Massaro and El Welily to Contest Blockbuster Quarter-Final in Women’s World Championship by Sean Reuthe
photos PSA
April 10, 2017
- England’s World No.2 Laura Massaro and Egypt’s World No.4 Raneem El
Welily will face off in the quarter-finals of a PSA World Tour event
for the second tournament in a row after both players rose to wins on
the fourth day of the Orascom Development PSA Women’s World
Championship.
Massaro, the 33-year-old from Preston, overcame New Zealand’s Joelle
King in a tight four-game encounter, hitting consistent lines despite a
drop in intensity in the third game, to win it by an 11-7, 11-8, 5-11,
13-11 margin.
“The fourth was really close and I felt like I had pulled away a bit,
but then she ended up coming back really well and I was in a little bit
of a battle really,” said Massaro.
"I think I started quite well. Joelle was a little bit off at the
beginning but she began to up her game a little bit. I felt like she
started hitting to my forehand a little bit more and was keeping it off
my backhand.
“It took me a little while to rejig my plan a little bit and try and
figure that out. I was perhaps a little bit edgy towards the end more
than anything. Joelle is such a good player, she's so physical and I'm
just pleased to get through that in the end.”
Massaro defeated El Welily in the last eight of last month’s Allam
British Open and will look to put in a repeat performance against the
former World No.1 after El Welily dispatched United States No.2 Olivia
Blatchford in a comfortable 3-0 triumph.
Blatchford, competing in the second round of the World Championship for
the first time in her career, tried in vein to compete with El Welily,
but couldn't find any rhythm.
Struggling to adapt to the dead conditions on court early on –
particularly failing to hit her targets in the back corners – she
gifted control to El Welily. And the Egyptian, with the benefit of a
match on the glass court already behind her, settled early, hitting
with perfect weight and precision to dictate proceedings courtesy of a
sumptuous display that marks her out as a genuine title threat.
“I'm definitely happy with the way I played today,” said El Welily.
“It was the first time I've ever played Olivia so to come away with a 3-0 win is pleasing and unusual for me.
“I know she's played on glass courts before but I think the conditions
today were very different to what she's experienced before. It's windy
on there and you never know what’s going to happen with the ball – you
have to react and take it as it comes."
French World No.3 Camille Serme is also through to the last eight after
she dispatched World No.13 Emily Whitlock in straight games to set up a
quarter-final meeting with Indian No.1 Joshna Chinappa, who saw off
former World No.3 Alison Waters.
Serme, seeded second for the tournament, took the ball early to crash
in a series of devastating backhand volleys and punished any loose
shots from Whitlock in clinical fashion to take an 11-4, 11-6, 11-5
victory.
“I knew she beat Alison at the British Open, so I was focused from the start and didn’t want to give her any hope," said Serme.
"I came into the match with a clear tactical plan. Joshna is a very
powerful girl, she hits the ball really hard and I think on that court
with the wind it might be tricky to try lobs and shots like that
because the ball can go out easily."
Draw - Quarter-Finals (Top Half): To Be Played April 11
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[6] Nicol David (MAS) v [4] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Draw - Quarter-Finals (Bottom Half): To Be Played April 12
[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [5] Laura Massaro (ENG)
[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v [2] Camille Serme (FRA)
