Qualifiers Shake Off Seeds In Chicago First Round Day One by Howard Harding February 27, 2015
- Qualifiers Heba El Torky and Victoria Lust advanced in the Windy City
Open presented by Guggenheim and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company in
the USA after impressive upsets on the opening day of main draw action
in the first WSA World Series squash event of the year at the
University Club of Chicago in Chicago.
Lust, the world No.31 from England who is based in Canada, recovered
from a game down to beat rising Egyptian star Nouran Gohar, the
17-year-old from Cairo who is the event's 15th seed.
After the 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 win was credited on social media to
'Victory Lust', the 25-year-old from Luton tweeted "loving my new name!"
Egypt was the beneficiary of the second upset when Alexandria-based El
Torky toppled Dipika Pallikal, the 12th seed from India, 11-9, 11-9,
5-11, 11-6.
It was a disappointing day for India when Pallikal's Commonwealth Games
Women's Doubles gold medallist partner Joshana Chinappa, the 2011
champion, also exited after losing 11-8, 11-3, 12-10 to Egypt's 8th
seed Nour El Tayeb (pictured above, right, with Chinappa).
There was much anticipation for the comeback appearance of Natalie
Grinham, the former world No.2 from the Netherlands making her return
to the WSA World Tour just seven months after the birth of her second
child.
The 36-year-old boasted a 9/2 career head-to-head over opponent Alison
Waters going into the match - and forced two games into tie-breaks in
her first professional match for more than a year.
But it was Londoner Waters, the world No.5 from England (pictured above
with Grinham, foreground), who ultimately prevailed - winning 12-10,
11-3, 12-10 to earn her anticipated place in the last 16 round.
Top seed Nicol David also had a comfortable first round victory,
extinguishing home interest in the championship after beating US
wildcard Olivia Blatchford 11-3, 11-6, 12-10 in her first Tour meeting
with the 22-year-old from New York.
David, the world No.1 from Malaysia expected to notch up her 99th WSA
Tour final appearance in Chicago, will now face El Torky for a place in
the quarter-finals.
RESULTS: Windy City Open presented by Guggenheim and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, Chicago, USA
