Day Two Women's Report: Champion Massaro On Course In Chicago by Howard Harding February 28, 2015
- England's Laura Massaro began the defence of her Windy City Open
presented by Guggenheim and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company title in
style in Chicago when she beat Malaysian qualifier Delia Arnold in four
games on the second day of first round action in the first WSA World
Series squash event of the year at the University Club of Chicago.
The former world champion from Preston (pictured above, right, with
Arnold), ranked three in the world, recovered from a game down to
extend her unbeaten run over world No.28 Arnold, winning 7-11, 11-5,
11-6, 13-11.
Massaro now takes on England team-mate Emma Beddoes, the 16th seed from
Leeds. Beddoes had the easiest run through to the last 16 round, barely
breaking sweat after her Egyptian opponent Salma Hany Ibrahim conceded
their match with just four points on the scoreboard.
There was further English success on the night when Sarah-Jane Perry
powered past Nicolette Fernandes, registering her first win over the
world No.20 from Guyana 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 after 37 minutes.
World No.16 Perry, who arrived in the USA fresh from her surprise
British National Championship title success in Manchester - where she
beat favourite Massaro to claim the trophy for the first time - now
takes on French number one Camille Serme.
The sixth seed from Creteil crushed top-ranked Canadian Samantha
Cornett 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 in just 26 minutes to make the second round
for the second year in a row.
Second seed Raneem El Welily,
the world No.2 from Egypt (pictured above, right, with Hansen) who was
the 2014 runner-up, eased into the second round after seeing off Danish
qualifier Line Hansen 11-3, 11-5, 11-3.
"Only got 25 min on the glass court tonight!!" Hansen told her Twitter
followers shortly afterwards. "Raneem was in chop chop mood."
El Welily, 26, from Cairo, now also faces a fellow countrywoman in the
next round when she takes on Omneya Abdel Kawy. The Cairo-based No.9
seed got the better of Tesni Evans, beating the Welsh qualifier 11-5,
11-7, 10-12, 11-8.
In her maiden meeting with fast-rising Egyptian teenager Habiba
Mohamed, Malaysia's No.7 seed Low Wee Wern needed 65 minutes to secure
an 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6 victory.
"Happy with my 3-1 win against
Egyptian Habiba Mohamed today!" tweeted the world No.8 (pictured above,
right, with Mohamed) from Penang afterwards. "Looking forward to a rest
day tmr before taking on Rachael Grinham!"
RESULTS: Windy City Open presented by Guggenheim and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, Chicago, USA
2nd round line-up:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) v [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY)
[5] Alison Waters (ENG) v [Q] Victoria Lust (ENG)
[4] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [10] Annie Au (HKG)
[8] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [13] Madeline Perry (IRL)
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) v [14] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[3] Laura Massaro (ENG) v [16] Emma Beddoes (ENG)
[7] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v [11] Rachael Grinham (AUS)
[2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)
