Sobhy Beaten by Waters as Perrys Power Their Way into TOC Women's Quarters by Beth Rasin
photo courtesy squashpics.com
January 20, 2014
- Qualifier Sarah Jane Perry of England and unseeded Madeline Perry of
Ireland advanced to the quarterfinals of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions at Grand Central Terminal in New York City after scoring
major upsets in the first round of play in the WSA Gold event.
Madeline Perry fell
behind 0-2 in games in her afternoon match against third seed Raneem
Welily, who seemed to be in complete control as she won the first two
games 11-8, 11-4. From the very start of the third, Perry was a
different player. She pushed up several feet and started playing
attacking shots much as her Egyptian opponent had done in the first two
games.
“She’s really a
better player than me in terms of skills,” said the 36-year-old
Irishwoman after the match. “So I realized that I just had to stay
positive, enjoy myself and do something different than my usual
conservative game."
The change in Perry’s
strategy worked exceptionally well as she took a 10-3 lead in the third
game, winning it 11-6. The fourth was more of the same and Perry won
the game by the identical score. Welily, reasserting herself at the
start of the fifth, took an 8-5 lead. But the veteran was not about to
give up against her 25-year-old opponent and scrambled to move ahead,
9-8. After Welily tied the score at 9-9, both players dug in their
heels and played the point of the day as each covered all four corners
of the court and Welily retrieved several seemingly ungettable balls.
After the young Egyptian hit a cross court from the deep forehand
corner, Perry flew forward to hit an attacking backhand dead nick
volley. She won the match on another attacking backhand volley.
“I still can’t believe
it,” said Madeline Perry in her post-match interview. “I just hope that
one of the photographers got the picture of that backhand volley at 9
all.”
Fifth-seed
Camille Serme will be Madeline Perry’s quarterfinal opponent as she
advanced with a 3-1 victory over two-time defending champion Natalie
Grinham. Grinham won the first game 13-11 by hitting an extensive
variety of shots and using the lob exceptionally well. Serme, who was
very excited to be making her Tournament of Champions debut, admitted
to being surprised by her 35-year-old opponent’s first game strategy.
The Frenchwoman
adjusted in the second by playing more length. “I just tried to be more
patient, which wasn’t so easy,” she said. It may not have been easy,
but the adjustment worked and after taking an 8-3 lead, Serme won the
second 11-6. A number of uncharacteristic errors from Grinham,
who confessed to getting nervous, and excellent court coverage by
Serme, gave her the third game, 11-4. The five-time French champion
sealed the victory as she won the fourth game 11-7. As a wistful
Grinham stood by the stands watching the next match, she said, “I
really wanted to have another chance to play on this court.”
Qualifier Sarah Jane
Perry, looking remarkably relaxed and confident, earned her trip to the
quarterfinals with a seesaw five-game victory over seventh seed Jenny
Duncalf. Perry controlled the first game with good length and accuracy.
In the second, the lead exchanged hands several times until Perry
closed out the game 11-9. Duncalf, who has been ranked as high as #2 in
the world, cut down on her errors in the third and fourth to even the
match at two all. Deliberately slowing the pace in the fifth, Perry was
the beneficiary of more unforced Duncalf errors, winning the game 11-4.
“It is easier to be
relaxed when you are the underdog,” said Perry, who is just returning
to the WSA tour after a three month injury hiatus. ”I certainly
wasn’t expected to win.” As for the confidence factor, Perry said,” I
know I am playing well and you have got think you can win; otherwise,
what’s the point of playing?”
Perry will face
countrywoman Alison Waters in the quarterfinals. The fourth seed played
in front of the most vocal crowd of the day – the Harvard University
women’s squash team who had turned out in force to support their #1
player Amanda Sobhy, ranked #18 on the WSA tour. Waters, who defeated
Sobhy 11-3, 11-9, 11-6, was unfazed by the partisan fans. “I quite
enjoyed the loud crowds – it is much more fun to play for them.”
Waters completely
contained the American star, who had survived a tough five game
qualifying match the night before. “Amanda is very strong and can
be a dangerous player if you let her have the ball in the middle of the
court,” said the three-time British national champion, “so my strategy
was to keep her in the back of the court and out of the middle.” It was
a strategy that worked. “Ali was hitting her targets really well,” said
Sobhy, “and I was scrambling most of the time.”
In the day’s other
matches, sixth-seed Joelle King of New Zealand dominated her match
against Australian Kasey Brown, the newly elected Women’s Squash
Association president. King’s quarterfinal opponent will be world #2
Laura Massaro of England who defeated Australian Rachael Grinham in
four games.
Women’s First Round Results - J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions
Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY
A Women’s Squash Association (WSA) Gold event
Monday, January 20, 2014
Grand Central Terminal
[Q] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt. [7] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 11-5,11 -9,6-11,9-11,11-4 63 mins
