Tania Bailey Over Farah Meguid In Coronation Open WISPA Final
by Matt Wagg
December 5, 2011 - Farah Abdel Meguid had taken out two higher seeds on her way to the Coronation London Open final, and she wasted no time at all in setting about adding the No 1 seed to her hit list.
The Egyptian raced ahead to a 4-point lead before her opponent, England’s Tania Bailey, had time to get into the game. She held a high tee-position, looking to attack the ball at any opportunity and it took Bailey a few rallies to find competitive length to combat the teenager.
Back at 4-all, the points were then distributed evenly between the pair, as neither was able to truly dominate the court and put away the points that mattered. Farah got to game ball first though and pipped Tania to the finish line, 11/8.
More deadlocked squash followed in the second. Bailey was unable to build upon a three point lead she forced early on in the game, and Meguid came back to challenge the Englishwoman right up to game-ball. An increase in pressure forced a tin from the 19-year-old however, and Bailey was able to close out the game 13/11.
Buoyed by the last game, Bailey began to find a better, more consistent length and she frustrated her opponent on numerous occasions. As the match progressed, Meguid suffered from poor shot selection as the pressure increased on the court. Bailey was able to use this to her advantage and took the lead for the first time as she won the third 11/8.
Bailey’s years of experience on the pro tour was a massive part in her staying in the match after some great play by Meguid. But the opposite also held true for the Egyptian teenager, as at times her inexperience showed as she seemed a downcast figure on court for the fourth game. Her English opponent was now well in charge of the game and dictated the tempo of the match from her comfortable tee position. At times, Meguid looked conflicted in her decisions, especially when it came to let calls, and the mental edge she had created from her bright start had faltered over the course of the game.
The former world no4 powered on, claiming the fourth 11/2 to complete her first tour win following an inspired injury comeback that saw her out of the game for over a year.
A thrilled Tania said: “I hadn’t really seen Farah play before as I’ve been away for quite a while and she’s a lot younger than me. I know she’s played a few senior events but because I’ve been out for the last year I’ve never really come across her.
“She had a good win in Qatar against one of the top players, Jackie Hawkes, so I knew that she was going to be good but I still didn’t really know what to expect. The first few rallies she really took me by surprise and I knew I was going to be in for a really tough game, which it was!
“It’s my first win for quite a while, at least a few years, which is really nice. It’s lovely to play in England for a change too, and good to have the home support and family here to watch too. It’s been a great week and I’m very happy with the win.”
Final result:
[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) beat [5] Farah Abdel Meguid (EGY) – 9/11, 13/11, 11/8, 11/2
Semi finals:
[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [4] Tesni Evans (WAL) – 11/5, 11/5, 11/5
[5] Farah Abdel Meguid (EGY) vs [3] Lisa Aitken (SCO) – 11/1, 12/10, 5/11, 11/5
Quarter finals:
[5] Farah Abdel Meguid (EGY) bt [2] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) – 9/11, 11/3, 11/5, 11/3
[3] Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt [6] Aparajitha Balamuruken (IND) - 11/5, 11/7, 11/34
[4] Tesni Evans (WAL) vs Zephanie Curgenven (ENG) - 11/6, 11/8, 8/11, 11/5
[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) vs Sarah Jane Perry [7] - 11/9, 11/9, 11/6
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