Serme, Waters, Sobhy, Blatchford Advance in $50K Tub 'o Towels Cleveland Classic, First Round Report from Tour Media January 30, 2016
CT 1: CAMILLE SERME (FRA) vs DELIA ARNOLD (MAS) 3-0 Serme (11-8; 11-2; 11-4) Game#1
Slow start for the number 1 seed Serme. Serme surges to a 3-1 lead, two
quick errors including a serve out allow the Malaysian Arnold on to the
score board. Game stays close with both players playing very loose down
the middle. Game is tied at 6-6, Serme manages to pull away winning
11-8. Game#2 Delia doesn’t get a chance to get settled in the
game. Serme attacks early taking a 7-2 lead. Pressure from volleys in
the midcourt and variation in pace doesn’t allow Arnold to settle. Game
Serme 11-2. Game#3 A rattled Arnold looks to steady her game with
long points down the backhand. Serme forces the pace yet again with
more shot variation that keeps Arnold off her preferred backhand.
Confident as ever, Serme closes the match 11-4.
SARAH-JANE PERRY (ENG) vs TESNI EVANS (WALES) 3-2 Perry (8-11; 12-10; 3-11; 11-3; 11-7) Game#1
Evans game plan works early in the game, keeping the ball low and wide
making it hard for Perry to use her height and power advantage. Perry
relying too much on power, needed more variation to usurp the T from
Evans. Evans wins 11-8. Game#2 Evans uses high lobs very well to
keep Perry in the back court then attacking the front with pace. Works
well… Evans takes a 6-3 lead. Evans becomes too predictable and Perry
guards the back court which forces Evans to bring the ball in shorter.
Perry is able to pick the shorter ball and steal the game 12-10. Game#3
Perry is caught off her game in the 3rd. Evans plays at a high tempo
using quick boasts to twist and turn Perry. Perry can’t stop making
errors, two tins in a row end the game. 11 – 3, Evans. Game#4
Both players sufficiently tired and moving less efficiently. Evans
struggles to get Perry off the T and pays the price. Perry volleys like
a demon pushing Evans all over the court. Powerful ground stokes force
Evans to play the ball on the move from weak positions resulting in too
many errors. 11 – 3, Perry. Game#5 Game ends 11 – 7 to Perry.
Wouldn’t have thought at the start of the game. Evans stole the 1st 4
points. Perry stays close behind playing the left wall well without
much variation. Evans is comfortable with this and takes a 6-4 lead.
Evans takes a more offensive approach while Perry sticks to the same
left wall game plan. It works! Evan’s high tempo game ends in too many
errors. Perry closes the game out 11-7. Match Perry.
AMANDA SOBHY (USA) vs VICTORIA LUST (ENG) 3-2 Sobhy (9-11; 11-4; 11-13; 12-10; 11-4) Game#1
Explosive start by the Britt, Lust. Forces 3 errors early in the game.
Sohby makes up for the errors with 3 straight winners. Three strokes in
succession gave Lust some confidence to seal the game 11-9. Game#2
Both players start and stick the left wall, looking for openings. Sohby
wins the length game taking a 9-4 lead. The American closes the game
11-4. Game#3 Quick left wall boast catches Lust off balance, 1-0
Sohby. Very fast paced game, both players not getting the ball to the
back wall. Lots of errors from Lust and Sohby, 6-6. Lust plucks the
ball off the ceiling and buries it in the nick, 9-8. Sohby returns with
a nick of her own, 11-11. Nick Lust, 12-11. Lust finishes the game
13-11. Game#4 Sohby making errors up front from Lust’s drops.
Lust takes a 4-0 lead. Sohby switches gears and slows the game down.
Change in pace frustrates Lust who throws away 3 quick points, game
tied 5-5. Game tied at 8-8, 10-10. Volley nick from Sohby takes her to
11-10 and finishes off with a solid back court drive. 12- 10, Sohby. Game#5
Shoby takes an early lead from the 4th point. Never looks back, closes
the game in fashion with a forehand nick to win the match.
Olivia Blatchford (USA) vs Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 3-2 Blatchford (11-5; 11-8; 6-11; 9-11; 6-11) Game#1
Duncalf takes control very early on, dominating the whole game with
combination of great winners from the front of the court and sneaky
boasts that the American couldn’t pick up. 11-5, Duncalf. Game#2
Rare errors from Dunclaf see her go down 2-0. Game is drawn at 4-4.
Blatchford struggling to get a read on the Englishman’s game. 11-7,
Dunclaf. Game#3 Tables turned. Blatchford comes out firing
herself into a 5-1 lead. Dancalf slows the game down to pick winning
targets but that just allows the rapid American too much time.
Blatchford takes a commanding 9-5 lead, closing the game 11-5. Game#4
Blatchford takes an early 4-0 lead and extends it to 6-3. Dancalf
lunges for a ball and pulls her inner thigh muscle. The Englishman
struggles to move for the rest of the game, does well to take it to 8-8
but succumbs to fit American 11-9. Game#5 Blatchford knows her
opponent is injured and adopts a very fast paced game moving her
opponent mercilessly around the court. Duncalf battles stay in the game
getting 6 points. That’s all she got. Blatchford wins 11-6. Match.
Alison Waters vs Samantha Teran Game #1 Both hard hitters. All breaks going Waters way along with good tactics leads to 7-0 lead. 11-3 Waters Game #2 Teran a fighter. 3-3. But Waters too good 9-3. Late flurry by Teran to no avail. 11-7 Waters Game #3 Teran changes tactics with some success 4-3. Waters stays patient 10-5, 11-6. Waters takes match 3-0
Joshna Chinappa vs Georgina Stoker Game #1 Stoker goes 4-0 before Chinappa joins the party. Stoker closes the game in fashion. 11 -3, Stoker. Game
#2 Chinappa comes out firing in the 2nd game. Pressure and high tempo
from the midcourt forces errors out of Stooker who crumbles under the
pressure. 11 – 4, Chinappa. Game #3 Both players playing at very
high tempo forcing mistakes on each other. Chinappa copes better at
high tempo and Stoker slows it down, to break the Indians rhythm.
Chinappa is too strong, closes out 11-8. Game #4 Stoker working
hard to stay close 4-5. Chinappa forges ahead 8-4. Stoker still
has a lot of fight left! 9-8, 9-9, miss and a stroke leads to game 11-9
and match to Chinappa 3-1
Annie Au vs Rachael Grinham Game
#1 Errors by Rachael early leads to 4-1 Annie lead. Annie lobbing a lot
and changing pace. Rachael back to 3-4 but 3 nice shots leads to Annie
up 7-3. Mostly short rallies to Annies liking she takes first game 11-6. Game #2 Flashes of the old form at times by Rachael but not enough 5-2, 10-5, 11-6 game to Annie Game
#3 More of the same. Very entertaining squash. 4-1, 5-1 Rachael ahead.
But Annie wearing her out 5-5 then 10-6 and takes the game 11-7 and the
match 3-0.
Low Wee Wern vs Dipika Pallikal Game #1 Pallikal out fast. 3-0, 9-1, 11-2 game to her. Game
#2 Pallikal missing early 3-0 then 6-1 to Wern. Pallikal rights the
ship. 7-6 she forges ahead. Points exchanged until Pallikal separates
10-8, 11-9 she takes the game. Game #3 Pallikal focused 5-0. Wern
goes on a streak to go up 8-6. Good tactics by Wern twisting and
turning Pallikal until finding an opening. 9-7 then 11-8 Wern takes the
game Game #4 3-0 Pallikal then once again loses focus 3-3 as Wern
retrieving everything. 8-4 Pallikal after some nice shot making. She
goes up 9-6 but good points by Wern pull her back to 9-9. However after
a Wern miss, Palllikal closes it out 11-9. Match to her 3-1.
