12-Oct, Finals:

[5] Nouran El Torky  3-0 [4] Chloe Mesic 
            11-3, 11-5, 11-6 (35m)
[2] Mahesh Mangaonkar  3-0 [1] Zahed Mohamed
           14-12, 15-13, 11-4 (52m)

Mahesh Mangaonkar  was decidedly the crowd favorite in today’s final of the second JSW Challenger tournament in Mumbai and he did not disappoint.

His win in three straight games over Zahed Mohamed was not easy, though. Mohamed played some incredible squash that hinted of his higher ranking, even if Mangaonkar took the match. Mangaonkar took a quick lead in the first game, 7-3, but Mohamed patiently clawed his way back to level at 9-9. From there, the two players went point for point in an intense duel until two careless tin shots from Mohamed sent the game to Mangaonkar 14-12.

Mohamed shot into the lead in the second game, and a flubbed split-second retrieval from Mangaonkar brought it to 4-0. It was hard to get recognition from such a pro-Manganokar crowd, but a brilliant over-the-shoulder, cross-court return by Mohamed made the crowd go wild, even if it upped his lead to 7-0.

As Mohamed widened the game and picked up the pace, Mangaonkar refocused, and patiently caught up, getting in a couple of nice drops to bring it to 9-8. At 10-8, Mohamed served for the game, but an unforced error sent the point to Mangaonkar. A lovely, gentle boast gave Mangaonkar his first lead of the game at 11-10, and the two traded points until Mangaonkar took the game 15-13.

Mangaonkar came out determined to end it quickly in the third game, his stamina shot from the grueling 91-minute semifinal he played the day before. Mangaonkar took the lead from the start and didn’t relinquish it until he won 11-4.

Mahesh Mangaonkar: “I’m exhausted. I tried to push through since yesterday’s match was so demanding, 91 minutes long. This morning when I got up, I was all stiff. But I just told myself, ‘This is just another day of training’ to take the pressure off. I told myself to play freely, stick to your shots, and hang in there. I was tired in the second game, but I told myself, ‘Keep pushing, one more, just keep pushing.’ I’m happy I stayed hungry through the match.”

Nouran El Torky claimed her second title of the circuit with today’s win over Chloe Mesic in the women’s final of the second JSW Challenger tournament in Mumbai.

El Torky made quick work of Mesic and didn’t even look to be straining, though Mesic, playing her first WSA final, did trouble her a bit with drop shots to the corners. Both women played the basics in the first game, with El Torky taking a quick lead and winning it off a tin shot from Mesic, 11-3.

El Torky’s strategy seemed to rely on Mesic’s unforced errors, and it worked. In the second game, El Torky’s better sense for retrievals became apparent, and she ran away with the game 11-5.

Mesic showed grit in the third game, eking out six points by targeting El Torky’s weaker short game. But it wasn’t enough. El Torky took back her own with a lovely corner drop – the kind that Mesic had used against her successfully in all three games – taking the game and match 11-6 in 35 minutes.

Nouran El Torky: “From the beginning I was a little bit worried about the finals bc it’s the finals. Thanks to all the supporters, organizers and the tournament director.

Thanks to Mathias (Tuomi), Birgit (Coufal), and Valentino (Bon Jovi Bong) for their help from the beginning of the tournament. I was moving a lot better than in Jaipur and I was concentrating a bit more than the last tournament. I think she was a little bit tired from yesterday’s match.”
 

Indian Challenger Circuit Launch

FROG'S TALK 2

Finale
Malheureusement la victoire n'est pas pour cette fois...
Je m'incline 3/0 en jouant solide mais sans trouver de solutions pour conclure les rallies... Nouran a été très offensive et m a empêché de développer mon jeu d attaque.

Place à la recup maintenant pour attaquer dans 2 jours le prochain WSA à Mumbai, 3ème d'une longue série ;) cette finale n est que le début!

               

11-9, 11-9, 12-10 (46m)

[Q] Sanjay Singh

14-12, 15-13, 11-4 (52m)

[2] Mahesh Mangaonkar

11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (91m)

[2] Mahesh Mangaonkar

08-Oct, Qualifying Finals:

Angus Gillams (Eng) 3-0 Deepak Mishra (Ind)                   11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (30m)
Valentino BonJovi Bong (Mas) 3-0 Vikas Jangra (Ind)       11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (22m)
Sanjay Singh (Mas) 3-2 M. Asim Khan (Pak)     9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2 (70m)
Sandeep Jangra (Ind) 3-2 Ravi Dixit (Ind)       11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7

07-Oct, Qualifying Round One:

Deepak Mishra (Ind) bt Ashish Keskar -                              11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (26m)
Mohammed Asim Khan (Pak) bt Ranvijay Singh -         11-3, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5 (40m)
Vikas Jangra (Ind) bt Abhinav Sinha (Ind) -        11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8 (41m)
Sandeep Jangra (Ind) bt Chaitanya Shah (Ind) -                  11-3, 11-7, 11-6 (24m)
Sanjay Singh (Mas) bt Aryaman Adik (Ind) -                       11-2, 11-3, 11-9 (16m)
Valentino Bonjovi Bong (Mas) bt Maj Arjun Agnihotri (Ind) - 11-7, 11-1, 11-3 (19m)
Ravi Dixit (Ind) bt Yohan Pandole (Ind) -                          11-3, 12-10, 11-4 (25m)
Angus Gillams (Eng) bt Vijay Kumar Meena (Ind) 8-11, 11-2, 11-2, 7-11, 11-2 (61m)

 [5] Nouran El Torky

11-3, 11-5,
11-6  (35m)

11-4, 4-11,  5-11,  11-9, 11-1 (58m)

[2] Birgit Coufal

#1 Jaipur | #2 Mumbai | #3 Mumbai | #4 Chennai

Mahesh Mangaonkar (Ind) 3-2 Shehab Essam (Egy)
                 11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (91m)

In a 91-minute battle royale worthy of a final, Mahesh Mangaonkar went point for point, game for game with Shehab Essam Hosny as neither player gave an inch of breathing room to the other.

Hosny, an aggressive showman with a flair for unmakeable shots, forced Mangaonkar out of his more stoic style, and the result was a match full of long, brilliant rallies that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. A beautiful corner drop from Mangaonkar made the first game his, 11-6. But Hosny edged ahead in the second game, the score belying the closeness of the game, as long, full-court rallies kept both players from getting comfortable in the middle for long. A couple of careless tin shots by Mangaonkar sent the game to Hosny, 11-4.

A controversial call in the third match had Hosny demanding a stroke, and, denied, anger seemed to fuel his shots to precision as he scored twice in a row to take a small lead 5-3. But a string of unforced errors by Hosny let Mangaonkar recapture the lead and take the game 11-7. Hosny made quick work of the fourth game, going on a small run of 7-2, then 10-3. Mangaonkar managed to claw back a couple of points, but the game went to Hosny 11-5, sending the match to a decider.

The final game was a nailbiter. At 5-3, four long, demanding rallies in a row ended in lets, leaving Hosny and Mangaonkar frustrated and exhausted, but no less intense. Hosny then steadily closed Mangaonkar’s 7-3 lead to level it at 9-9. But a top-notch cross-court boast by Mangaonkar won the game and match 11-8.

Mahesh Mangaonkar:
“It was mentally, physically a very tough game. My plan was to physically outplay him, my same game plan as yesterday. There were a few areas where I didn’t volley much, so maybe I need to look into that for tomorrow. I’m a little tired, but squash is a hard sport, and everyone gets tired. I’m hoping there’s a lot of good crowd support tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it.”

WSA SEMIS

Chloe Mesic (Fra) 3-2 Birgit Coufal (Aut)
                    11-4, 4-11,  5-11,  11-9, 11-1 (58m)

The first women’s semifinal match of the day between Chloe Mesic and Birgit Coufal started slowly, as both women played their basics and worked up a rhythm. Mesic found her legs first, as a couple of unforced errors in a row from Coufal gave her a slight lead, and ultimately took the first game 11-4.

But Coufal took control in the next game, playing strongly from the T and sending Mesic all over the court with some nice cross-court shots. The second game went to Coufal 11-4. The pace picked up in the third game, and while Mesic seemed to scramble a bit, Coufal seemed unhurried, returning shot after shot with ease and winning 11-5.

Coufal took a quick lead in the fourth game, intent on finishing the match quickly, but Mesic patiently whittled it down, going shot for shot with Coufal after 5-5. Mesic lengthened her game, playing her shots deep and forcing Coufal to return off the back wall with intermittent success. The strategy paid off, and Mesic won the fourth game 11-9, sending the match into a decider.

The tone reversed in the last game, with Mesic the more steely player, lining up each shot, while Coufal was more reactionary in her retrievals. At 6-0, Mesic made a brilliant boast that ended in a drop, sending her up 7-0. After that, Coufal managed to steal only one point before Mesic took the game and match 11-1.

Nouran El Torky (EGY) 3-0 Laura Pomportes (FRA)
                         11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (46m)

Jaipur champion Nouran El Torky (EGY), facing off with top seed Laura Pomportes (FRA) in today’s semifinal, found a player to match her fast pace and wide style. El Torky – playing a stronger short game than yesterday – started slow, but found her rhythm about midway through the first game, when she went on a small run, going from 4-1 down to leading 6-4. El Torky took the first game 11-8, and the game kicked up a notch in the second game, as Pomportes came out fighting, varying her shots to keep El Torky on her toes.

But some careless unforced errors by Pomportes gave El Torky a consistent lead, and she edged out Pomportes again, 11-7. The last game saw El Torky take a quick lead 4-1 as she set her sights on the final. The two players traded points up until 9-8, when two lovely points in a row by El Torky ended it 11-8.

Indian Challenger Circuit Launch

FROG'S TALK 2

Demie
Désolé pour le manque de réactivité, il n'est pas facile d'avoir accès à internet ici.

Me voici donc en finale tout à l'heure face à Nouran qui a malheureusement battu Laura hier.

Je suis contente d'accéder à la finale cette fois ci avec une belle victoire sur Birgit 32. Je vais aborder cette finale ds le même état d'esprit que mon dernier jeu d'hier et tout donner!

Last push!
               

Sanjay Singh (Mas) 3-2 Kristian Frost Olesen (Den)
                           7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10 (89m)
Sanjay Singh:
"It was a long game, long and brutal. It's not easy playing him. He's a fit player who likes to play long rallies. It wasn't easy finishing him off. All I had to do was make the rally long and hard, push him front, back, front, back, and stay mentally strong."

Zahed Mohamed (EGY) 3-0 Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK)
                       11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (47m)
Zahed Mohamed:
"This is my first tournament in the circuit and my first time to play Mohammed Asim Khan. When I knew I'm seeded first, I feel I have pressure on me. In the first game, I was a little bit afraid. He played well in the first game. When I started to know the way to play with him, I think I started to play very well. It was a tough match. But I'm happy with my performance and looking forward to tomorrow."

Mahesh Mangaonkar (Ind) 3-1 Valentino BonJovi Bong (Mas)                  11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5 (52m)

Mahesh Mangaonkar:
"When I started, I wasn't attacking as much as I usually do. I was just trying to keep the match as long as possible. I was confident about my winning, but I wasn't feeling motivated. So I tried to stay on the court, which motivates me and prepares me for tomorrow."
Laura Pomportes (Fra) 3-0 Sammer Anjum (Pak)
                           11-3, 11-3, 11-4 (18 min)
Sammer Anjum:
"I'm really happy to be here. This is my first tournament of the circuit. Today's match wasn't good. I mean, I played good and got good experience. I'm ready for the next two tournaments. I hope I play well and give my best."

Nouran El Torky (EGY) 3-1 Cheyna Tucker (RSA)
                           11-3, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 (58m)
Cheyna Tucker:
"It's disappointing. I played much better than our last encounter. It was quite a frustrating game. But lots to be learned and it will motivate me for next time."

Nouran El Torky:
"I knew Cheyna was going to play better than last time. I was nervous from the start. In the second game, I made a lot of errors. I think she played really well today."

Indian Challenger Circuit Launch

FROG'S TALK

Tout d'abord un grand merci d'avoir relayé sur site squash mon résultat du WSA de Jaipur =)

Me voici maintenant à Mumbai pour le second WSA de ma tournée indienne. Je me suis imposée 3-0 en huitième et en quart face à deux joueuses indiennes. Je suis à nouveau en demi finale et serai opposée demain à Birgit Coufal. J'ai de bonnes sensations sur ce tournoi et beaucoup d'envie, j'ai hâte de jouer ma demie et d'accéder cette fois ci à la finale. Je rêve d'une finale franco-française puisque Laura m'a rejoint en Inde et jouera l'autre demi finale face à Nouran El Torky.

A bientôt pour la suite des événements,

             

Sammer Anjum (PAK) 3-0 Nikita Joshi (IND)
          11-7, 11-6, 11-8 31 min

Pakistan’s Sammer Anjum’s first time playing in India started off on a bright note, as she took her match against Nikita Joshi (IND) in three straight sets. Anjum took a quick lead, 6-2, before Joshi battled back with some nice points off the front wall. But at 7-6, Anjum took off, winning the game 11-7 and setting a pattern for the next two. Joshi played well, and the players were evenly matched in the beginning of each game, but some unfortunate errors by Joshi and some great play by Anjum set Anjum off on a run after 6-6 in all three games to take the match.


Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 3-0 Sadia Gul (PAK)
          11-3, 11-6, 11-4 29 min

The runner-up of last week’s Jaipur tournament, Cheyna Tucker (RSA), continued at full tilt in her first match of the main draw in Mumbai. Tucker took Sadia Gul (PAK) in a quick three games. Tucker took control of each game from the start, playing strongly from the T, while Gul struggled to find her rhythm, her play appearing at times half-hearted.

After an 11-3 loss in the first game, Gul hustled a bit more in the second game to make it interesting, but ultimately Tucker took it 11-6. The third game was all Tucker, who broke away from the start to take a lead of 8-1, while Gul ran around the court to return. Gul managed to steal two match points at the end, but Tucker finally took it 11-4 to win the match.

Cheyna will next play in the quarterfinals against Nouran El Torky (EGY). The two last faced off in the final of last week’s Jaipur tournament, where El Torky emerged victorious.

Cheyna Tucker:
“I was feeling fresh, feeling confident, and managed to do the job in three. Looking forward to playing Nouran again in the next round.”

Nouran El Torky (EGY) 3-0 Urwashi Joshi (IND)
        15-13, 11-5, 11-7 40 min

WSA newcomer Urwashi Joshi came back from Jaipur determined to advance in the Mumbai tournament, after losing in X round last week in Jaipur. While it wasn’t meant to be, she did give Nouran El Torky (EGY) an unexpected battle for the quarterfinals spot, going point for point with the Jaipur tournament champion into extra points in the first game, until El Torky wrapped it up 15-13. Game two saw El Torky lengthen the game, but both players put several shots just outside the other’s reach.

 El Torky took the game 11-5, but Joshi came back swinging in the third game, snatching a quick lead of 7-1. But the more experienced El Torky kept her cool and methodically chipped away at Joshi’s lead, with several shots that sent Joshi slamming into the back wall to retrieve, and the game and match ended 11-7.

Indian Challenger Circuit Launch

Indian Challenger Circuit Launch

Indian Challenger Circuit Launch

#1 Jaipur | #2 Mumbai | #3 Mumbai | #4 Chennai