Annie Wins
Kuwait Crown
Hong Kong's
Annie Au stormed to victory in the Women's Sheikha Sheikha Saad Al Sabah
International, the inaugural $11,600 WISPA World Tour squash event at
the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally, Kuwait.
The
21-year-old top seed reached the final without dropping a game - winning each of
her two previous matches in just 18 minutes and dropping only five points in her
semi-final victory over Egypt's third seed Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy.
But second
seed Dipika Pallikal provided sterner opposition. The 18-year-old world
No40 from India dropped the first two games - but got the better of the
experienced Au, ranked 17 in the world, in the third to win by a tie-break.
But
left-hander Au regained the upper hand in the fourth to clinch her 11-6, 11-5,
11-13, 11-3 title triumph after 38 minutes.
The win marks
Au's first WISPA World Tour title success this year - but the sixth of
her career.
Top Seeds To
Contest Kuwait Climax
Top seeds
Annie Au and Dipika Pallikal will contest the final of the Women's
Sheikha Sheikha Saad Al Sabah International, the inaugural $11,600 WISPA
World Tour squash event at the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally,
Kuwait.
Hong Kong
favourite Au raced to her second successive match win in under 20 minutes by
despatching Egypt's third seed Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 in
just 18 minutes.
Second seed
Dipika Pallikal needed four games to book her anticipated place in the
climax. The 18-year-old world No40 from Chennai battled for 38 minutes to get
the better of Japan's fourth seed Misaki Kobayashi 11-6, 13-11, 4-11,
11-5.
Pallikal is
celebrating her third appearance in a WISPA Tour final, while 21-year-old Au,
ranked 17 in the world, is marking her ninth final.
Seeds Survive In Sheikha Saad Al
Sabah International
The top
four seeds will contest the semi-finals of the Women's Sheikha Sheikha Saad
Al Sabah International in Kuwait, with favourite Annie Au taking just
18 minutes to win her quarter-final match in the inaugural $11,600 WISPA
World Tour squash event at the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally.
The
21-year-old from Hong Kong despatched seventh-seeded South African Adel Weir-Nunan
11-6, 11-2, 11-4 and will now meet third seed Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy for a
place in the final.
The
Egyptian had an even easier time, gaining a walkover after her opponent Linda
Hruzikova, the fifth seed from Slovakia, was forced to withdraw following an
injury.
Second
seed Dipika Pallikal also dropped a game for the second day in a row as
she battled to her predicted place in the semi-finals.
The
18-year-old world No40 from Chennai needed 36 minutes to overcome France's No8
seed Laura Pomportes 11-6, 11-1, 8-11, 11-6 and will now line-up against
Japan's fourth seed Misaki Kobayashi in the other semi.
Pallikal
Tested In Kuwait Opener
Dipika
Pallikal
took her anticipated place in the quarter-finals of the Women's Sheikha
Sheikha Saad Al Sabah International - but the second seed from India
was stretched to four games by Egypt's unseeded Sara El Noamany in the
opening round of the inaugural $11,600 WISPA World Tour squash event at
the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally, Kuwait.
Pallikal, the
18-year-old world No40 from Chennai, battled for 45 minutes to overcome the
20-year-old from Cairo 11-4, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8 - and will now face eighth seed
Laura Pomportes for a place in the last four.
Pomportes,
from Toulouse in France, despatched Mariam Dashti - one of two Kuwaiti
qualifiers - 11-0, 11-3, 11-2 in just 14 minutes.
Top seed
Annie Au was in commanding form as she brushed aside Pakistan's Zoya
Khalid 11-5, 11-7, 11-5.
The world No17
from Hong Kong will now line up against South Africa's No7 seed Adel Weir-Nunan.
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