Women's Texas First Round Report by Howard Harding April 10, 2015
- Australian qualifier Donna Urquhart provided the sole upset in the
first round of the Women's Texas Open when she defeated eighth seed
Joshana Chinappa to claim a place in the quarter-finals of the WSA
International 35 squash event at Life Time Fitness in Plano, USA.
The Brisbane-based left-hander, fighting to back to top form after foot
surgery last year, battled for 43 minutes to quash Chinappa, the world
No.21 from India, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8.
Former world No.13 Urquhart, currently ranked 35 in the world, will now face home hope Amanda Sobhy, the second seed.
The New York-born 21-year-old, who graduates from Harvard University in
May, recovered from a game down to see off Egyptian qualifier Kanzy
Emad El-Defrawy 5-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 in 42 minutes.
There was Egyptian success in the top half of the draw when top seed
Nour El Tayeb quelled a spirited performance by English qualifier
Victoria Lust. Underdog Lust, ranked 26 in the world, took the opening
game - but Cairo-based El Tayeb, the world No.5 making her Texas Open
debut, regained the upper hand before closing out the match 9-11, 11-5,
11-4, 11-4.
El Tayeb's quarter-final opponent will be the winner of the clash
between Emma Beddoes, the fifth seed from England, and Egyptian Heba El
Torky - a match which will be completed today after being suspended at
one-game-all.
Youth prevailed over experience in a first round battle which
thoroughly entertained the Plano crowd. Dutch star Natalie Grinham, the
37-year-old former world No.2, took the opening game against seventh
seed Nouran Gohar, the 17-year-old world No.16 from Egypt.
But the Cairo teenager soon found the edge over Grinham - playing in
only her second WSA Tour event since the birth of her second child -
and romped to a 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 victory in 30 minutes.
