World's Top Four Women Advance In $50K NY Weymuller Open
Jenny Duncalf and friends
Annie Au
Joelle King
Nour El Sherbini
Alison Waters
Reneem El Weleily and Mark Hayden
September 28, 2012 - Nicol David, Raneem El Weleily and Jenny Duncalf each won in three, and Laura Massaro survived a 0-2 scare as the WSA's top four women advanced last night to the quarterfinals of the Carol Weymuller Open in Brooklyn Heights.
Linda Elriani files this report:
Tonight was the 1st round of the 2012 Carol Weymuller Main draw. The quality of the matches tonight was amazing and the matches were so exciting and closely contested. It’s so inspirational for our Heights Casino juniors to watch. There’s a cute group of our youngest players who come watch nearly all the matches and want to jump on any free court to try and practice what they have been witnessing over the last few days!
The weather in Brooklyn has been a little damp and humid over the last couple of days and this has made for hot court conditions and long hard matches, proving to us even more how fit and athletic the women players are.
First on the Championship court was # 3 seed and world # 4 from England, Jenny Duncalf, against the young Indian qualifier Dipika Pallika world #15. Jenny has won the title here in 2009 and 2010 so she knows the courts well. The match got off to an awkward start with plenty of lets until the players got into their groove. Jenny’s length was a little short in the first game allowing Dipika to take the ball really well at the front and do some her great holds. The game stayed even up to 9/9 until Jenny managed to clinch it 11/9. In the 2nd and 3rd games Jenny really found her length and rhythm and moved Dipika around the court better and forced some errors. Jenny came through her first round match in 3 and afterwards said “I’m happy with a 3/0 win. Dipika has improved in the last year so I wasn’t going to take her lightly. I’m happy to be back in Brooklyn and looking forward to the next round.”
Also on court at 5.30pm was French # 1 and world # 13 Camille Serme playing Nour El Sherbini the 17 year old Egyptian player who is amazingly already ranked 7 in the world! This match was an incredibly close and was a perfect display of wonderful athleticism and shot selection from both players. Nour plays squash with an incredible maturity, especially for a teenager!!! Nour is getting a great name for herself when it comes to the big points in matches as she stays focused and steady way beyond her years! This was the case in this match too as Camille had battled to get a match ball at 11/10 in the fifth game and Nour held on strong and Camille made a couple of errors and the match went to Nour 14/12 in the fifth! A very happy Nour said “ That was a very long one! 14/12 in the fifth! Camille is so good and it’s my 3rd time to play her and that was first time I have beaten her. It was a really tough one, I was feeling like I just wanted to finish it and get off the court! I have Jenny tomorrow and we have played twice before. Last time I beat her 3-2 but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to win this time too. I’m looking forward to it and hope I can do well.”
Second match on the championship court was Egyptian # 1 and world # 2 Raneem El Weleily playing Jaclyn Hawkes from New Zealand and world #19. Raneem is the current Carol Weymuller Champion and really started her break through up to the very top of the rankings here last year. This match had a real contrast in playing styles with Jaclyn being steady and accurate and Raneem skilful and random and full of flare! Raneem moved the ball around the court so well that it was hard for Jaclyn to find her rhythm and play her game. There were times in the first 2 games where Jaclyn slotted in a few great short shots but because she wasn’t controlling the middle of the court Raneem was containing her and then chopping the ball in short with her great touch. Raneem won the first 2 games 11/9, 11/9. Jaclyn put up a great fight especially after such a hard match yesterday to qualify but she looked like she had started to get tired by the third and Raneem took the last game with relative ease 11/3. Raneem said afterwards “I’m happy to win today. It was the first time I had played Jaclyn, which rarely happens. I felt that I had time but that I didn’t make such good use of it! I’m happy to be through to the quarters.”
The 6.15pm match was New Zealander and world #12 Joelle King playing Australian and world #14 Rachael Grinham. Rachel has been as high as # 1 in the world and has won many WSA titles so has a ton of experience in her belt, but today she didn’t look like she firing on all cylinders or moving the way that Rachael is know so well for. Joelle managed to get a good start in each game and her confidence seemed to grow stronger as the match progressed. Joelle charged her way to the quarter finals winning 11/6, 11/5, 11/7. Joelle said after the match “I didn’t feel Rach was moving as well as she normally does. It is still Rachel though and she wasn’t world #1 for nothing! I still had to focus and put it together the whole way through. I was happy to get off 3/0. I’m looking forward to playing Raneem tomorrow. We are the same age and came through juniors together. I’ve never beaten her so far, but tomorrow is a new day!”
The third match on the championship court was World #3 Laura Massaro from England playing Low Wee Wern from Malaysia who is ranked #10 in the world. Low has improved so much since last year when she played here and has been getting some fantastic results at tournament this year. This match was another five setter and was very close especially right at the end. It really was a battle of playing the right game plan to pull through. At the beginning of the match both players were incredibly patient and working the ball around the court at a very even steady pace. This seemed to be suiting Low more than Laura and as she wasn’t being rushed or being put under any major pressure. The games were long but Low won the first 2 games 11/7, 11/4. Laura clearly needed to change her plan to get herself back into the match and that’s exactly what she did! Laura started putting more pace on the ball and moving and playing with more intention. Her shots were more decisive and Low started to just react to Laura’s great new game plan. Laura came through the 3rd and 4th games 11/2, 11/3. In the fifth game Low started to put a little more pace on the ball too and was moving Laura around the court again and got a 6-3 lead. Laura clawed back and the score stayed pretty even through till 7-7 and then Laura played the perfect end to a five setter match. Laura made no errors at the end, chose her short shots perfectly and with great variation and hold and Low didn’t have anything to come back with. Laura went through to win the fifth 11/8. Laura said “After losing first round last year I couldn’t put my billets through that again! Last year I did lose to the eventual winner but it was still the first round. After being 2/0 down I just tried to inject a little bit more pace which doesn’t necessarily come naturally. I tried to keep my mental intensity up too in order to keep the pace up. I’m happy to be through. I lost to Annie last time we played 3/2 so I’m just going to learn from that match and try to better tomorrow.”
Hong Kong’s Annie Au and world # 6 was up to play Donna Urquhart world #17 from Australia, both are left handed players. Donna came through the toughest qualifying match last night and had another hard one this evening. Donna, who gets the award for the nicest outfits on the court, started out great, moving well and showing no signs of fatigue from last night and won the first 11/3. Annie came back out in the second and managed to control the match and use her wonderful short shots and won the second 11/4. The third game was very even all the way through and Donna put out a huge effort to win it 11/9. The 4th and 5th game were very won relatively convincingly by Annie and Donna finally started to look tired. Annie won the last 2 games 11/3, 11/3. Annie said after her win “In the first game Donna got a 76-2 lead and was playing well with her shots. The second I won quite easily and the 3rd was close. I felt Donna was tired in the 4th and I started to attack more. In the 5th game I was more confident and my shots went in well. It was a good start for the tournament and I’m ready for tomorrow.”
The last match on the championship court was American based Australian Kasey Brown and world # 8 played against the World #1 and five time world champion Nicol David from Malaysia. Nicol hasn’t played our tournament for the last couple of years so it was so great to see her back gracing our courts and showing us what it takes to be world # 1 in a sport. The first game was very closely contested with the score going back and forth until Nicol managed to scrap it 11/9. Kasey is an amazing athlete but Nicol seemed to find her groove after the 1st and even though Kasey tired her best to control and rallies and move Nicol around and get her out of position she just couldn’t manage to string enough points together. Nicol came through the last 2 games 11/5, 11/6 looking very together and focused. Nicol said after “It’s great coming back to the Weymuller after so long. It’s good to play well on these courts and beating Kasey 3/0 is never easy. I’m happy to be through. I knew this tournament was a tough draw all the way through so I’m just using this 1st round as a good boost for tomorrow.”
The other 7.45pm match was Ireland’s Madeline Perry who is ranked world # 5 against England’s Alison Waters who is currently world # 9. This match was played at a very high pace and lots of low hard lengths and each player trying to get into and rid of the ball as quickly as possible. The first 3 games where pretty even all the way through with Alison coming out with the 2/1 lead. Alison’s length was just a little bit more superior in the end with Madeline giving Alison some shorter lengths to finish the rallies from. Alison won the fourth in dominating fashion 11/2. Alison said “ It was a tough match with Madders. It was fast and furious at the start! The 3rd and 4th I found more range and the court opened up more. I’m looking forward to playing Nicol. I played her in Australia and had a good game and lost in 4 and hopefully I can play well tomorrow.”
So here ends another really exciting night of squash at The Heights Casino and we all look forward to the quarter finals starting at 5.30pm tomorrow night. See you again soon!
Summary of Thursday's 1st round results….
Jenny Duncalf beat Dipika Pallikal 11/9, 11/6, 11/6.
Nour El Sherbini beat Camille Serme 4/11, 11/8, 7/11, 11/4, 14/12.
Raneem El Weleily beat Jaclyn Hawkes 11/9, 11/9, 11/3.
Joelle King beat Rachael Grinham 11/6, 11/5, 11/7.
Laura Massaro beat Low Wee Wern 7/11, 4/11, 11/2, 11/3, 11/8.
Annie Au beat Donna Urquhart 3/11, 11/4, 9/11, 11/3, 11/3.
Nicol David beat Kasey Brown 11/9, 11/5, 11/6.
Alison Waters beat Madeline Perry 11/7, 8/11, 11/7, 11/2.
Friday's quarter final matches are as follows….
5.30pm Nour El Sherbini V Jenny Duncalf
6.15pm Joelle King V Raneem El Weleily
7.00pm Annie Au V Laura Massaro
7.45pm Alison Waters V Nicol David
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