Champions England Tested By USA In Paris World Team Championship by Howard Harding
photos WSF
November 29, 2016
- Defending champions England, the No.2 seeds, were given a stern test
by USA on day two of qualifying action in the WSF Women's World Team
Squash Championship in the French capital Paris before emerging with a
2/1 win over the seventh seeds.
In the opening Pool B match at the historic Jeu de Paume club,
England's world No.12 Sarah-Jane Perry had to call upon all her
experience to overcome unranked Reeham Sedky, a 19-year-old from
Seattle making her championship debut, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4 in
58 minutes.
Londoner Alison Waters put England two up after a convincing 11-8,
11-3, 11-8 victory over US No.2 Olivia Blatchford - but Amanda Sobhy
then played one of the games of her life to despatch England's Laura
Massaro 13-11, 8-11, 11-8, 14-12 to record a career-first win over the
world No.2 and former world champion.
"I wanted to go out and play the best I could," said the jubilant
23-year-old left-hander from New York (pictured above in action with
Massaro) after her breakthrough win. "Laura is the one player in the
world top ten that I had never beaten before so I am elated to get my
first win."
US team coach Paul Assaiante admitted that his team was under no
pressure: "But we didn't come here to lie down and die. Reeham has a
wonderful fighting spirit and has tremendous heart - she could be so
dangerous in the future - and Amanda played really well against a
number one opponent."
England coach David Campion had anticipated a tough encounter. "I
picked USA out as a major threat as soon as I saw the draw. The final
match was a high quality encounter which could have gone either way.
Amanda played really well - but whenever Laura loses it always brings
out the best in her so I have no doubt that she will respond in her
next match.
"The main thing is that we got the win that we needed and should top
the pool. Stage one is done - and the next stage is almost like another
tournament!"
The battle between the top two teams in Pool C eventually ended with
result predicted by the seedings - but the 3/0 win by third seeds
Malaysia belied the threat posed throughout the tie by former champions
Australia, seeded sixth.
Christine Nunn had several game-balls for a 2/1 lead in the opening
match, but Malaysian teenager Sivasangari Subramaniam - making her
senior championship debut - held off the challenge before recording a
12-10, 9-11, 15-13, 11-8 win to put her team ahead.
Australia's seasoned campaigner Rachael Grinham, at 39 the oldest
player in the championship, was unable to repeat one of her numerous
wins over Delia Arnold years ago before going down 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 to
the now higher-ranked Malaysian.
In the clash between the teams' top strings, former world number one
Nicol David extended her unbeaten record in the championship over the
past 12 years to beat Australian Donna Urquhart 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 to
give Malaysia maximum points.
"You must always give respect to former champions," said Malaysian team
manager Major Maniam later. "This is Sivasangari's debut at these
championships - it was a very mature performance for a 17-year-old.
"And Nicol is taking it all in her stride, leading by example and
motivating her team-mates - it all going pretty smoothly. For the rest
of the team, having Nicol on your bench, cheering you on, is a very
special feeling."
While Rachael was battling for Australia, her younger sister Natalie
Grinham was in action on an adjacent court fighting on behalf of
Netherlands, the country in which she has resided since 1999. It is the
first time in the championship's history that two siblings (pictured
together above) have competed for separate nations - and Natalie duly
led the 11th seeds to a 3/0 win over Austria courtesy of an 11-2, 11-5,
11-3 victory over the 10-time Austrian champion Birgit Coufal.
After surprisingly dropping a match against Spain on day one, fourth
seeds Hong Kong China were back in dominant form today against Germany,
beating the 15th seeds 3/0.
"So far so good," said Hong Kong team manager Rebecca Chiu, the former
world No.13. "Our aim is to finish in the top four so tomorrow is very
important for us."
18-year-old Cristina Gomez continued her giant-killing run in the event
after beating Hong Kong's world No.29 Liu Tsz-Ling on the opening day.
Ranked outside the world top 200, the Spanish teenager today first
upset higher-ranked Japanese opponent Satomi Watanabe, then later in
the day defeated 25-year-old Sharon Sinclair to help 17th seeds Spain
beat Germany, the 15th seeds, 2/1 in the event's first team upset.
"I'm really happy," said Gomez (pictured above, left, with Watanabe),
who relocated to Madrid three years ago to focus on her squash. "I want
to be one of the best players in the world."
RESULTS: WSF Women's World Team Squash Championship, Paris, France
2nd Qualifying rounds - Pool A:
[1] EGYPT bt [8] NEW ZEALAND 3/0
Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Emma Millar 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (21m)
Raneem El Welily bt Amanda Landers-Murphy 11-5, 11-8, 11-2 (39m)
Nour El Sherbini bt Megan Craig 11-6, 12-10, 11-3 (22m)
[9] INDIA bt [13] MEXICO 3/0
Sunayna Kuruvilla bt Dina Anguiano Gomez 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (21m)
Dipika Pallikal Karthik bt Luz López Dominguez 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (22m)
Joshna Chinappa bt Diana Garcia 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 (25m)
Pool B:
[2] ENGLAND bt [7] USA 2/1
Sarah-Jane Perry bt Reeham Sedky 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4 (58m)
Alison Waters bt Olivia Blatchford 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (28m)
Laura Massaro lost to Amanda Sobhy 11-13, 11-8, 8-11, 12-14 (49m)
[10] CANADA bt [14] WALES 2/1
Danielle Letourneau bt Lowri Roberts 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 (17m)
Samantha Cornett bt Hannah Davies 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 (23m)
Hollie Naughton lost to Tesni Evans 12-10, 11-7, 3-11, 4-11, 2-11 (50m)
Pool C:
[3] MALAYSIA bt [6] AUSTRALIA 3/0
Sivasangari Subramaniam bt Christine Nunn 12-10, 9-11, 15-13, 11-8 (51m)
Delia Arnold bt Rachael Grinham 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (36m)
Nicol David bt Donna Urquhart 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (27m)
[11] NETHERLANDS bt [16] AUSTRIA 3/0
Tessa ter Sluis bt Sabrina Rehman 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 (21m)
Milou van der Heijden bt Sandra Polak 11-2, 11-6, 11-3 (18m)
Natalie Grinham bt Birgit Coufal 11-2, 11-5, 11-3 (15m)
Pool D:
[4] HONG KONG CHINA bt [15] GERMANY 3/0
Tong Tsz-Wing bt Franziska Hennes 11-2, 11-3, 11-6 (27m)
Joey Chan bt Sharon Sinclair 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 (27m)
Annie Au bt Sina Wall 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (20m)
[12] JAPAN bt [17] SPAIN 2/1
Risa Sugimoto bt Marina de Juan Gallach 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (32m)
Satomi Watanabe lost to Cristina Gomez 7-11, 5-11, 11-4, 3-11 (41m)
Misaki Kobayashi bt Xisela Aranda 4-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-6 (42m)
[5] FRANCE bt [12] JAPAN 2/1
Laura Pomportes bt Mami Sakai 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 (19m)
Chloe Mesic lost to Risa Sugimoto 9-11, 11-2, 3-11, 4-11 (33m)
Camille Serme bt Misaki Kobayashi 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (21m)
[17] SPAIN bt [15] GERMANY 2/1
Marina de Juan Gallach lost to Franziska Hennes 13-11, 8-11, 11-6, 10-12, 3-11 (59m)
Cristina Gomez bt Sharon Sinclair 11-5, 11-8, 10-12, 11-2 (36m)
Xisela Aranda bt Sina Wall 5-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-0 (46m)
