahizam Adnan 11-4, 11-6, 11-6.
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