Beddoes v Massaro and Day 4 Recap by Howard Harding March 2, 2015
- England's Emma Beddoes recorded one of the best wins of her career in
the Windy City Open presented by Guggenheim and EquiTrust Life
Insurance Company when she overcame compatriot Laura Massaro, the
defending champion ranked three in the world, to reach the
quarter-finals of the first WSA World Series squash event of the year
at the University Club of Chicago in Chicago, USA.
After two straight games defeats to the former world champion, it was
Beddoes' first Tour victory over her illustrious England team-mate -
and takes the world No.16 from Leeds into her first World Series event
quarter-final for more than three years.
Massaro twice led in the match - but underdog Beddoes (pictured above,
right, in action with Massaro) battled back both times to draw level,
surviving a tie-break fourth game to force the decider.
It was after almost an hour of play that the 16th seed clinched her
breakthrough victory, winning 6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7 to secure
her surprise place in the event's last eight.
"I can't quite believe I've just won," exclaimed the jubilant
29-year-old Beddoes afterwards. "It felt like a real battle and I don't
think that either of us were playing our best out there - but to win is
just brilliant.
"My short game has been improving a lot in recent years and on a court
like this if you play the shots well you get rewarded so I'm just
really pleased to get through this one in good health and we'll see how
the rest of the week goes."
Beddoes progresses to face sixth seed Camille Serme after the French
number one ended 14th seed Sarah-Jane Perry's winning streak. With
unexpected title triumphs last month at the British National
Championships and the WSA Granite Open in Canada, the 24-year-old
England had been enjoying the best run of her career.
But it took exactly an hour for Serme, the world No.6 from Creteil
(pictured above, left, with Perry), to stop Perry - winning 11-9,
11-13, 11-6, 11-5 to claim a second successive quarter-final berth in
Chicago.
Whilst the 2014 champion has been denied the opportunity to emulate her
former success, runner-up Raneem El Welily is on course to reach the
final for the second successive year.
The No.2 seed from Egypt overcame fellow countrywoman Omneya Abdel
Kawy, the ninth seed, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8 and will now face
Malaysian Low Wee Wern for a place in the semi-finals.
The seventh seed from Penang recorded her fourth successive win over
Australian Rachael Grinham - bringing their career head-to-head tally
to four wins apiece - but was taken the full distance by the former
world number one and world champion before winning 7-11, 11-2, 3-11,
11-9, 11-6.
RESULTS: Windy City Open presented by Guggenheim and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, Chicago, USA
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) v [5] Alison Waters (ENG)
[4] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [8] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
[16] Emma Beddoes (ENG) v [6] Camille Serme (FRA)
[2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [7] Low Wee Wern (MAS)
