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Draws & Results
Finals Gallery
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Men's Final:
[4] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)
bt [7] Tarek Momen (Egy)
11/5, 11/6, 11/8 (37m)
Women's Final:
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
11/6, 6/11, 11/7, 10/12, 11/5 (72m)
It's a home double for Malaysia
Will Mather reports
from KL
Nicol David and Azlan Iskandar made it a good day for the
home fans at the Curve Mall in Kuala Lumpur, with
contrasting victories in the finals - Iskandar was always in
control against surprise finalist Tarek Momen, while David
was pushed all the way by world number two Jenny Duncalf
before claiming her sixth successive Malaysian Open title.
 Azlan
Iskandar earned his biggest victory of the year among
his closest friends when he beat Momen for the 2010 CIMB
Malaysian Open crown.
"He was just too quick and his shots too precise," said a
smiling Momen afterwards. "I knew I would be tired, and when
I stepped on court, my legs were heavy... but I didn't play
bad. Just not as quick as Azlan today," continued Momen.
 Indeed,
Iskandar has played with minimal errors en route to the
title, giving up only one game along the way. It was an
uneventful win in which Momen found himself behind, again,
but without the energy to reel Iskandar back in.
Momen's run was great, equalled and bettered this time
around by Iskandar, deservedly the champion after such
consistent play in front of his neighbours, friends and
family.
 In
a thrilling final for the WISPA Gold event, Nicol David
outlasted Jenny Duncalf to earn another title in Malaysia.
Duncalf showed variety in her shot selection and pace to try
and throw off the world #1, but it was David demonstrating
her athletic prowess and agility, continuing to command the
rallies and sending Duncalf all around the court.
 The
match was filled with excitement, so much so that at the
close of long rallies determined by close drops, the
enthusiastic crowd shouted for a home decision when Duncalf
knew better, and let the crowd know in her charming manner,
gesturing 'down' to the hecklers along the side of the
court.
It was a fun match indeed among two very professional women,
and it was Duncalf's charm and athleticism that earned her
an enthusiastic reception from the crowd.
Meanwhile, Nicol David continues her dominance of the WISPA
tour and the two will likely see much more of each other in
the coming season.
Will Mather |
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23-Jul, Semis:
Hopes of home double still alive in KL
Will Mather reports
Top seeds Nicol David and Jenny Duncalf will contest the
women's final on Saturday, with the Malaysian world number
one going for her sixth successive title. Before that Azlan
Iskandar will be hoping to claim the men's title against
surprise finalist Tarek Momen ...
[4] Azlan Iskandar (Mas) bt [Q]
Farhan Mehboob (Pak)
11-7, 11-7, 11-7
(54m)
Farhan Mehboob’s run came to
an end today - nearly by collision - with Malaysia's Azlan
Iskandar. In his first ever meeting with Iskandar, the two
quickly chatted it up on court after repeated let calls.
 The
Malaysian parked himself on the ‘T’ and with it came the
collisions. With it came the accusations and the risks, of
which little was done to manage. In all fairness to the
referees, these are always difficult to call from the seat.
In the end, Mehboob didn’t play his normal, diverse game,
seemingly reluctant to take it to the front, which wasn't
going to be enough against Iskandar.
The Malaysian moves on to the final after dropping only one
game all tournament and continues to play consistent,
accurate squash.
[7] Tarek
Momen (Egy) bt [1] Mohammed El Shorbagy (Egy)
8-11, 13-11, 2-11, 11-4, 12-10 (75m)
 In
a classic match, the patient Momen wore down top seed
Shorbagy, earning his second consecutive 5-star PSA final.
In his last tournament, the Kolkata Challenger in April,
Momen lost the final to Shorbagy in an equally grueling
5-game match.
Today, Momen got the upper hand in the fifth after a steady
attacking of the backhand. “And he was getting them all,”
commented Momen.
 “He
was getting everything on the backhand, which is where I
like to play… he was playing so good today,” said an
exhausted Momen, staying stationary in his chair long after
the match was over.
He continued, “your (Squashsite) prediction was right on,
except you got one thing wrong: I’m the one who is tired,”
Momen joked.
A well earned victory for sure, and an interesting matchup
against Iskandar in the final, as it was also in Kolkata
where Momen defeated Iskandar in straight games.
[2] Jenny
Duncalf (Eng) bt [Q] Raneem El Weleily (Egy)
11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10 (54m)
Raneem El Weleily’s dream
run has come to an end at the hands of Jenny Duncalf.
Weleily has been the story of the tournament, blowing up the
draw on her way to her first ever semifinal appearance in a
WISPA Gold Event.
 Weleily’s
consistent backhand drop gave trouble to Duncalf who played
fine, tight squash, trying to keep her opponent in the
backcourt.
Moment of the Match: After Duncalf jumped out to a 4-1 lead
in the fourth, Weleily reeled off several points and took
control 9-5. But a few too many mistakes and Duncalf was
able to stave off the young Egyptian.
“I had a great start in the fourth, no pressure at all, then
she turned up the pace and it took me by surprise, really,”
said Duncalf as she addressed the crowd.
“I was very fortunate to put it away and I look forward to
playing in my first final here in Malaysia. Its been a great
tournament and a great crowd!”
[1] Nicol
David (Mas) bt [4] Alison Waters (Eng)
14-12, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7 (64m)
 Waters
played phenomenally as she forced David into all four
corners with pressure squash, but David held her ground in a
very close semifinal match, cming from 8-10 down in the
first and 7-10 in the second, winning both on extra points.
Waters has a diverse arsenal of shots and used them all
today, showing she has recovered from her injury from
before. Though the nemesis, the crowd fell in love with the
English gal who pushed their local hero to the limit.
When asked about the match being a good warm up to the
final, David responded, “I’m just happy to be in the final.
Today’s match was great… Alison just kept going ...”
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Draws & Results
Photo Gallery
Men's Semis &
Final only
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 CIMB
Malaysian Open 2010
19-24 Jul, Kuala Lumpur, $55k |
Round One
21 Jul |
Quarters
22 Jul |
Semis
23 Jul |
Final
24 Jul |
[1] Nicol David (Mas)
11/7, 11/5, 11/4
[Q] Joelle King (Nzl) |
[1] Nicol David
11/4, 11/4, 11/8
Camille Serme |
[1] Nicol David
14-12, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7 (64m)
[4] Alison Waters |
[1] Nicol David
11/6, 6/11, 11/7, 10/12, 11/5
(72m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf |
[7] Madeline Perry (Irl)
11/2, 5/11, 11/6, 11/5
Camille Serme (Fra) |
[4] Alison Waters (Eng)
10/12, 11/5, 12/10, 11/6
[Q] Tania Bailey (Eng) |
[4] Alison Waters
11/5, 11/3, 3/11, 11/4
[5] Omneya Abdel Kawy |
[5] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy)
8/11, 11/8, 7/11, 11/9, 11/3
Kasey Brown (Aus) |
[Q] Dipika Pallikal (Ind)
9/11, 11/9, 9/11, 11/8, 11/9
[8] Laura Massaro (Eng) |
[8] Laura Massaro
11/6, 7/11, 7/11, 11/4, 13/11
[Q] Raneem El Weleily |
[Q] Raneem El Weleily
11-8, 11-5, 8-11,
12-10 (54m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf |
[Q] Raneem El Weleily (Egy)
12/10, 14/16, 11/9, 12/10
[3] Rachael Grinham (Aus) |
Low Wee Wern (Mas)
9/11, 11/8, 7/11, 14/12, 11/7
[6] Natalie Grainger (Usa) |
Low Wee Wern
11/5, 11/6, 11/3
[2] Jenny Duncalf |
Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl)
11/6, 11/3, 11/6
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) |
Qualifying Finals:
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 4/11, 11/5, 11/8, 8/11,
14/12 (67m)
Joelle King (NZL) bt
Joshna Chinappa (IND)
11/7, 11/7, 7/11, 11/9 (45m)
Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt
Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) 9/11, 11/6,
11/6, 11/6 (39m)
Tania Bailey (ENG) bt
Donna Urquhart (AUS)
11/6, 11/5, 11/5 (32m)
Qualifying Round One:
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt
Sharon Wee (MAS) 11/8,
13/11, 12/10 (30m)
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Line Hansen (DEN)
11/5, 6/11, 11/3, 7/11, 11/6 (37m)
Joelle King (NZL) bt Joey Chan (HKG)
13/11, 11/2, 8/11, 11/6 (40m)
Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Olga Ertlova (CZE)
11/4, 11/8, 11/7 (27m)
Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Aisling Blake (IRL)
7/11, 11/7 6/11, 12/10, 11/4 (65m)
Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG)
11/3, 11/3, 5/11, 11/6 (41m)
Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Delia Arnold (MAS)
13/11, 11/4, 11/7 (47m)
Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Pushppa Dev (MAS)
8/11, 11/5, 11/3, 11/5 (29m)
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 CIMB
Malaysian Open 2010
19-24 Jul, Kuala Lumpur, $52k |
Round One
21 Jul |
Quarters
22 Jul |
Semis
23 Jul |
Final
24 Jul |
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy)
11-4, 11-7, 11-9 (33 MIN)
[Q] Siddarth Suchde (Ind) |
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy
7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10
[5] Ong Beng Hee |
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy
8-11, 13-11, 2-11,
11-4, 12-10 (75m)
[7] Tarek Momen |
[7] Tarek Momen
11/5, 11/6, 11/8 (37m)
[4] Azlan Iskandar |
[5] Ong Beng Hee (Mas)
12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (57 MIN)
[Q] Muhd Asyraf Azan (Mas) |
[3] Stewart Boswell (Aus)
11-9, 11-8, 11-4 (45 MIN)
Aaron Frankcomb (Aus) |
[3] Stewart Boswell
8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5
[7] Tarek Momen |
[7] Tarek Momen (Egy)
6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 (55 MIN)
Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) |
[Q] Ryan Cuskelly (Aus)
8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (65 MIN)
[6] Aamir Atlas Khan (Mas) |
[6] Aamir Atlas Khan
11-7, 11-8, 11-2
[4] Azlan Iskandar |
[4] Azlan Iskandar
11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (54m)
[Q] Farhan Mehboob |
Campbell Grayson (Nzl)
11-4, 10-12, 11-3, 11-5 (43 MIN)
[4] Azlan Iskandar (Mas) |
Martin Knight (Nzl)
11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (40 MIN)
[8] Simon Rosner (Ger) |
[8] Simon Rosner
11-9, 11-6, 3-11, 11-7
[Q] Farhan Mehboob |
[Q] Farhan Mehboob (Pak)
13-11, 14-12, 11-8 (54 MIN)
[2] Cameron Pilley (Aus) |
Qualifying Finals:
Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) bt
Alan Clyne (Sco)
7/4 rtd (7m)
Muhd Asyraf Azan (Mas) bt
Kristian Frost (Den)
11/3, 8/11, 11/6, 11/6 (60m)
Siddarth Suchde (Ind) bt
Gilly Lane (Usa)
11/7, 11/9, 6/11, 11/8 (77m)
Farhan Mehboob (Pak) bt
Ivan Yuen (Mas)
14/12, 11/9, 11/4 (40m)
Qualifying Round One:
Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) bt Choong Kam Hing (Mas)
13/11, 11/7, 11/5 (27m)
Alan Clyne (Sco) bt Kamran Khan (Mas)
11/7, 11/3, 7/11, 5/11, 11/5 (52m)
Kristian Frost (Den) bt Kashif Shuja (Nzl)
7/11, 11/8, 11/4, 10/12, 11/9 (77m)
Muhd Asyraf Azan (Mas) bt Harinderpal Sandhu (Ind) 7/11,
9/11, 11/9, 11/6, 11/4 (70m)
Siddarth Suchde (Ind) bt Steve Finitsis (Aus)
11/8, 11/4, 8/11, 7/11, 11/8 (67m)
Gilly Lane (Usa) bt Ng Jo Wen (Mas)
11/4, 11/5, 12/10 (18m)
Ivan Yuen (Mas) bt Muhd Zil Arzi (Mas)
11/3, 11/5, 12/10 (20m)
Farhan Mehboob (Pak) bt Max Lee (Hkg)
11/8, 11/8, 11/8 (38m)
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23-Jul:
SquashStars live blog
[4] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)
bt [Q] Farhan Mehboob (Pak)
11/7,
11/7, 11/7
[7] Tarek Momen (Egy) bt [1] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy)
8/11,
13/11, 2/11, 11/4, 12/10
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt [Q] Raneem El Weleily (Egy)
11/8,
11/5, 8/11, 12/10
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [4] Alison Waters (Eng)
14/12,
12/10, 6/11, 11/7
SquashStars live blog
22-Jul, Quarters:
El Weleily continues to
upset,
Momen & Mehboob excel ...
Will Mather reports from KL
 What
a fine job Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia has done
of setting up this tournament here in Malaysia. We're at our
new venue, the Curve mall.
As Simon Rosner put it, "this is a fantastic tournament. Its
great for the players because our hotel is attached to the
mall, which has a large food court. We spend little time
travelling and have lots of options right outside our door.
I really enjoy coming to Malaysia."
An excellent job is to be credited to each person in the
organizing committee and I'm thankful they have looked after
me in my newly acquired handicapped status.
Farhan Mehboob
bt Simon Rosner 11-9, 11-6, 3-11, 11-7(40m)
Missed opportunities for
Rosner led to an early two game hole against an in form
Mehboob. "I've played Simon a few times, both in the juniors
and in the PSA, and we're good friends off the court,"
commented Mehboob.
"His game has improved, he has much more experience now. But
I've been working with my coaches and we really emphasized
dropping," said Mehboob referring to Rosner.
Indeed, the German looked excellent after he put aside early
mistakes and maintained aggression in spite of Mehboob
constantly bringing the game to the front. But it wasn't
enough today as Mehboob moves on as the first semifinalist.
Jenny Duncalf
bt Low Wee Wern 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 (35m)
Duncalf pinned Wern back and
never gave her any breathing room, eventually exhausted the
athletic Wern.
"Its quite difficult digging the ball out of the corners of
this court," said Duncalf. The Brit was moving well and
controlling the tempo of the game.
"I'm feeling good and well rested as we start the
season...I'm looking forward to the semis."
Azlan Iskandar
bt Aamir Atlas Khan 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 (41m)
A one sided affair, Iskandar
played near flawless squash, committing only a few errors
early on before quickly dismissing Khan in front of a
supportive Curve audience.
Next up: Farhan Mehboob and the two have never played.
Raneem El
Weleily bt Laura Massaro
11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-4, 13-11
(62m)
It all came down to the
fifth and final game, where after jumping out to a 5-2 lead,
Massaro couldn't connect and Weleily turned it up, scoring 7
unanswered points.
"I was telling myself, 'No tins. Be patient. Don't take it
to the front too early.' I think patience was the key to
winning that last game." said Weleily with a smile from ear
to ear. Massaro answered, reeling off three points before
the players forced extra points.
Massaro's deep boasts regularly put Weleily under pressue,
"I just couldn't see it, but told myself to get it when I
could," shared Weleily.
An incredible run for the young Egyptian, this is her first
time making it to the semifinals of WISPA gold event.
Tarek Momen bt
Stewart Boswell
8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (65m)
Don't make Momen angry! "The
end of the second finished with another bad call and I got
angry. For some reason, its working that way this
tournament," shared an excited Momen after the match.
You could sense the momentum shift as Momen found his rhythm
with ridiculously tight drops, of which Boswell countered
creatively.
"I sensed he was getting tired and when he couldn't shut me
out of the third, I knew we would go to a fifth...he
(Boswell) was hitting drops on me I just couldn't get," said
Momen.
The two battled it out with drops and counter drops,
misdirection and flicks that had the crowd gasping and
clapping at the completion of every rally.
A truly impressive match that likely created new squash fans
while shopping at the Curve! Simply a world class match!
Alison Waters
bt Omney Abdel Kawy
11-5, 11-3, 3-11, 11-4 (36m)
A visibly struggling Kawy
was able to play courageously in the third, but otherwise
was flat against an in-form Waters.
"I've been off for the last two months due to injury, but
now I'm feeling well and am ready to go." Waters played with
vigor, putting muscle into every shot, but not looking
labored as she kept Kawy back.
"Yeah, she (Kawy) is so good up front, so I just wanted to
keep her away from her strengths." said Waters. "The ball
dies in back, so if you are hitting good length, you'll get
rewarded, and in that way, I was able to keep the pressure
on her."
Mohammed El
Shorbagy bt Ong Beng Hee
7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 (81m*)
*Injury Time
 Beng
Hee took it to Shorbagy but it wasn't enough. Shorbagy
smelled blood in the fourth (or third if you want to be
literal, the Malaysian needing two blood injury timeouts)
and decided not to let it go to a fifth.
"All I was thinking is that I don't want to play another
fifth against Beng Hee." said Shorbagy. "I lost to him in
the fifth when we last played here in Kuala Lumpur at the KL
Open."
Shorbagy stepped up after being down a game ball in the
fourth, putting it away with a relentless attack to the
front.
Shorbagy looked confident throughout, especially being down
in the fourth as he was playing his top spin shots, risky as
they are, despite the deficit. In the end, he was too good
on the evening and moves on to face Tarek Momen.
Nicol David bt
Camille Serme [11-4, 11-4, 11-8] (28)
David was in control, taking
it early and often to Serme's back hand. Serme is already a
top 10 player, so to say she has a bright future is
redundant, but the lady can play.
The two demonstrated some fantastic footwork en route to
complex rallies. David stuck to a vanilla game, hitting it
hard and keeping Serme back, slowly working it to the front
when the opportunity came.
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Draws & Results
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21-Jul, Round One:
El Weleily Wipes Out
Ex-World Champion Grinham In KL
Will Mather reports from KL
Forgive
me for not covering all the courts and providing you the
match reviews for the first round of WISPA. I am bound to
crutches and the frequent trip up/down stairs and across the
viewing gallery is just too much for me in this condition. I
want to thank Dr. Aston Ngai Seng Huey of Dr. Aston
Sports Clinic, the onsite Doctor here at the Malaysian Open,
for his kind professionalism in treating me and my painful
leg. From here on out, we'll be playing at a new venue,
the Curve mall, with its lone glass court which will
make it easier to bring you the stories behind the matches.
With that said, here's what happened:
The women were extremely competitive today with many matches
going the distance. Nicol David cruised in her match,
as did Jenny Duncalf. Alison Waters was
pressed by by Tania Bailey, taking the win in just under an
hour. Omneya Abdel Kawy came from 2-1 down to beat
Kasey Brown of Australia. Laura Massaro survived a
close encounter with Dipika Pallikal to avoid being another
upset seed. It was third seed Rachael Grinham who was
dropped in a closely fought battle with Raneem El Weleily
of Egypt. Sixth seed Natalie Grainger of the US was upended
by local Low Wee Wern in a massive match and seventh
seed Madeline Perry couldn't get things going as she was
taken out by Camille Serme.
Simon Rosner defeated Martin Knight in straight
games. The match started patiently, but the following two
games were very quick. "In the beginning I was very nervous
and was unwilling to bring it to the front. I was very
fortunate to get that first game. I became more comfortable
as the match progressed and am very happy to make the
quarters of my first 5 star event! I've been working with my
coach and since I have been steadily climbing the rankings."
Farhan Mehboob defeated Cameron Pilley in a high
quality match. Both players made each other earn almost
every point, exchanging shots at exceptional length and
width while playing at a high pace. In the end, Mehboob was
just a little better at closing out the crucial points.
Moment of the match: Pilley's game ball in the second. With
the loss of that point and eventually the game, Pilley was
deflated. "He's [Pilley] is such a great player and I've
played him a few times now. I'm very happy with todays match
as it was great squash and a good win. I received some great
advice from my coach Jamshed Khan, whom has so much
experience. It really helped today and I came out with a 3-0
win and look forward to playing more. I expect to do well in
this tournament, as will Aamir [Atlas Khan]. I hope to at
least make the semis."
Aamir Atlas Khan defeated Ryan Cuskelly in an
interesting match. Khan can appear to play with leisure, but
when he put his foot down, he kept Cuskelly at bay. Moment
of the match: After being down 5-9 in the fourth, Khan
reeled in Cuskelly with an array of shots that kept Cuskelly
grounded, eventually closing out any hopes of a fifth.
Cuskelly's racket is excellent, the kid has got game and
he'll only climb the rankings in the time to come. He was
fun to watch.
Azlan Iskandar defeated Campbell Grayson in a good
match. I was impressed with Grayson whom was in trouble
early with Iskandar's volleys, but with each effort he made
Iskandar take just one more shot. "I wish I played better,"
said Iskandar after the match, but all credit to Grayson
whose 'never say die' game kept him in it all the way.
Stewart Boswell defeated Aaron Frankcomb in the
performance of the day. Frankcomb is an excellent player and
a personable lad on the tour, but today, Boswell was all
business. His delicate drops from the back court were so
shallow and low, forcing repeated movements to the backhand
side of Frankcomb. It paid off with a straight games
victory. "Those first two games were touch and go, so I'm
happy to have gotten those games. I'm feeling good as we
start the new season, there is a lot coming up, so I want to
do well," said Boswell after the match.
Tarek Momen defeated Muhd. Nafizwan Adnan in an
immensely entertaining and brutal match. Volley happy Momen
kept Adnan in a static lunge throughout the match,
eventually wearing down the athletic local. The moment of
the match came in the third came, as Momen himself described
afterwards, "I was down 5-10 in the third when I got angry
over a bad call. I think it helped me focus because after
that, it just felt as if my vision, clarity, was much
better." Momen went on win that game, converting a
pontential one game deficit into a one game advantage.
Adnan's performance was praiseworthy and he is only getting
better with each match!
Ong Beng Hee outpointed Muhd. Asyraf Azan in a
lengthy, but scrappy match. Azan exhausted all possible
mental games and finally conceded the match to Ong, who
seemed in control throughout. The moment of the match came
late in the fifth though, when Ong picked himself up off the
floor from a vicious looking collision. Ong, who just
recovered from a back injury, went immediately to physio
afterwards.
Mohamed El Shorbagy drove the Siddarth Suchde in
straight games, but was put under pressure early and often.
Suchde put in a commendable effort, unfortunately making too
many mistakes along the way. Shorbagy's high 'T' position
created some incredible angles, but Suchde adjusted with
many volleys of his own. "Shorbagy was just better than me,"
said a humble Suchde. Shorbagy was impressed with Suchde
both off and on court, "Sidd went to Harvard while also
playing squash at the highest level. Here he is, climbing
the ranking and playing really well." This was Shorbagy's
first event as the top seed, but he took it in stride. "It
was the same with the Juniors, but everyone is coming after
you, so there is pressure. Its the pressure I'm used to. I
have been training in Alexandria and ready to go for the new
season, so I hope to play well."
Now, off for some ice and rest. Happy squashing!
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20-Jul, Qualifying Finals:
Azan Boosts Local Interest
Will Mather reports
PSA
 The
four qualifiers earned their stripes today at the Bukit
Jalil National Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur. This place is
large, nicely appointed and has lots of stairs: perfectly
inconvenient for my torn achilles tendon I just suffered the
day before departing for Kuala Lumpur....
While
thunder roared with heavy tropical rains outside the large
complex originally built for the Commonwealth Games, I
joined a few hundred squash enthusiasts eager to see great
matches to secure the vacant qualifier spots. A surprise
among them is local Muhd. Asyraf Azan who had beaten
both Harinder Pal Sandhu and Kristen Frost Olesen to grab a
spot. Unfortunately, Azan's on court antics were childish an
unprofessional in his match with Olesen, whom I thought was
more than gracious in defeat.
 Farhan
Mehboob, with victories over talented youths Max Lee and
Ivan Yuen, moves into the main draw. Both Lee and Yuen are
excellent players, but Mehboob kept the pressure up, forcing
loose shots from the difficult retrieval efforts his
opponents did. There were flashes of brilliance in Yuen's
game where he returned the pressure via volley and the ball
didn't make it past the service line for points at a time!
You gotta love squash! These guys make it look easy, but to
the keen eye, you know it's painful and arduous to play at
such a pace. Mehboob moves on to face Cameron Pilley of
Australia in a first round showdown.
Siddarth Suchde is the lone Indian male to make the
main draw. With victories over Steve Finitsis and Gilly
Lane, he has justified his billing. Suchde maintained
consistency throughout his match with Lane, whom gave away
points - crucial points - whenever he assumed control of the
rally. This is unfortunate because Lane played fine, tight
squash in an excellent match! Suchde earns an opportunity to
take out top seed Mohammed El Shorbagy in tomorrow's first
round.
Ryan Cuskelly was victorious over Choong Kam Hing and
Alan Clyne to earn his bid into the main draw. The capable
shot maker in Cuskelly versus the incredibly athletic Clyne
was a match I was eager to see and just as quickly as I
turned my camera on, the match was over. Unfortunately, just
7 minutes in, a very stoic Clyne pulled out with an ankle
injury. "I arrived a few days back and injured it while
playing. Then, yesterday, I had a difficult match which
worsened it. Its best I get some physio now in preparation
for the upcoming tournaments, but its really unfortunate."
said Clyne. Cuskelly moves on to face Aamir Atlas Khan in a
first round battle.
WISPA
This was as good as one could have hoped for with such a
talented field. That much can be said for the tournament
overall - depth. The fields are deep in quality, and on the
WISPA side, I'm impressed at the diversity of the field. Our
sport truly is played by all and we are only beginning to
see the possibilities...
For certain there was going to be a second Egyptian in the
main draw and the top seeded qualifer, Raneem El Weleily,
earned it with a victories over talents Sharon Wee and Nour
El Sherbini. The young Sherbini just ran out of steam and
couldn't take advantage of the opportunities when she had
them, of which Weleily minimized. The two played with a
sense of familiarity with one another and it made for
entertaining squash.
Joelle King moves into the main draw with quality
victories over Joey Chan and Joshna Chinappa. King now has
the opportunity to take out top seed, local legend and the
player whom Center Court of this National Squash Complex is
named after, Nicol David.
Dipika Pallikal continues to impress with victories
over Aisling Blake and Siti Munirah Jusoh to set up her
clash with Laura Massaro of England. With WISPA junior
players Amanda Sobhy, Nour El Tayeb, Nour El Sherbini and
Pallikal all stepping into the mix with success, the
resulting confidence and experience has laid a firm
foundation for WISPA in the years to come and is nothing but
the greatest thing for squash!
Tania Bailey turned things upside down with victories
over Delia Arnold and Donna Urquhart - without dropping a
game! Bailey is set to play Alison Waters and you can be
sure that Bailey's confidence will help spurn an upset.
Cheers to more squash!
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Draws & Results
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KL here we come
Men's preview from
Will Mather
We are days away from the 2010 edition of the CIMB
Malaysian Open! Lets get the conversation started with a
look at the mens side with potential matchups and
predictions to make for at least good banter.
Qualifying
Qualifying will heat up early and there is a real threat to
the main draw. Such an event attracts the highest caliber of
players and to see this group as qualifiers is scary.
Talented and athletic, the players are coming from all over,
with Australian lefty Ryan Cuskelly topping the list.
All qualifiers are noteworthy, not the least of which are a
couple of top ranked Indian players in Siddarth Suchde
and speedster Harinder "Harry" Pal Sandhu. However,
keep an eye on another lefty, Pakistan's Farhan Mehboob
as you can expect him to advance to the main draw. The
former world # 16 is lurking as a qualifier only because of
limited play this year on the world tour and could upset
seeds in the first round, too.
First Round
Expect to see Farhan Mehboob into the main draw, but should
he draw Malaysian and local favorite Ong Beng Hee,
while a treat, will be a steep charge for any of the
qualifiers - home court advantage is an element sure to
affect the deeper rounds as the tournament progresses. Aside
from Ong, the fifth seed, qualifiers will be paired against
the top seed Mohammed El Shorbagy, second seed
Cameron Pilley and sixth seed Aamir Atlas Khan.
While unfortunate to see fellow countrymen Stewart
Boswell and Aaron Frankcomb facing off in the
first round, lets hope the seedings diversify and we don't
see further domestic disputes.
A first round must-see match will be the drop savvy Tarek
Momen of Egypt facing the athletic Malaysian Muhd.
Nafizwan Adnan, the world #58 and Wild Card recipient
for this event. "Wan" as he is known on the tour, is a
strong, gifted athlete and is capable of covering the front,
but can he counter and control with consistent retrieving?
Or will Momen have him visiting all four corners? This
match, played in Wan's backyard, has upset potential and
will be fun to see should each player play to his strength.
Momen, if he can get past Adnan, could rip open the
tournament in his pursuit for his first PSA title.
Prediction: 3-2 to Momen.
Quarter Finals
The upper half of the draw is brutal and could go a variety
of ways, including a potential all Egypt semi. Here's a look
at how things could sort out in the quarters.
Shorbagy vs Ong - Could be the match of the
tournament. Shorbagy leads the head to head 3-2. Fact: four
of the five matches have gone the distance. Fact: Ong will
have generous support from the crowd. Fact: Shorbagy is
riding a wave of confidence, stemming from his first PSA
title in India where he beat Ong in the process.
Prediction: The local hero is fueled by the crowd and the
top seed falls in a worthy match, 3-2 to Ong.
Boswell vs Momen/Adnan - Boswell, a former world #4,
has - putting it simply - a sound game and will likely have
more rest, further posing problems for the survivor of the
Momen/Adnan match. However, a Boswell-Momen match will be
very interesting style wise and could present a problem for
the higher ranked Australian.
Prediction: Momen surprises many with the upset.
Khan vs Iskandar - Consider this the rubber match
after the Asian Championships where Iskandar beat Khan for
the individual title, then lost days later for the team
title. This match depends largely on which Khan shows up, as
his shot making capabilities are enough to keep the best
players apprehensive.
Prediction: home court advantage and a 3-1 victory to
Iskandar.
Rosner vs Pilley - according to the PSA records,
these two have never met on the world tour. Expect a variety
of shots from Pilley to make the talented German, Rosner,
run. Rosner may try and counter by setting up a tempo with
good length. Rosner will make Pilley work for it in a match
that will make the court look small.
Prediction: 3-1 to Pilley.
Semi Finals
The last men standing...
Ong vs Momen - I can't imagine the winner of the
Shorbagy/Ong match having enough in the tank, but against
Momen it won't be any easier.
Prediction: Momen
Iskandar vs Pilley - could get messy at the T, but
Pilley, in spite of his size, creates space on the court by
moving the ball all around. Iskandar will hold his ground,
and both will look to volley and up the pace. Has the recipe
for risky, entertaining squash!
Prediction: don't underestimate the homeboy, 3-2 to
Iskandar in a scrapper.
Final
There is no underestimating the stamina of the players who
make it to the final, especially the finalist from the upper
half of the draw.
Momen vs Iskandar - To be played on center court,
located in the middle of "The Curve" mall in front of a few
thousand eager locals, Iskandar will have the advantage.
However, I would expect this final to surprise many and
Momen is able to focus, notching his first PSA title.
Prediction: 3-2, to Momen.
A long shot, but the young Egyptian has what it takes to
bring home the hardware. Let the debating begin...
have your say on the forum
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Make your own predictions and win a Prince EX03 Rebel
RacketKL here we come part II
Women's preview from
Will Mather
Earlier I took a brief look at the PSA draw for the CIMB
Malaysian Open. Now for a look at the WISPA side of the same
event.
Qualifying
Whoever thought the
qualifying rounds could be so much fun? With the exceptional
juniors Nour El Sherbini and Dipika Pallikal
attempting to qualify for a major WISPA event, its an
opportunity to see the future of squash for many, many years
to come. These two young ladies are incredibly capable and
will warrant a watching out of sheer curiosity. A motivated
Pallikal is as good as any on tour. Another player to keep
track of, Delia Arnold of Malaysia, will have the
support of the crowd and will try and ride that into the
main draw, which will be equally fun to capture. An underdog
local playing in front of the home crowd against some of the
best in the world? Qualifying will be fun!
First Round
There are a few pairings that have upset potential in this
round, otherwise, expect the majority of the matches to go
according to seeding.
Nicol David of Malaysia will take the stage against a
qualifier. David is truly a professional and will not
underestimate her opponent, but she will confidently put
away whomever qualifies to step onto the court with her.
Anytime an opportunity arises to watch her play, you must
grab it!
Prediction: David
An excellent matchup pits Ireland's Madeline Perry
against France's Camille Serme. Perry is seeded in the
tournament, but Serme will contend with quality as she
continues to make progress accelerated by her continued
matches with the highest profile players. In a word, Serme
is becoming consistent and this event will giver her an
opportunity to improve upon her record against top 10
players of which she is company.
Prediction: Serme earns her best result against Perry and
scores the upset.
Alison Waters vs Qualifier. Waters may get tested
depending upon the outcome of the qualifiers. At this level
of play, sometimes a stylistic mismatch can present itself
and there are some possibilities here. Expect Waters to ease
past almost any of the qualifiers.
Omneya Abdel Kawy vs Kasey Brown should produce an
entertaining match. Kawy has too many shots though and
should press through to the quarters.
Laura Massaro vs Qualifier. As with Waters, just
because you're seeded doesn't guarantee much, especially
with the roster of qualifiers looking to seize their
opportunity. With a lack of preparation for a known opponent
in advance, upsets can happen. This is one of those matches
that, if certain qualifiers make it, could pose problems for
Massaro.
Rachel Grinham vs Qualifier. This one holds very
little surprise as Grinham is well rounded and will thwart
any effort for the major upset in the first round.
A great match worth checking out is Low Wee Wern of
Malaysia against Natalie Grainger of the USA. On any
given day, Grainger wins this matchup. However, the local,
ambitious and opportunistic Wern will be ready to earn her
wild card in front of a supportive crowd and Grainger will
need to find a way to put aside all the distraction.
Interestingly, the wild cards in both the PSA (Adnan) and
WISPA (Wern) really do hold a great significance in this
tournament which could reshape the draw entirely.
Prediction: Grainger survives a great match.
Jaclyn Hawkes vs Jenny Duncalf ought to give us high
quality entertaining squash and insight into Duncalf's
condition for the tournament. Hawkes, the Kiwi who has
surged the past year, looks for the upset and really is
capable of giving us one, but not at this venue.
Prediction: Duncalf.
Quarter Finals
Expect the seeds to be spot on through this round.
Nicol David vs Camille Serme - has the making of a
great match, but expect David to pull through.
Prediction: David
Alison Waters vs Omney Abdel Kawy - I'm eager to see
these two play again, where Waters maintains a 3-0
advantage. Can Kawy turn the tide? I think Waters pulls
through in a very tight match that goes the distance.
Prediction: Waters
Laura Massaro vs Rachel Grinham - An all English
matchup that leans heavily towards Grinham.
Prediction: Grinham moves on and is in good shape for the
semifinal.
Natalie Grainger vs Jenny Duncalf - Duncalf continues
to roll and earns the final qualifying spot.
Prediction: Duncalf
Semi Finals
The tournament goes according to seed and we see England,
Australia and the lone Malaysian standing.
Nicol David vs Alison Waters - David is pressed but
should pull through yet another talented player in Waters.
The two have met 9 times on the tour and David has racked up
a game record of 27-3 against Waters.
Rachel Grinham vs Jenny Duncalf - The match of the
tournament! These two meet for the 11th time on tour, with
the head to head even at the moment. A relatively unpressed
Grinham notches the upset of the higher seed Duncalf.
Final
Nicol David vs Rachael Grinham - Grinham is 1-11 against
David and David romps for yet another title!
have your say on the forum |
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