Qualifier King Continues Run To US Semis; David Rebounds Against Waters
by Steve Cubbins
October 9, 2012
Tue 9th Oct, Quarterfinals, Top Half:
The first day of quarterfinal action in the Delaware Investments U.S. Open at Philadelphia’s Drexel University started with a major upset, followed by three contrasting wins for the seeded players.
King qualifies for semifinal
The first quarter-final of the tournament produced a shock of seismic proportions as qualifier Joelle King put out third seed and former champion Jenny Duncalf in a seesaw five game thriller.
Duncalf, hitting the tin far too frequently for her own good, was in some ways fortunate to take a first game in which she didn’t play well, but the New Zealander took complete control in the next two games, adding her own driving winners and drops to Duncalf’s still too high error count.
Maybe nerves got to King in the fourth as she too made a few errors, but Duncalf seemed settle and it was her turn to take advantage.
The start of the decider was always likely to be crucial, and a 5-0 then 7-1 start for King proved enough. Duncalf started playing some of her best squash, but the gap was too much to bridge, and on her second match ball King was through to the semis.
“There’s less pressure on you when you’re not the seeded players,” explained a delighted winner, “but I’ve been at this level for a while and been close to some big wins so the pressure was maybe from myself.
“In the first game I felt I was in control, but not in control, it was weird. But then I got ahead, she came back but I managed to close it out.
“I’m absolutely stoked to get through, it’s my first semifinal of a Gold event, let alone a World Series, I’m so so pleased!”
Nicol extracts the first bit of revenge
The second women’s quarterfinal offered the prospect of guaranteeing a qualifier in the final, but only if Alison Waters could repeat last week’s win over Nicol David, the dominant force in women’s squash for the last six years.
Not many people have ever beaten Nicol twice in a row, and tonight the Malaysian world number one and world champion was in no mood for a repeat setback.
It wasn’t a dominant performance, but Nicol was always a little bit faster to the ball, a little bit tighter, and apart from the third when Alison kept it level pegging all the way to 9-all, David was always a little bit ahead.
Waters led 9-8 in that third, but a series of great lengths from the Malaysian racket levelled it at 9-all, a dropshot off a loose volley gave her match ball, and Alison’s volley into the tin brought the end as the Englishwoman’s racket went flying in disgust.
That’s one aberration removed for Nicol, now she’ll be aiming to complete the run to the title to remove another.
“She was always going to be up for it having beaten me last week,” said a relieved and delighted winner, “so I knew I had to start strong and fight for every point to stop her getting the feeling she had it again.
“I think I got used to playing on the court a bit quicker than her, but in the third she was finding her length better and becoming more comfortable, it was neck and neck so I was really pleased to finish it in three.
“Hopefully this should kick start me for a big push in the rest of the tournament ...”
[Q] Joelle King (Nzl) bt [3] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) 8-11, 11-4, 11-3, 8-11, 11-5 (42m)
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [Q] Alison Waters (Eng) 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (41m)
DRAW
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