RESULTS: Women's Cathay Pacific
Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open,
Hong Kong
Qualifying finals: Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5
(30m) Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Ho Ka Po (HKG) 6-11, 11-8, 9-11,
11-5, 11-9 (65m) Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Melody Francis (AUS) 11-9, 7-11,
9-11, 11-2, 11-3 (43m) Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Laura Pomportes (FRA) 11-8, 11-4,
11-9 (29m) Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Olivia Blatchford (USA) 12-10,
11-9, 11-5 (34m) Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bt Delia Arnold (MAS) 11-5, 2-11,
11-6, 11-7 (43m) Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt Deon Saffery (WAL) 11-6, 11-4,
11-9 (27m) Mariam Ibrahim Metwally (EGY) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 11-5,
11-7, 11-5 (26m)
1st qualifying round: Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt Lee Ka Yi (HKG) 13-11, 11-6, 11-6
(29m) Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt Nadine Ayman Shahin (EGY) 11-6,
11-6, 11-2 (29m) Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Carmen Lee (HKG) 11-7, 11-2, 11-9
(21m) Ho Ka Po (HKG) bt Sina Wall (GER) 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (30m) Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Vanessa Chu (HKG) 11-8, 11-7,
9-11, 11-9 (30m) Melody Francis (AUS) bt Jannis Lam (HKG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-8
(26m) Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Li Dongjin (CHN) 11-8, 11-5, 11-5
(16m) Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt Choi Uen Shan (HKG) 11-7, 8-11,
11-8, 9-11, 12-10 (52m) Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt Chan Ho-Ching (HKG) 11-7, 11-7,
11-4 (22m) Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Belen Etchechoury (ARG) 11-2, 11-6,
11-4 (19m) Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bt Aparajitha Balamurukan (IND)
11-0, 11-6, 11-4 (20m) Delia Arnold (MAS) bt Karman Siu (HKG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-6
(19m) Deon Saffery (WAL) bt Ho Ka-Wing (HKG) 11-8, 11-2, 11-2
(19m) Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 11-3, 11-3,
9-11, 11-6 (33m) Mariam Ibrahim Metwally (EGY) bt Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) 11-9,
11-5, 11-6 (35m) Latasha Khan (USA) bt Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 11-2, 11-6,
11-7 (13m)
Final
Record 90th Turns Into Nine For Nicol David In Hong Kong
The
unstoppable Malaysian squash superstar Nicol David today
celebrated her record 90th WSA World Tour final appearance in the
Women's Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open by
capturing her eighth Hong Kong Open crown in a row - and her ninth
successive major title in Hong Kong.
The
final WSA World Series Gold event of the year came to a glorious
climax today on an all-glass showcourt at the Hong Kong Cultural
Centre on the spectacular Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront.
The
women's final, a re-run of the 2011 climax, saw world No1 David take on
Egypt's Raneem El Welily, the third seed from Cairo.
After
evenly-contested first halves of the first two games, David (pictured
above in action with El Welily) romped away to open up a 2/0 lead -
but world No3 El Welily led briefly in the third before the Malaysian
again took charge to close out the match 11-7, 11-7, 12-10 in 35
minutes.
Today's outcome can be simply summed up numerically: It was 30-year-old
David's 6th WSA World Tour title of the year; her 9th
consecutive title in Hong Kong after winning the first of her record
seven World Open titles in the special administrative region of China in
2005; it was the Penangite's 45th successive match win in Hong
Kong; the 71st WSA World Tour of her career; and a
record-equalling 90th Tour final appearance.
The
win will without doubt also see David into her 9th decade at the
top of the world rankings in January!
"Hong
Kong is a lucky charm of mine, I guess," David told SportAsia.
"It means the world to me to win in Hong Kong every time. It's always
special. Having won here since the 2005 World Open, it's really an
experience for me. There's definitely something special in Hong Kong
that keeps me going and wanting to do well here."
Of the
final, David added: "The tempo was so high. It was such ruthless squash
from the both of us. No one took their foot off the pedal. It was all
the way, just full on, so I was really happy to stay in there with her.
All of our matches have been this fast, this intense.
"It
was really close in the first and second games, neck and neck until the
very end. It could have gone her way in the first two games, but I came
back stronger at the end of each just to make it clear that I won that
game."
David
(pictured above with men's champion Nick Matthew) can now
look forward to a well-earned Christmas break: "I'll be back in Malaysia
a lot longer this time to really have a proper Christmas and New Year
with my family and friends.
"I did
miss out last year and certainly looking forward to some down time at
home."
Semi
Finals
David Shares Fitz-Gerald's 90-Final Record In Hong Kong
A near
hour-long victory by defending champion Nicol David over
England's Alison Waters in the semi-finals of the Women's
Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open sees the
Malaysian equal the 90 WSA World Tour final appearances set by
Australian squash legend Sarah Fitz-Gerald.
World
No1 David, going for a remarkable ninth successive title in Hong Kong,
recovered from a game down to beat No4 seed Waters 9-11, 13-11, 11-7,
11-7 in 58 minutes in the WSA World Series Gold event on an
all-glass showcourt at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at the Hong
Kong harbour.
"To
equal Sarah in anything is always an accomplishment for me," David
(pictured above with Waters) told SportAsia. "She's so
respected and she's done wonders for women's squash. She's one of my
role models as well, so to actually equal what she's done is really a
feat for me."
Fitz-Gerald, 45, expected David to not only go on to beat her record but
also reach at least a century of finals.
"She's
done magnificently well and I expect her to go bigger and beyond that,"
said Melbourne-based Fitz-Gerald, who won five World Open titles among
her 62 WSA titles.
"Knowing her, she'd be looking at 100 and probably 120 or so. Good on
her. She's a great little champion and a fantastic ambassador for
squash," added the Australian.
In a
repeat of the 2011 final, David will take on Egypt's Raneem El Welily.
The world No3 from Cairo broke Hong Kong hearts by ending local star
Annie Au's run, beating the Hong Kong number one, the event's 12th
seed, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5.
El
Welily (pictured above with left-hander Au), 24, is marking her
17th WSA Tour final.
Quarter
Finals
Au Ousts Massaro To Make Hong Kong Semis
Hong
Kong squash star Annie Au thrilled the Women's Cathay Pacific
Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open crowds at the Hong Kong
Squash Centre today when she upset England's world No2 Laura
Massaro in four games to claim a surprise semi-final berth in the
WSA World Series Gold event for the second time in three years.
The
Hong Kong number one, ranked 14 places below the No2 seed, went into the
match 5-2 down in Tour clashes with Massaro since their first meeting in
the 2008 Hong Kong Open. But Au had won two of the recent three meetings
- including the most recent at the World Series Finals in London
in January.
And,
spurred on by the packed and partisan crowd, left-hander Au (pictured
above with Massaro) used all her skill and knowledge of the court to
hold off her 30-year-old opponent, eventually winning 11-6, 11-5, 9-11,
11-9 in 50 minutes to earn a place in the semi-finals - when the event
moves onto an all-glass showcourt at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre
at the Hong Kong harbour.
"I feel really happy," 24-year-old Au
said later. "The feeling is really great because for the second time
I'll be playing on the glass court in Tsim Sha Tsui. Last time it felt
really amazing to play over there, so to get there a second time makes
me really happy.
"This
is definitely the biggest win of my career," continued the 12th seed.
"Laura has been performing really well for the past few months and now I
beat her and I feel more confident in myself. My confidence is back
because my ranking has dropped this year so I was a bit disappointed."
Au now
faces Egypt's Raneem El Welily, the third seed who was runner-up
in her last appearance in the championship in 2011.
The
world No3 from Cairo defeated compatriot Omneya Abdel Kawy, the
28-year-old world No13 who reached the final in 2009, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4
in 30 minutes.
"Playing Laura was the expected thing, but obviously Annie played well,"
said El Welily. "I haven't played her in a long time and obviously she's
the crowd favourite so I hope I play well."
The
Alexandria-born 24-year-old will return to the Tsim Sha Tsui venue for
the second time in three years. "It's really beautiful there. It's
really nice. I can't wait."
Malaysian star Nicol David extended her formidable record in Hong
Kong by notching up her 43rd successive win in the event over the past
decade. The world number one, going for a ninth title in a row, took
just 24 minutes to see off England's No5 seed Jenny Duncalf 11-4,
11-3, 11-3 in a repeat of the 2010 final.
David
will renew her rivalry with a second English opponent, Alison Waters,
in the semis. Six times a quarter-finalist since 2007, Londoner Waters
earned only her second ever semi berth when she beat surprise unseeded
opponent Joshana Chinappa.
The
11-time Indian champion from Mumbai was celebrating her first ever
appearance in the last eight of a World Series event after upsetting the
No7 seed Natalie Grinham and 15th seed Line Hansen in the
previous two rounds.
Chinappa (pictured above, left, with Waters) carried on where she
left off by tasking the first game against Waters. But the world No4
recovered to win 12-14, 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 after 41 minutes.
2nd
round:
Chinappa Charges Into Maiden World Series Quarter-Final
In Hong Kong
India's Joshana Chinappa pulled off a sensational second
successive upset in today's second round of the Women's Cathay
Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open to claim her first
ever quarter-final berth in a WSA World Series event.
After
making her breakthrough in the first round where she upset No7 seed
Natalie Grinham, the 27-year-old from Mumbai today stunned Denmark's
No15 seed Line Hansen 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 in 44 minutes to
become the only unseeded player to reach the last eight of the final
World Series Gold event of the year at the Hong Kong Squash
Centre.
Currently just two places below the career-high world No24 ranking she
achieved two months ago, 11-time Indian national champion Chinappa made
her WSA World Series championship debut in the Kuwait Open
qualifiers in March 2005. Now, 28 World Series events later, the
Chennai-born Indian star is making her long-awaited quarter-final debut.
"I hadn't played Line for five years
but she's had some good results recently so I knew it would be tough,"
Chinappa (pictured above in action with Hansen) said later. "I
really like it here in Hong Kong and seem to play well. That's two good
wins for me."
Chinappa will now face Alison Waters, the No4 seed from England
who took only 23 minutes to dismiss Welsh qualifier Tesni Evans
11-2, 11-4, 11-5. It was Waters that Chinappa met in the first
qualifying round in Kuwait in 2005
"It
will be very different tomorrow on the glass court, but I had a great
time on there last year [beating Annie Au] so I hope to do well
on there again tomorrow," concluded Chinappa.
Two
greats of the women's game will meet in the quarter-finals when
defending champion Nicol David, the top seed from Malaysia, takes
on 2010 runner-up Jenny Duncalf, the fifth seed from England.
In a
repeat of last year's final, David beat France's Camille Serme -
but had to recover from a game down to overcome the No9 seed 7-11, 11-4,
11-6, 11-5 in 41 minutes.
Duncalf was taken the full distance by rising Guyana star Nicolette
Fernandes before finally beating the 16th seed 12-10, 9-11, 11-6,
6-11, 11-9 in 76 minutes.
The
quarter-final clash will be David and Duncalf's 28th on the WSA World
Tour since February 2002 - and fourth in the Hong Kong Open. The
Malaysian holds a 25-2 head-to-head advantage, with Duncalf claiming her
two victories in quick succession in November 2009.
Local
star Annie Au keeps Hong Kong hopes alive following her 11-3,
11-4, 11-6 win over English giant-killer Emma Beddoes(both
pictured above), the 28-year-old qualifier who ousted sixth seed
Low Wee Wern in the first round.
Au,
the No12 seed who was a semi-finalist in 2011, now faces second seed
Laura Massaro. In a match between two of the game's most experienced
players, the world No2 from England defeated Australia's former champion
Rachael Grinham 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 (both pictured below).
An
Egyptian semi-finalist is guaranteed when 11th seed Omneya Abdel Kawy
takes on Raneem El Welily, the third seed. Kawy, from Cairo,
upset Ireland's No8 seed Madeline Perry 12-10, 11-3, 11-5, while
El Welily, the 2011 runner-up from Alexandria, beat compatriot Nour
El Tayeb 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 11-8.
Round
One Top Half
David Gets Title Defence Underway In Hong Kong
Malaysia's world number one Nicol David successfully began her
defence of the Women's Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong
Kong Open title when she beat Canadian qualifier Samantha Cornett
in the first round of the final WSA World Series Gold squash
event of the year at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.
Bidding to win her ninth title in a row, the 30-year-old from Penang
notched up her 41st successive Hong Kong match win with her 11-5, 11-7,
11-4 victory over 22-year-old Cornett, the world No32 from Ottawa.
"I've seen that she's had some good
results," David (pictured above with Cornett) told
www.sport-asia.com
later. "Being so tall, I knew she was going to be strong volleying and
she's an attacking player. I knew I couldn't give her anything and I
paid the price sometimes.
"She's
keen, has nothing to lose and wanted to go for any opportunities that
are there. Anything in the forehand volley and backhand volley, she was
just putting it in. This court is very unforgiving and when she was
playing her shots I had to really keep sharp, keep solid, and I did that
at the end of each game."
"At
7-7, it's always crucial, so I just focused on that rally and then the
next rally, when I guess she was still thinking of the last point. I
just wanted to keep that momentum and get those few points when I needed
to. Then I just wanted to keep the intensity and put her under pressure,
especially in the third game," David continued.
"When
the pressure was on, she went a little bit too fine, too soon, and
that's where I got the advantage and I took the chances. I needed to
keep to my game and not fall into her patterns. I'm really pleased to
come out playing well at the end of each game and win it 3/0. Everything
came together well."
The
top seed now faces French rival Camille Serme, the ninth seed who
need four games to see off Hong Kong Open debutante Emily Whitlock,
a 19-year-old from England, 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7.
Tesni
Evans
became the second British qualifier to reach the event's last 16 after a
stunning five-game upset over Kasey Brown, the No10 seed from
Australia. The 21-year-old Welsh number one, who survived a five-game
qualifying finals encounter, twice came from behind to overcome world
No11 Brown 10-12, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8 in 81 minutes to reach the
second round in her maiden appearance in the event.
But
India's Joshana Chinappa claimed the biggest upset of the day
after removing No7 seed Natalie Grinham. The unseeded 27-year-old
from Mumbai despatched Dutch star Grinham, runner-up in 2007, 11-8,
11-8, 11-4.
The
shock win avenged 14th seed compatriot Dipika Pallikal's surprise
first round defeat 24 hours earlier.
16th
seed Nicolette Fernandes provided Guyana interest in the second
round for the second year in a row after beating Australian Donna
Urquhart 11-7, 11-9, 12-10.
World
No19 Fernandes (pictured above with left-hander Urquhart) will
now line up against England's Jenny Duncalf after the No5 seed
denied the crowd double Hong Kong interest in the last 16 round when she
beat Joey Chan 11-9, 12-10, 6-11, 11-8.
Round
One Lower Half
Beddoes Beats Low In Hong Kong High
English qualifier Emma Beddoes pulled off one of the biggest wins
of her career when she beat sixth seed Low Wee Wern in today's
opening round of the Women's Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial
Hong Kong Open, the WSA World Series Gold squash event at the
Hong Kong Squash Centre.
Despite the 17 world ranking positions which separate the pair, Beddoes
and Wee Wern have endured five-game battles in all three of their
previous Tour encounters, with the world No8 from Malaysia going into
today's match 2/1 ahead.
And
23-year-old Wee Wern took the opening two games, before the plucky
28-year-old from Nottingham began to take the upper hand before closing
out the match 8-11, 12-14, 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 in 72 minutes.
"She is such a talented fighter, and
we always have tough battles," admitted Beddoes, (pictured above with
Low, foreground). "And on such a cold court, it was all about who
would take the initiative, although the rallies were very long.
"But I
knew it was there. I had been playing well lately - I was waiting for a
good result on the WSA. And here it is.
"I'm
really proud actually, coming back from 2/0 down against a top 10
player, really proud. And I'm also very happy I have a day off
tomorrow!"
Egypt's Nour El Tayeb also recorded an impressive upset when she
defeated India's in-form 14th seed Dipika Pallikal 15-13, 11-6,
11-2.
"I'm
happy with my performance, because I've been training very hard, and the
hard work is paying off," said the jubilant 20-year-old from Cairo
afterwards. "Beating Dipika is very important for me, because she's had
some really great results lately, and it's even sweeter because it's my
first time ever in Hong Kong!"
But it
was 12th seed Annie Au who produced the day's most popular win
when she overcame Egyptian qualifier Yathreb Adel. But the
24-year-old Hong Kong number one was taken the full distance before
finally seeing off the 17-year-old from Cairo 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 4-11,
11-2 in 68 minutes.
Au,
the world No16 (pictured above with Adel) now faces Beddoes for a
place in the quarter-finals.
After
a shock first round exit in the 2012 championship, England's world No2
Laura Massaro earned a confidence-boosting opening round victory
today when she beat French qualifier Coline Aumard 11-2, 11-8,
11-9.
In her
tenth successive appearance in the event, the No2 seed will now face
Australian veteran Rachael Grinham, the 13th seed and former
champion who has played in all 12 events since 2001! The 36-year-old
Queenslander defeated 17-year-old Egyptian qualifier Salma Hany
Ibrahim 11-9, 13-11, 11-5.
Six
Qualifiers To Make Hong Kong Open Debuts
All
but two of the players who survived today's qualifying finals of the
Women's Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open will be
making their debuts in the WSA World Series Gold squash event at
the Hong Kong Squash Centre.
Teenagers Mariam Ibrahim Metwally, Yathreb Adel and
Salma Hany Ibrahim - all just 17 - doubled the Egyptian
representation in the main draw after impressive qualifying finals
performances. Metwally, the world No70, became the lowest-ranked player
in the draw when she defeated US veteran Latasha Khan, the
40-year-old from Seattle ranked more than 40 places higher, 11-5, 11-7,
11-5 in just 26 minutes.
Adel,
the world No36 from Cairo, defeated France's Laura Pomportes
11-8, 11-4, 11-9, while Alexandria-based Ibrahim denied further
Malaysian interest in the main draw when she beat Delia Arnold
(both pictured above) 11-5, 2-11, 11-6, 11-7.
Twin
Hong Kong hopes Tong Tsz-Wing and Ho Ka Po bowed out at
the final hurdle. England's Emma Beddoes despatched the former
11-3, 11-5, 11-5 to book her sixth successive appearance in the first
round, while 19-year-old Ho twice led Tesni Evans(pictured
above, right, with Ho) before her higher-ranked Welsh opponent
prevailed 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 in 65 minutes to make her event
debut.
Canada's Samantha Cornett also survived a five-game onslaught,
fighting back from 2/1 down to beat Australian Melody Francis
11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-3.
The
22-year-old from Ottawa, ranked 32 in the world, will make her Hong Kong
Open debut against top seed Nicol David, the world number one
from Malaysia.
David,
poised on 40 matches without defeat over the past ten years in Hong
Kong, is bidding to win her ninth successive title.
Hong Kong Pair Survive Qualifying Openers
The
prospect of two further local players making the main draw of the
Women's Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open were
given a major boost today at the Hong Kong Squash Centre where
Tong Tsz-Wing and Ho Ka Po both prevailed in the first
qualifying round of the WSA World Series Gold squash event.
Tong
Tsz-Wing
defeated Egypt's 16-year-old Nadine Ayman Shahin 11-6, 11-6,
11-2. The 21-year-old world No56 from Hong Kong will now face England's
Emma Beddoes for a place in the main draw.
19-year-old Ho Ka Po upset Germany's former world No41 Sina
Wall 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 - and will now line up against Welsh number
one Tesni Evans in the qualifying finals.
A
remarkable 27-year age gap separated the two players who contested the
day's final qualifying battle: The indefatigable 40-year-old seven-time
US champion Latasha Khan had to call upon all her experience to
outshine 13-year-old Hong Kong prospect Cheng Nga Ching 11-2,
11-6, 11-7.
Khan,
the world No30 from Seattle, faces another teenager in the qualifying
finals when she meets Mariam Ibrahim Metwally, the 17-year-old
from Egypt who ousted Hong Kong's Ho Tze-Lok 11-9, 11-5, 11-6.
The
day's most dramatic battle took place between France's Laura
Pomportes and local hope Choi Uen Shan. World No58 Pomportes
twice led the unranked 17-year-old - but Shan twice levelled, and had
match-ball in the decider before the 24-year-old French player finally
clinched her 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10 victory after 52 minutes.
Nicol
David In Ninth Hong Kong Title Bid
18
years after winning her first junior international title there as a
12-year-old, Malaysia's world number one Nicol David returns next
week to Hong Kong where she is seeded to win her ninth successive
title in the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open.
The
WSA World Series Gold event - the last of the year - gets underway
at the Hong Kong Squash Centre on 3 December after two days of
qualifying, before moving onto an all-glass court at the Hong Kong
Cultural Centre for the semi-finals on Saturday 7 December and
finals on Sunday 8 December.
"Hong
Kong has always played a big role in my squash career, whether it was in
juniors or in WSA," said the 30-year-old from Penang who boasts an
unbeaten 40-match record in Hong Kong over the past decade. "I won my
first international junior title here in the under-13's and, having won
my first World title here in 2005, Hong Kong has a special place in my
heart and my life.
"It
would be great, of course, to win a ninth title - but I'd like to just
be prepared for the strong competition this year for now. Every year it
gets more and more intense amongst the players and I certainly have to
step up my game compared to the past years competing here."
David's last defeat in Hong Kong was in December 2003 - to England's
former world champion Cassie Jackman in the World Open
semi-finals. Unseeded, the world top 20 newcomer made her breakthrough
after defeating second seed Natalie Grainger, the previous year's
runner-up.
"It
was the best experience of my career, beating Natalie - the world No2
and the winner of the Qatar Classic before that event," continued David.
"I couldn't believe it at the time and to actually step on the glass
court in 2003 in Hong Kong at my first World Open semis to play Cassie
was such a dream - especially the set up on the Harbour front. A lot of
memories along the harbour front for me!"
David
already boasts 70 Tour titles - more than any other player in the past
two decades - but an appearance in the 2013 Hong Kong Open final would
see the Malaysian superstar equal Australian legend Sarah Fitz-Gerald's
90 finals record.
"That'll be a nice record to match and I would feel truly honoured to
come close to any records Sarah has accomplished," said the modest
Malaysian, winner of a record seven World Open titles. "I personally
hope I perform throughout the tournament and if I get that far then it
really is a bonus!"
David
begins her Hong Kong Open title defence against a qualifier, before a
predicted last three rounds against English opposition: fifth seed
Jenny Duncalf in the quarter-finals; No4 seed Alison Waters
in the semis; before a final showdown with world No2 Laura Massaro
in the final.
