Willstrop And David Triumph In Five-Game Battles To Secure US Open Last Eight Berths by Nathan Clarke photos squashpics.com
October 10, 2016
- Former Men’s World No.1 James Willstrop and eight-time Women’s World
Champion Nicol David held off an Egyptian charge to come through
testing five-game battles in their 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open
second round encounters and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the
second PSA World Series tournament of the 2016/17 season.
World No.19 Willstrop, who produced a masterclass performance to
eliminate World No.3 Omar Mosaad in the first round, had to call on all
his experience to get the better of World No.20 Mohamed Abouelghar in a
gruelling 70 minute encounter that saw the 23-year-old playing with
fearless attacking intent that unsettled WIllstrop from the off.
But the 33-year-old showed why he’s considered one of the finest squash
tacticians around as he managed to counter everything Abouelghar threw
at him to keep his tournament hopes in tact.
“That was an hour and a bit of frantic intensity,” said Willstrop. “Hats off to him, he made me work so hard.
“I couldn’t get the ball off his racket in the middle area and he was
playing excellent shots across me and that got me on edge. I had to
play very, very well to beat him.
“I’m just so pleased to get through. I want to keep on playing - I
don’t want to stop. I feel in a bit of a groove so I was so pleased to
get through at the end and hopefully I can keep progressing.”
Willstrop will now go up against South African Stephen Coppinger for a
place in the semi-finals after the 32-year-old - who’s place at the
tournament was cast in doubt due to Hurricane Matthew wreaking havoc in
his current home state of Florida - came out on the winning side of a
huge 82 minute match with Malaysian qualifier Nafiizwan Adnan.
Adnan secured one of the biggest wins of his career when he took out
Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the first round but his run came to an end as
Coppinger powered through a series of dramatic exchanges in the fifth
to secure his place in the last eight of a PSA World Series tournament
for the first time since 2013.
“I’m lucky to be here in the first place, let alone be competing in a
second match so I’m thrilled to get the win,” said Coppinger.
“I have plenty to work on squash wise but I’m in there and that’s what
counts at this point. He’s ranked below me and on paper I should have
won easier - but what it says on paper and reality is different, so I’m
just very pleased to win.”
The winner of their encounter will face either World No.1 Mohamed
ElShorbagy or his younger brother Marwan, the World No.7, after they
came through their second round fixtures to set up a last eight
head-to-head while in the Women’s draw three-time U.S. Open champion
Nicol David came back from the brink to keep her campaign alive and
defeat 2015 runner-up Nour El Tayeb.
David was caught flat footed in the first two games as El Tayeb
dictated the play, hitting winners for fun, with David looking
powerless to resist the charge but the experienced star - who has won a
total of 80 PSA Tour titles - managed to turn the match around in the
third and launch a comeback that was completed after 53 minutes when
she sealed the win 4-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7.
“I wasn’t firing in the first game and a half and she made it very hard for me,” said David.
“I knew I had to fight all the way. I trained really hard over the
summer during the off season and I wasn’t going to go down without a
fight - I pushed to the limit and I’m really pleased to win that 3-2.
“I didn’t let up - I knew I wanted to keep going until the very end and that’s what I did.”
David will now take on former World No.1 Raneem El Welily in the
quarter-finals, after she saw off the challenge of New Zealand’s Joelle
King, while current World No.1 incumbent Nour El Sherbini will take on
Alison Waters after the Englishwoman edged Egyptian qualifier Salma
Hany Ibrahim.
Waters required 63 minutes, and a fifth game tie-break, to get the
better of the talented youngster, securing the win at the second time
of asking to come through 12-14, 11-1, 7-11, 11-4, 14-12.
“It was a tough game and it was hard to get into a rhythm,” said
Waters. “One game she was chopping it in and the next I was in front,
so it was a case of trusting yourself.
“I just tried to keep hitting my targets and push until the end and
luckily it was my day. I enjoyed it and was happy that it went the
right way for me.”
Second round action from the bottom half of the draw gets underway from
12 noon local time at Drexel University’s Daskalakis Athletic Centre on
Tuesday October 11, with tickets for the PSA World Series tournament
available to purchase by visiting www.usopensquash.com
Results – Men’s 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open: Second Round - Top Half
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 3-1: 10-12, 11-9, 12-10, 11-5 (64m)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [Q] Diego Elias (PER) 3-1: 3-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (48m)
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [Q] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 3-2: 11-7, 5-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9 (82m)
James Willstrop (ENG) bt Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7 (70m)
Draw - Men’s 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open: Second Round - Bottom Half
[4] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Simon Rösner (GER) - to be played October 11
Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Ali Farag (EGY) - to be played October 11
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Max Lee (HKG) - to be played October 11
[Q] Paul Coll (NZL) v [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) - to be played October 11
Results – Women’s 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open: Second Round - Top Half
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [13] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6 (38m)
[8] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) 3-2: 12-14, 11-1, 7-11, 11-4, 14-12 (63m)
[5] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [10] Joelle King (NZL) 3-1: 1-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (50m)
[3] Nicol David (MAS) bt [11] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-2: 4-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (53m)
Draw - Women’s 2016 Delaware Investments U.S. Open: Second Round - Bottom Half
[4] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [14] Emily Whitlock (ENG) - to be played October 11
Donna Urquhart (AUS) v [7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) - to be played October 11
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) v [12] Annie Au (HKG) - to be played October 11
[9] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v [2] Laura Massaro (ENG) - to be played October 11
