Double Delight For Hosts France On World Teams Opening Day by Howard Harding November 28, 2016
- Hosts France delighted the partisan crowd on the opening day of
action in the WSF Women's World Team Squash Championship in Paris with
3/0 victories over both Spain and Germany.
Competing at the historic Jeu de Paume club - the country's oldest
squash club, which celebrated its centenary eight years ago - the fifth
seeds employed the same line-up for both ties in Pool D, fourth string
Laura Pomportes giving the hosts the lead, then squad number one
Camille Serme clinching victory before second string Coline Aumard
ensured maximum points.
"We deliberately used the same players for both ties as we knew we'd be
playing on the same courts, so it made sense," explained national coach
Philippe Signoret afterwards. "But it was not easy and the girls played
well to give us the best possible result on the opening day."
It is the second time in four years that France has hosted the biennial
championship. "We allowed the pressure of being hosts get to us last
time in Nimes - but this time we are determined to enjoy the
opportunity of playing in front of a home crowd," Signoret continued.
"It is pressure, but a different kind of pressure.
"Our girls have had some good results on the Tour over the past few
months so, although we are seeded outside the top four, we are aiming
for medals."
Hong Kong China, the fourth seeds and France's main rivals in Pool D,
also played twice at Jeu de Paume - but were given a shock in their
final match against Spain, the 17th seeds, when 18-year-old Cristina
Gomez, ranked outside the world top 200, defeated Hong Kong's
experienced world No.29 Liu Tsz-Ling in four games to reduce the
higher-seeded nation's win to 2/1.
It was over at the second venue St Cloud Squash that the tie featuring
the highest-ranked players saw favourites Egypt beat India, the ninth
seeds, 3/0. Third string Omneya Abdel Kawy began her historic tenth
successive appearance in the championships in appropriate style by
despatching India's 17-year-old event debutante Sunayna Kuruvilla 11-7,
11-7, 11-2.
World number one Nour El Sherbini needed 34 minutes to see off
top-ranked Indian Joshna Chinappa 11-5, 11-6, 15-13, before the
Egyptian No.2 Nouran Gohar, ranked three in the world, recovered from a
game down to beat Dipika Pallikal Karthik 4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 in 39
minutes.
"It was a tricky opening tie for us," admitted Egypt's National Coach
Amr Shabana. "India is a top eight country in my view, so it was a good
match for us to win.
"Our girls had to be on their toes to get the result they did. I was very happy with the way they performed."
Defending champions England also began with a positive win, beating
Canada 3/0 in Pool B. Veteran campaigners Laura Massaro and Alison
Waters - ranked two and ten in the world, respectively, and enjoying
their fifth appearance in the championship - both secured straight
games victories, as did third string Sarah-Jane Perry.
RESULTS: WSF Women's World Team Squash Championship, Paris, France
