Normal Order Restored In Doha WISPA Quarter-Finals
by Steve Cubbins
photos courtesy Steve Cubbins
El Weleily (left) - David
El Sherbini (left) - El Tayeb
October 19, 2011 - After a seemingly endless succession of upsets in round two, normal order was restored in quarter-final action in the XIth Qatar Classic at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.
Top seed and defending champion Nicol David was always in control against young Egyptian Raneem El Weleily, who didn't help her own cause with numerous unforced errors in each of the three games. Only in the third did the Egyptian threaten to extend the match, but David soon closed that opening to win 11/6, 11/4, 11/8 in 27 minutes.
Third seed Rachael Grinham took just a little longer to end the run of England's Emma Beddoes who had scored two upset wins to reach this stage, but for the Australian it was a case of taking the first game in the face of a stiff challenge from Beddoes. Thereafter Grinham's shotmaking held sway.
The evening session started with a hard fought straight games win for Madeline Perry over Malaysia's Low Wee Wern. Each of the games were close to the midpoint but the Northern Ireland fourth seed's experienced showed as she forged ahead in all three to win 11/8, 11/5, 11/9 in 26 minutes.
Nour El Tayeb and Nour El Sherbini met in a replay of their recent World Junior and WISPA Alexandria finals. In a match featuring dramatic retrieving and tremendous shotmaking from both Egyptian teenagers, it was the elder of the two El Tayeb who emerged the 3/1 winner this time, thus emulating her achievement last year in making the semi-finals.
Semi-finals begin at 17.30 on Thursday.
Women's Quarter-Finals
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [9] Raneem El Weleily (Egy) 11/6, 11/4, 11/8 (27m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Emma Beddoes (Eng) 14/12, 11/4, 11/7 (30m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt [12] Low Wee Wern (Mas) 11/8, 11/5, 11/9 (42m)
[13] Nour El Tayeb (Egy) bt Nour El Sherbini (Egy) 11/8, 5/11, 11/8, 13/11 (46m
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