Macree & O'Brien meet
the Buler Challenge
England's top seed Rebecca Macree carried off the women's title in the Buler Challenge in Hong Kong with a straightforward 9/3, 9/5, 9/3 victory over third seeded Pamela Nimmo.

New Zealand's Callum O'Brien took the men's title, finally ending the challenge of Hong Kong champion Wong Wai Hang 17/16, 15/12, 15/9  in 53 minutes.

• Draw & Results

• Reports
   

• Coverage from
  Hong Kong Squash
   
  Men's Draw 
  Women's Draw
   

• Draw from WISPA

Fine time for the
Women's semi-finalists

Rebecca Chiu

9/3, 9/5, 9/3 (38m)

Pamela Nimmo

 2/9, 9/4, 9/7, 9/6 (48m)

Jenny Tranfield

Qualifying finals:
Jacklyn Hawkes (Nzl) bt Kozue Onizawa (Jpn)  9/5, 9/0, 9/0  (22m)
Mami Nishio (Jpn) bt Tricia Chuah (Mas)  9/2, 9/5, 9/1  (27m)
Lauren Briggs (Eng) bt Alana Miller (Can)  5/9, 9/6, 9/5, 9/3  (48m)
Runa Reta (Can) bt Claire Kluyer (Eng)  10/8, 9/3, 9/2  (26m)

15-Nov, semi-finals:
Macree & Nimmo
move into Buler final
In the much-anticipated clash between the two Rebeccas in Hong Kong it was England's Rebecca Macree who won through to the final, beating Hong Kong's Asian Games champion Rebecca Chiu 9/2, 3/9, 9/3, 0/9, 9/5.

In the final Macree faces Scotland's Pamela Nimmo, enjoying a return to form with a  2/9, 9/4, 9/7, 9/6 victory over second seed Jenny Tranfield.

14-Nov, first round:
England's Rebecca Macree, top seed for the women's event, could face Hong Kong's own Rebecca Chiu in the semi-finals - a prelude for their World Open first round clash. Macree saw off the challenge of Hong Kong's Christina Mak despite dropping the second game, while Chiu brushed aside England's Sarah Kippax.

There were no upsets in the first round of the women's event, with second and third seeds Jenny Tranfield and Pamela Nimmo progressing with ease in the bottom half of the draw.

"It's going to get much tougher at the quarter-finals stage," the 24-year-old Chiu, who became Hong Kong's first ever gold medal winner at the four-yearly Asian Games in Busan last year, told the SCMP.

Following her win over Sarah Kippax Chiu faces more English talent to make further progress. Her opponent in the quarters is fifth seed Wendy Maitland.

"I hope I can get to the final. I've got Wendy next. I've played her about four times, the last about two years ago. I think I've beaten her three times," Chiu added.

Rebecca Chiu

2 Rebeccas square up in Hong Kong

Buler Squash Challenge Cup 2003 salutes the global century with multinational line-up of world’s top level ...
HK’s players well prepared for the Championship

Organized by Hong Kong Squash and Hong Kong Sports Development Board, sanctioned by the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) the 1st “Buler Squash Challenge Cup 2003” is set to welcome and bring world-class men and women players from all four corners of the world to Hong Kong for the 16-draw competition with the total prize money in HKD122,000, to be held at the Hong Kong Squash Centre on November 11 – 16.

This is the first-time that “SWISS BULER WATCH” will sponsor a world top satellite event in HK. Moreover, this satellite event is an ideal competition for HK’s young and up-coming players, like HK’s juniors No 1 Dick Lau Siu-wai and Joey Chan Ho-ling, to gain valuable world ranking points on both WISPA and PSA squash calendars which will also attract world top players from New Zealand, England, Australia, Egypt, Pakistan and Japan to participate. Not forgetting of course Hong Kong’s No 1 player Rebecca Chiu Wing-yin, who loves playing in front of a home crowd.

At the moment, entries on both the men’s and women’s event, include HK’s Rebecca Chiu, Christina Mak, Elise Ng for the women’s singles; Wong Wai-hang and Roger Ngan for the men’s singles, others are current world ranked-55 RSA’s Farrah Sterne, world ranked-114 Japanese Yuko Asano and Chinatsu Matsui in the women’s entries as well as 10 entries in the men’s singles, the deadline will be on 14 October 2003. The qualifying draw will start on 11 November before the main draw that commences on 13 November.

“Special thanks go to our title sponsor SWISS BULER WATCH who are joining us for the first time in what we hope will be a long and successful partnership in our ongoing mission to develop and promote the wonderful game of squash. Thanks also go to HK Sports Development Board for their ongoing support and other supporting sponsors: Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, Fuji Photos Products Co., Ltd, Prince and Swire Coca-cola without whose contribution, this tournament would not be such an all round success.” said Mr. David Mui, Chairman of Hong Kong Squash.

“Swiss Buler Watch is delighted and proud to support this highly popular tournament. I am sure that those looking forward to a week of exhilarating action will be well-rewarded,” Mr. Stanley Lau, Managing Director, Swiss Buler Watch.