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WSF
Squash World Cup 2011 |
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Howard Harding
in Chennai
Schedule
Results
Day Three report
Day Two report
Day One report
Ashour was thrilled with the
team's win: "It's moments like this that make you feel proud to
be Egyptian.
We are very, very proud of what we have achieved.
"After all the troubles we have had in our country, the nation's
pride is now getting bigger. Everyone back home was desperate for us
to win - we really needed this win.
The illustrious 23-year-old agreed that he had been under pressure:
"But sometimes pressure is a positive thing.
I wanted to use the pressure in a positive way - I think the
motivation I have, and the pressure, pushed me in the right way.
"I thought James played well - but I think I had a bit more of an
edge." |
"It was an excellent team
performance," enthused Australian coach Byron Davis.
"Cameron gave us a good start and didn't give his opponent a
chance, and Rachael played well particularly after a series of tough
matches through the week.
"But the performer of the day was Aaron, who came back from his
tough battle with Darwish yesterday to play extremely well under
pressure. It was an absolutely clinical performance.
We're really happy - it's a prestigious event and we're delighted
with the bronze." |
In conclusion, WSF CEO Andrew
Shelley added:
"World Cups are synonymous with the very best. The top
cricketers are playing theirs at the moment, and the world stops for
football's.
Ours may not command quite the same level of media attention as the
other two, but we have an ingredient they do not - mixed teams.
"It's a great format which, following on from the success here in
Chennai, will mean that the next is even more eagerly awaited.
"There has been a fine hosting job which has provided international
TV of some superlative squash. It has been a great week!"
|
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12-Mar, Final:
 17.30,
Final:
[1] EGYPT 2-0 [2] ENGLAND
Ramy Ashour bt James Willstrop
11-8,
11-7, 11-7 (37m)
Raneem El Weleily bt Jenny Duncalf
11-8,
7-11, 11-9, 11-1 (39m)
Karim Darwish v Tom Richards
(dead
rubber - match not played)
15.00, 3rd place play-off:
[3] AUSTRALIA 2-1 [5] MALAYSIA
 Cameron
Pilley 3-0 Muhd Asyraf Azan
11-4,
11-5, 11-4 (31m)
Rachael Grinham 0-3 Nicol David
8-11,
3-11, 5-11 (25m)
Aaron Frankcomb 3-0 Kamran Khan
11-6, 11-6, 11-3 (37m) |
Egypt
Celebrate World Cup Glory
Egypt justified their billing as top seeds in the
2011 JSW SDAT WSF World Cup by beating second seeds England
in today's final of the World Squash Federation mixed team
championship to win the $50,000 top prize at the Express
Avenue Mall in Chennai, India, for the first time.
The event, in its first of three years in Chennai, reached
its climax on an all-glass showcourt sited in the central
atrium of the Express Avenue Mall, the largest shopping
complex in southern India in which crowds on four floors
were able to witness the world-class action.
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Ramy Ashour bt James
Willstrop
11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (37m) |
First to do battle in the
eagerly-anticipated climax between two of the world's
greatest squash nations were Cairo-based Ramy Ashour
and Englishman James Willstrop, ranked two and four
in the world, respectively.
The match lived up to its expectations - with Ashour, a
former world No1, extending his career-long head-to-head
record against Willstrop to 12/4, winning 11-8, 11-7, 11-7
in 37 minutes.
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Raneem El Weleily bt
Jenny Duncalf 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-1
(39m) |
Despite having to withdraw
midway through her semi-final match yesterday with a groin
niggle, Jenny Duncalf was determined to justify her
team selection against Egypt's Raneem El Weleily. The
world No2 dropped the first game, but battled back to draw
level against El Weleily as the England camp hoped for a
third string decider.
But as Duncalf's injury began to take its toll, so the
lower-ranked Egyptian increased her determination to win -
doing so in convincing fashion by an 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-1
margin.
Raneem El Weleily, the world No12 who followed her upset
over Australia's world No3 Rachael Grinham in the
semi-finals by recording her first ever win over Duncalf,
was delighted with her World Cup run.
"I'm so happy that we have all won,"
said the 22-year from Alexandria. "I didn't want to leave it all to
the men!"
El Weleily's win denied team-mate Karim Darwish, the world No3, the
need to play. "I knew we would win the third match - but I thought I
should win too!" |
Earlier, third seeds
Australia collected the bronze medal after beating
Malaysia, the fifth seeds, 2/1.
Supporting the Malaysians was a distinguished VIP group led
by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, The Honourable
Tan Sri Muhyiddin HJ Mohd Yassin, and HE Dato' Tan
Seng Sung, the High Commissioner of Malaysia to India,
with Mr Anuar Kasman, Consul General of Malaysia in
Chennai.
Cameron Pilley, the world No14 who has led the
three-player squad which has taken the Aussies through the
event, beat put the third seeds into the lead with a
commanding 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 win over the Malaysian top
string Muhd Asyraf Azan.
But the biggest cheer of the day from the packed Mall crowd
greeted Malaysia's world number one Nicol David as
she entered the court for her match against long-time rival
Rachael Grinham. It was the pair's 36th meeting since
2000 - but, much to the delight of the crowd, and the guests
in the front row of the VIP seats, David beat former world
number one Grinham 8-11, 3-11, 5-11 to level the tie.
In a convincing performance in the decider, Tasmania-born
Aaron Frankcomb beat Kamran Khan 11-6, 11-6, 11-3
to put Australia in the medals.
THE LAST WORDS,
by Championship Director
Major Maniam
"After being involved with the first World Cup in Kuala
Lumpur in 1996 as coach and organiser, I got hooked on this
event. I sincerely feel that this is one of the best team
events you can think of - with men and women combined.
"The WSF must aggressively pursue this so that more
countries participate in future events. I believe that the
WSF should also consider the idea of a Junior World Cup,
which would perfectly complement the senior event.
"We are most grateful to our title sponsors JSW Steel - and
we must acknowledge the excellent support we have received
from the Tamil Nadu Government, the Sports Development
Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the Squash Rackets
Federation of India. Together, we have been working
tirelessly towards this event for the last three months -
which is why I am able to sit here now, basking in the
event's success.
"From the time I first saw the Express Avenue Mall, I
thought it would be ideal for the event - and we were really
impressed with the speed at which they said 'yes'! I must
thank the Mall's Managing Director Mrs Kavita Singhania and
her staff for the fantastic support in helping to make the
2011 World Cup so special."
 World
Squash Federation President N Ramachandran was also pleased with
the outcome: "The 2011 World Cup here in Chennai has been a
tremendous success - one couldn't have wished for more. I am sure
that further events held at this venue will be even more successful.
"I am very happy that my country has made such a significant
investment in this important WSF world championship. India has a
great tradition for hosting major sporting events and I am delighted
that our World Cup is now part of this." |
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11-Mar, Semi-Finals:
[1] EGYPT 3-0 [3] AUSTRALIA
Ramy Ashour
bt Cameron Pilley
11-5, 11-3, 11-8
Raneem El Weleily bt Rachael Grinham
4-11,11-9,7-11,11-8,12-10
Karim Darwish 2-1 Aaron Frankcomb
11-8, 9-11, 11-5
[2] ENGLAND 2-1 [5] MALAYSIA
James
Willstrop 3-0 Muhd Asyraf Azan
11-7, 11-3, 11-1
Jenny Duncalf 1-3 Low Wee Wern
5-11, 8-11, 11-8 rtd
Peter Barker 3-0 Choong Kam Hing
11-1, 11-4, 11-4
Top
Seeds Egypt & England
To Contest World Cup Final
Top seeds
Egypt and England will contest Saturday's final of the
JSW SDAT WSF World Cup after contrasting successes in
today's semi-finals of the World Squash Federation mixed
team championship at the Express Avenue Mall in Chennai,
India.
Ramy Ashour
bt Cameron Pilley
11-5, 11-3, 11-8
Raneem El Weleily bt Rachael Grinham
4-11,11-9,7-11,11-8,12-10
Karim Darwish 2-1 Aaron Frankcomb
11-8, 9-11, 11-5 |
Underdog
Raneem El Weleily pulled off one of the best wins of her
career when she defeated the mighty former world champion
Rachael Grinham in the first semi between favourites
Egypt and third seeds Australia.
Cairo's flamboyant Ramy Ashour, the world No2, had
put Egypt ahead with an 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 victory in 44
minutes over the Australian number one Cameron Pilley,
the world No14, on the all-glass show court sited in the
central atrium of the largest shopping complex in southern
India.
El Weleily twice came from behind to beat Grinham, the world
No3, 4-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10 in 51 minutes to
celebrate her first ever win over the 34-year-old who topped
the world rankings for 16 months.
Amir Wagih, the Egyptian team
coach, was full of praise for his star woman: "I'm very happy for
Raneem - she is very talented and very gifted. She plays at a higher
level than her ranking. This match will give her a lot of confidence
for the final.
"Rachael is one of the greatest players. I said to Raneem before the
fifth 'I want you to believe you can do it'.
"She deserved to get Egypt into the final." |
In the
best-of-three 'dead' rubber that followed, world No3
Karim Darwish beat Tasmanian Aaron Frankcomb
11-8, 9-11, 11-5 to give Egypt maximum points.
James Willstrop 3-0 Muhd Asyraf Azan
11-7, 11-3, 11-1
Jenny Duncalf 1-3 Low Wee Wern
5-11, 8-11, 11-8 rtd
Peter Barker 3-0 Choong Kam Hing
11-1, 11-4, 11-4 |
England had a
shock in their later semi against fifth seeds Malaysia when
world No2 Jenny Duncalf was forced to retire injured
in her match against Low Wee Wern after just three
games.
James Willstrop, the England number one ranked four
in the world, had put the title-holders ahead earlier after
comfortably beating Malaysia's Muhd Asyraf Azan,
ranked 57 places lower, 11-7, 11-3, 11-1.
Duncalf, who boasts an unbeaten record against Low Wee Wern,
dropped the first two games against her thirteenth-ranked
opponent - but the 28-year-old Englishwoman battled back to
reduce the deficit in the third game.
After the usual between-games break, Duncalf then shook
hands with the Malaysian, telling Tournament Director Major
Maniam that she had a slight groin injury and was conceding
so as not to aggravate the injury further.
But there were beams of delight from the 20-year-old
Malaysian who had beaten the world's second best player for
the first time, and sighs of relief from the England camp
shortly afterwards when the second seeds clinched their
place in the final after Peter Barker beat Malaysian No3
Choong Kam Hing 11-1, 11-4, 11-4 in just 19 minutes.
England coach Chris Robertson
was pleased with his team's performance: "But the bigger picture
is tomorrow. The minimum was to make the final, and that's now been
achieved.
"But we believe we can win it - and that's a reasonable goal. James
was really good today and Jenny is No2 in the world. And Peter is a
fierce competitor.
"It's all about winning," concluded Robertson. |
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Howard Harding
in Chennai
Schedule
Results
Day Three report
Day Two report
Day One report
"It feels great to have won,"
said the 22-year-old Raneem from Alexandria. "It's the
first time I have helped the team win! I didn't want it to be that
the boys won and I didn't! I'm so happy."
The world No12 is the lone woman in the Egyptian squad following the
eve-of-event withdrawal of Nour El Tayeb, the 18-year-old world No21
who is suffering with chicken pox.
"Nour so wanted to be with us - she was even hoping to come after
the start," added El Weleily. "I thought it would be really
hard on my own, there was a lot of pressure - but playing Nicol
(David) in the first match perhaps helped, as I could get that out
of the way.
"I kept telling myself not to overdo it, to save myself for the
later matches." |
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"It's only the second time in my
career I've walked off a court like that," explained Duncalf
later. "It's not what I like doing at all." |
"I'd never even taken a game
off her," said the jubilant Wee Wern.
"I didn't really realise I was two-love up - and at the start of the
third, I said to myself 'what do I do now?'
"It's been great to have the opportunity to get this win." |
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"It's a fantastic event," said
Londoner Barker when asked to comment by MC Major Maniam.
"It's a pity it isn't held every year - but I'm sure that when it
comes back here in two years time, the competition will be even
stronger." |
|
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Howard Harding
in Chennai
Schedule
Results
Day Two report
Day One report
"I'm really happy to help my team
get to the semi-finals," said the jubilant Malaysian. "It's
my first time at a team event."
Khan paid tribute to his illustrious world No1 team-mate: "I've
learned a lot from being around Nicol - she's not only a very nice
person but she has helped me a lot with my game.
"Greg is a good player - I've watched him a lot on the PSA Tour, but
I haven't played him since we were about 15. I knew it wouldn't be
easy - but I just tried to play my game.
"I won the third game easily - and then relaxed too much. I really
wanted to win it for Malaysia," added Khan.
Malaysian team coach Raymond Arnold knew the encounter would
be close. "It was even close with South Africa the other day -
both ties could have gone either way.
"But I'm really pleased for the players - and it was a massive game
for Kamran." |
"We played two of the biggest
countries in the sport - England and Australia - in the earlier pool
ties, so to get this win tonight is very satisfying," said
national coach Cyrus Poncha.
"I'm really proud of what we've achieved over the past few years
- this is really something amazing.
"This venue is a spectacular place to show off our sport. I was
delighted to hear earlier this evening that the average usage of the
Mall car park on a Thursday is 65%, yet today it is 95% - and the
owners tell us this is entirely down to the appeal of the World Cup.
"The Indian success this week has given us a great platform to build
on - so that when the event comes back to Chennai in two years, we
will be one of the top countries," Poncha concluded. |
"The manner of the win was very good,"
explained England coach Chris Robertson later. "James had
to play some really good stuff to go two-love up. Then he was
challenged a bit - but it was good to see the passion he displayed
in coming through. The first rubber was pretty crucial.
"Jenny played a high quality game - she responded to the task in the
best possible way. It was really pleasing to see her beat Rachael,
an experienced opponent," Robertson continued.
"And in the final game, Peter was very sound in making it a 3/0
win.
"From the team perspective, it was a job well done. After all,
Australia came here to win - which you'd expect.
"Overall, it sets us up nicely for the semi-finals," Robertson
concluded. |
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10-Mar, Day Three:
England 3-0 Australia
England top pool B, Australia 2nd
South Africa 3-0 Sri Lanka South
Africa 4th in pool A
France 1-2 Malaysia
Malaysia grab last semi-final spot
India 2-1 Mexico
Hosts end on a high
Malaysia Upset France
To Reach World Cup Semi-Finals
In today's final qualifying
round of the JSW SDAT WSF World Cup in Chennai, Malaysia
produced the event's first upset by beating fourth seeds France
to earn a surprise place in the semi-finals of the World Squash
Federation mixed team championship at the Express Avenue Mall.
After early rounds at the Indian Squash Academy, matches were being
played for the first time on an all-glass show court sited in the
central atrium of the Express Avenue Mall, the largest shopping
complex in southern India in which crowds on four floors were able
to witness the world-class action.
[4] FRANCE 1-2 [5] MALAYSIA
Mathieu Castagnet bt Muhd A. Azan 11-4, 11-13, 11-3, 11-0 (68m)
Coline Aumard 0-3 Nicol David
2-11, 3-11, 2-11 (20m)
Greg Marche 2-3 Kamran Khan 11-5, 9-11, 3-11 11-2
4-11 (71m) |
Led by Nicol David, the 27-year-old
from Penang who has topped the women's world rankings since August
2006, fifth seeds Malaysia fell behind when Muhd Asyraf Azan
went down 11-4, 11-13, 11-3, 11-0 to top-ranked Frenchman Mathieu
Castagnet.
 But
it took David just 20 minutes to restore order for the
underdogs with her 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 dismissal of Coline Aumard,
the French number two who is ranked 68 places lower in the world.
But the star of the Malaysian team was Kamran Khan, the
21-year-old from Kuala Lumpur who was making his senior
international debut in the event.
Ranked ten places behind French opponent Grégoire Marche,
Khan recovered from a heavy defeat in the fourth game to beat the
former European Junior champion 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, 2-11, 11-4 in a
71-minute marathon.
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On hearing that Malaysia will now face
defending champions England for a place in the final, Nicol David
added: "I'm really pleased get to the semis - Kamran was really
strong. I look forward to playing England - but whoever we got would
have been tough." |
[6] INDIA 2-1 [7] MEXICO
Saurav Ghosal 3-0 Cesar Salazar
11-6, 11-4, 11-8
Dipika Pallikal 1-3 Samantha Teran
11-7, 12-14, 9-11, 11-13
Siddharth Suchde 3-0 Jorge Baltazar Ferreira
11-9, 11-1, 11-3 |
 In the evening match at the Mall, hosts
India were taken the full distance by seventh seeds Mexico
in the battle for third place in Pool B.
Indian number one Saurav Ghosal thrilled the packed and
partisan crowd as he defeated his Mexican counterpart Cesar
Salazar 11-4, 11-6, 11-8.
 But
Dipika Pallikal, the 19-year-old world No23 from Chennai,
failed to capitalise on an early game lead against Samantha Teran
- going down 7-11, 14-12, 11-9, 13-11 to the higher-ranked Mexican
to level the tie.
After a hard-fought first game in the deciding match, it was a
delighted Indian number two Siddharth Suchde who fought off
Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira 11-9, 11-1, 11-3 to celebrate a
long-awaited Indian victory in the event before an exuberant crowd.
Saurav Ghosal, now the
highest-ranked Indian player of all-time and a respected force on
the world tour, was also upbeat about the new sport's newest
location: "Playing in a venue like this is a fantastic idea - the
crowds are brilliant and it's great that they having the chance to
see a good level of squash. It would be nice to think that some will
be inspired to take it up.
"It's always good to play in places around the world that aren't
dedicated squash venues, so that the sport is seen by people not
used to it.
"I really like it when you're playing in front of a big crowd -
that's what you play sport for."
But the Kolkata-born 24-year-old was also thrilled with the unique
two-men-one-woman team concept: "It's a brilliant format. In many
ways I think it's better than the normal events we play - and it
actually gives a better reflection on how good a country is at
squash, mixing both men and women.
"For me, it's been especially good playing alongside Joshna and
Dipika - it's been great having them around." |
[2] ENGLAND v [3] AUSTRALIA
James Willstrop bt Cameron Pilley
11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10 (54m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Rachael Grinham
11-5 8-11 11-4 9-11 11-9(57m)
Peter Barker bt Aaron Frankcomb
11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (43m) |
 Earlier
in the day, the final clash at the Indian Squash Academy saw second
seeds England confirm their status as the top team in Pool B
by beating long-time rivals Australia, the third seeds, 3/0.
England number one James Willstrop extended his career-long
unbeaten run over Cameron Pilley - but, after taking the
first two games, the world No4 dropped the third and was behind in
the fourth before fighting back to record his 11-6, 11-7, 7-11,
12-10 victory over the tall 28-year-old from New South Wales.
 The next match went the full distance, but again the English player
Jenny Duncalf pulled out all the stops in the decider to beat
long-time rival Rachael Grinham 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9
and reduce the Queenslander's head-to-head advantage to 9-7.
A consummate performance by Londoner Peter Barker gave
England maximum points when the left-hander despatched Hobart's
Aaron Frankcomb 11-5, 11-6, 11-6.
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Pool Matches at the Indian Squash Academy |
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Day |
Time |
Centre Court |
Court 2 |
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Tue 8th |
11.00
14.30
18.00 |
Egypt
2-1
Malaysia
England 3-0 India
Malaysia 3-0 Sri Lanka |
France
3-0 Sri
Lanka
Australia 3-0 Mexico
Egypt 3-0 South Africa |
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Wed 9th |
11.00
14.30
18.00 |
France
3-0 South
Africa
Australia 3-0 India
Egypt 3-0 France |
Egypt
3-0 Sri
Lanka
England 2-1 Mexico
Malaysia 3-0 South Africa |
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Thu 10th |
11.00 |
England
3-0
Australia |
South Africa
3-0
Sri Lanka |
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Matches at the
Express Avenue Mall |
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Thu 10th
Pools |
15.00
18.00 |
France 1-2 Malaysia
India 2-1 Mexico |
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Fri 11th
Semis |
16.00
18.00 |
Egypt
3-0
Australia
England 2-1 Malaysia |
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Sat 12th
Finals |
14.00
17.30 |
3rd/4th Playoff
FINAL |
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|
 |
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AUSTRALIA
Cameron Pilley
Aaron Frankcomb
Rachael Grinham
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EGYPT
Ramy Ashour
Karim Darwish
Mohamed El Shorbagy
Raneem El Weleily
Nour El Tayeb
-
ENGLAND
James WillStrop
Peter Barker
Tom Richards
Jenny Duncalf
Laura Massaro
-
FRANCE
Yann Perrin
Mathieu Castagnet
Greg Marche
Camille Serme
Coline Aumard
-
INDIA
Saurav Ghosal
Siddharth Suchde
HarinderPal Sandhu
Joshna Chinappa
Dipika Pallikal
-
MALAYSIA
Muhd Asyraf Azan
Kamran Khan
Cheong Kam Hing
Nicol David
Low Wee Wern
-
MEXICO
Cesar Salazar
Jorge Baltazar
Samantha Teran
-
SOUTH AFRICA
Stephen Coppinger
Clinton Leeuw
Rodney Durbach
Tenille Swartz
Siyole Waters
-
SRI LANKA
Navin Samarasinghe
Gihas Suwaris
Dilshan Gunawardene
Sharaya Guruge
Nadindi Udangawa
|
Results: Thu 10th, Day
Three:
[8] SOUTH AFRICA bt
[9] SRI LANKA 3/0
Stephen Coppinger 3-0 Gihan Suwaris
11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (20m)
Tenille Swartz 3-0 Sharya Guruge
11-5, 11-4, 11-0 (16m)
Clinton Leeuw 3-0 Dilshan Gunawardena
11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (15m)
[2] ENGLAND v [3] AUSTRALIA
James Willstrop bt Cameron Pilley
11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10 (54m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Rachael Grinham
11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9 (57m)
Peter Barker bt Aaron Frankcomb
11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (43m)
[4] FRANCE 1-2 [5] MALAYSIA
Mathieu Castagnet 3-1 Muhd Asyraf Azan 11-4, 11-13, 11-3, 11-0 (68m)
Coline Aumard 0-3 Nicol David
2-11, 3-11, 2-11 (20m)
Grégoire Marche 2-3 Kamran Khan 11-5, 9-11, 3-11, 11-2,
4-11 (71m)
[6] INDIA 2-1 [7] MEXICO
Saurav Ghosal 3-0 Cesar Salazar
11-6, 11-4, 11-8
Dipika Pallikal 1-3 Samantha Teran
11-7, 12-14, 9-11, 11-13
Siddharth Suchde 3-0 Jorge Baltazar Ferreira
11-9, 11-1, 11-3
Wed 9th, Day Two:
[4] FRANCE bt [8] SOUTH
AFRICA 3/0
Yann Perrin
3-1 Stephen Coppinger
11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8 (67m)
Camille Serme 3-0 Tenille Swartz
11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (30m)
Mathieu Castagnet 3-0 Clinton Leeuw
11-9, 12-10, 11-5 (35m)
[1] EGYPT bt [9] SRI LANKA 3/0
Karim Darwish 3-0 Navin Samarasinghe
11-2, 11-3, 11-7 (13m)
Raneem El Weleily 3-1 Sharya Guruge
10-12, 11-1, 11-6, 11-2 (14m)
Mohamed El Shorbagy 3-0 Gihan Suwaris
11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (17m)
[3] AUSTRALIA bt [6] INDIA 3/0
Cameron Pilley 3-2 Saurav Ghosal 9-11, 12-10, 11-4,
10-12, 11-5 (72m)
Rachael Grinham 3-0 Dipika Pallikal
11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (19m)
Aaron Frankcomb 3-0 Harinder Pal Sandhu
11-9, 11-6, 11-9 (29m)
[2] ENGLAND bt [7] MEXICO 2/1
Peter Barker 3-0 Cesar Salazar
11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (29m)
Laura Massaro 2-3 Samantha Teran 8-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-6,
9-11 (63m)
Tom Richards 3-0 Jorge Baltazar Ferreira
11-7, 11-7, 11-3 (31m)
[1] EGYPT bt [4] FRANCE 3/0
Ramy Ashour 3-0 Yann Perrin
11-8, 11-7, 11-4 (22m)
Raneem El Weleily 3-0 Coline Aumard
11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (29m)
Karim Darwish 3-0 Gregoire Marche
11-4, 11-2, 11-7 (21m)
[5] MALAYSIA bt [8] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Asyraf Azan 3-2 Stephen Coppinger 13-11,14-12,8-11,2-11,12-10 (77m)
Nicol David 3-0 Tenille Swartz
11-9, 11-4, 11-3 (28m)
Kamran Khan 3-2 Clinton Leeuw
11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9 (55m)
Tue 8th, Day One:
Pool A:
[1] EGYPT bt [5]
MALAYSIA 2/1
Karim Darwish 3-0 Muhd Asyraf Azan
11-1, 11-5, 11-1 (22m)
Raneem El Weleily0-3 Nicol David
9-11, 6-11, 6-11 (28m)
Mohamed El Shorbagy 3-0 Kamran Khan
11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (39m)
[4] FRANCE bt [9] SRI LANKA 3/0
Mathieu Castagnet 3-0 Navin Samarasinghe 12-10, 11-4,
11-0 (21m)
Coline Aumard 3-0 Sharya Guruge
11-1, 11-3, 12-10 (18m)
Gregoire Marche 3-0 Gihan Suwaris
11-2, 11-1, 11-2 (12m)
[5] MALAYSIA bt [9] SRI LANKA 3-0
Asyraf Azan 3-2 Navin Samarasinghe 9-11,
11-5, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7 (44m)
Low Wee Wern 3-0 Nadindhi Udangawa
11-3, 11-3, 11-2 (11m)
Choong Kam Hing 3-0 Dilshan Gunawardena
11-2, 11-4, 11-5 (18m)
[1] EGYPT bt [8] SOUTH AFRICA 3-0
Ramy Ashour 3-0 Stephen Coppinger
12-10, 12-10, 11-6 (29m)
Raneem El Weleily 3-0 Siyoli Waters
11-8, 11-3, 11-3 (18m)
Mohamed El Shorbagy 3-1 Rodney Durbach 11-7, 7-11, 11-0, 11-7 (43m)
Pool B:
[2] ENGLAND bt [6]
INDIA 3/0
James Willstrop 3-2 Saurav Ghosal 12-14, 11-3, 11-5, 10-12, 12-10
(61m)
Jenny Duncalf 3-0 Joshna Chinappa
11-7, 11-7, 11-9 (21m)
Peter Barker 3-1 Harinder Pal Sandhu
6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10 (48m)
[3] AUSTRALIA bt [7] MEXICO 3/0
Cameron Pilley 3-0 Cesar Salazar
12-10, 11-8, 11-2 (36m)
Rachael Grinham 3-0 Samantha Teran
11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (35m)
Aaron Frankcomb 3-1 Jorge Baltazar Ferreira 11-8, 11-4, 2-11, 11-7
(47m) |
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Howard Harding
in Chennai
Schedule
Results
Day One report
"Our players have grown in
confidence each day - and we are really enjoying the format,"
said Egyptian team coach Amir Wagih.
"We are looking forward to day off tomorrow - when the whole
squad will be visiting a local school to meet the children. Then we
will start preparing for our semi-final on Friday." |
"I felt fine - but I need to improve
my finishing," confessed the Malaysian top string afterwards.
"When I'm nervous, I play well - but I can't take advantage when
I'm in front. I won the first two games - and then fought back from
8-2 down in the third to 8-7, but couldn't finish it off. I just
don't understand why.
"I really need to conserve my energy for France tomorrow,"
added Azan, ranked 61 in the world. "But I'm very happy to
win - I want to become a top player." |
"That loss to Saurav in Mumbai was
in the back of my mind," admitted Pilley afterwards.
"I was very disappointed that I didn't close out the match in the
fourth, especially after having two match-balls.
"But Saurav played really well to win that game and I had to work
hard to hold him off in the fifth - and was really pleased to come
through," added the 28-year-old from New South Wales. |
"India have improved enormously and
have benefitted from the momentum of the Commonwealth Games,"
said Australian team manager Byron Davis.
"It's always a challenge playing a team on their home ground -
and India can be very dangerous. Rachael played really well today
after another excellent game yesterday - so she's playing with a lot
of confidence.
"So after today's win, we can look forward to our clash with England,"
added the former world No14. |
"I played well in the first two
games - but then she began to put pressure on me and I wasn't able
to deal with it to start with," admitted Teran, Mexico's
top-ranked woman of all-time. "In the fifth, I gave it everything
I could.
"It's always very special to play for your country - and when I
saw the England flag behind the court, I thought 'Mexico has to do
well here' and it helped me push through.
Playing for your country is much more important than playing for
money or ranking points," added the 29-year-old from Mexico
City. |
|
"I kept thinking in the fifth game, 'don't
let Tom have to play a pressure match'," said the 27-year-old
Massaro from Preston. |
|
Day Two :
detailed results
A: [4] France 3-0 [8] S. Africa [1] Egypt 3-0 [9] Sri Lanka
B: [3] Australia 3-0 [6] India
[2] England 2-1 [7] Mexico
A: [1] Egypt 3-0 [4] France
[5] Malaysia 3-0 [8] S Africa
Favourites Egypt
Storm
Into World Cup Semi-Finals
A fourth successive comprehensive win in the qualifying
rounds of the JSW SDAT WSF World Cup takes Egypt, the
top seeds, into the semi-finals of the biennial World Squash
Federation mixed team event at the Express Avenue Mall in
Chennai, India.
[1] EGYPT bt [4] FRANCE 3/0
Ramy Ashour 3-0 Yann Perrin
11-8, 11-7, 11-4 (22m)
Raneem El Weleily 3-0 Coline Aumard
11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (29m)
Karim Darwish 3-0 Gregoire Marche
11-4, 11-2, 11-7 (21m) |
 After
despatching outsiders Sri Lanka 3/0 earlier in the
day at the Indian Squash Academy, the favourites took on
fourth seeds France in a crucial tie to determine
supremacy in Pool A.
In little more than an hour of play, world No2 Ramy
Ashour beat the French number one Yann Perrin,
Raneem El Weleily outlasted Coline Aumard, and
Karim Darwish, the world No3, defeated Gregoire
Marche to consolidate Egypt's position as group leaders.
[4] FRANCE bt [8] SOUTH
AFRICA 3/0
Yann Perrin
3-1 Stephen Coppinger
11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8 (67m)
Camille Serme 3-0 Tenille Swartz
11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (30m)
Mathieu Castagnet 3-0 Clinton Leeuw
11-9, 12-10, 11-5 (35m) |
Earlier in the day fourth
seeds France beat South Africa 3/0, and later
the eighth seeds suffered a second defeat to Malaysia - one
which leaves Thursday's final qualifying clash between
France and Malaysia to decide second place in Pool A.
[5] MALAYSIA bt [8] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Muhd Asyraf Azan 3-2 Stephen Coppinger
13-11,14-12,8-11,2-11,12-10 (77m)
Nicol David 3-0 Tenille Swartz 11-9, 11-4, 11-3 (28m)
Kamran Khan 3-2 Clinton Leeuw
11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9 (55m) |
 It
was a dramatic opening match between Muhd Asyraf Azan
and South African number one Stephen Coppinger which
paved the way for Malaysia's win.
In the longest match of the tournament, Azan squandered a
two-game lead before finally clinching the match 13-11,
14-12, 8-11, 2-11, 12-10 in 77 minutes.
Women's world number one Nicol David went on to beat
Tenille Swartz 11-9, 11-4, 11-3 to ensure Malaysia's win
before senior Malaysian international newcomer Kamran
Khan battled to an 11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9
victory over Clinton Leeuw to make it 3/0.
[3] AUSTRALIA bt [6] INDIA 3/0
Cameron Pilley 3-2 Saurav Ghosal
9-11, 12-10, 11-4,
10-12, 11-5 (72m)
Rachael Grinham 3-0 Dipika Pallikal 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (19m)
Aaron Frankcomb 3-0 Harinder Pal Sandhu 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 (29m) |
 In
the standout tie in Pool B, squad number one
Saurav Ghosal gave India a glimmer of hope in the
opening match against Australia - but the hosts ended up
going 3/0 down to the third seeds.
In his last meeting with Cameron Pilley, in the PSA
Masters in Mumbai in December 2009, Ghosal had upset the
world No14 in a 77-minute marathon.
And India's highest-ranked player of all-time took the
opening game before an appreciative crowd at the Indian
Squash Academy before saving two match-balls against Pilley
in the fourth game to force a fifth-game decider - for the
second day running.
 The
tall Australian stuck to his guns, however, and held off the
challenge of the 24-year-old world No24 from Kolkata to
record a 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 10-12, 11-5 win after 72
minutes.
A fine performance by Rachael Grinham ensured
Australia's victory when the former world champion from
Queensland beat Indian teenager Dipika Pallikal 11-3,
11-8, 11-4 - and Aaron Frankcomb made it maximum
points with an 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 win over Chennai-based
Harinder Pal Sandhu.
India's national coach Cyrus Poncha
was not too downcast: "It could have been so different if Saurav
had won that first match. He came so close, but perhaps he was a
tiny bit flat after his massive game yesterday against James
Willstrop.
"But he has shown that he will soon be a top ten player - these
are the warning bells to the rest of the squash world," added
Poncha. |
[2] ENGLAND bt [7] MEXICO 2/1
Peter Barker 3-0 Cesar Salazar
11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (29m)
Laura Massaro 2-3 Samantha Teran
8-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-6,
9-11 (63m)
Tom Richards 3-0 Jorge Baltazar Ferreira 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 (31m) |
 Second
seeds England were given a scare by seventh seeds
Mexico when world No8 Laura Massaro went down in
five games to Samantha Teran, ranked nine places
lower.
World No7 Peter Barker had put the defending
champions ahead with an 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 win over Mexican
number one Cesar Salazar. Then, from 8-3 up in the
first game, Massaro dropped the first two to Teran before
regrouping to take the next two to draw level.
 But Teran dug deep to keep her higher-ranked opponent in her
sights throughout the decider before moving ahead to clinch
her 11-8, 12-10, 5-11, 6-11, 11-9 upset in 63 minutes.
A devastated Massaro, who a month ago became British
National champion for the first time, found it difficult to
explain the outcome - which led to team newcomer Tom
Richards having to make his international debut in a decider.
Richards duly handled his maiden appearance in an England
shirt with distinction, beating Mexican Jorge Isaac Baltazar
Ferreira 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 in 31 minutes.
"I was nervous before the match -
but I'm always nervous before a match, so that's a good sign,"
said Richards afterwards. "I just felt I had to play the
best I can, and if I play my game, I should be OK.
"I'm pretty fit now, so I can make it pretty tough if I have to. But
overall, I'm happy to win in three without any dramas," added
the 24-year-old world No29. |
|
|
Day One Results:
Detailed
Results
Egypt 2-1
Malaysia
France 3-0 Sri Lanka
England 3-0 India
Australia 3-0 Mexico
Malaysia 3-0 Sri Lanka
Egypt 3-0 South Africa
Hosts India Stretch England
In World Cup Opener
Howard Harding in Chennai
Underdogs India, the hosts, stretched title-holders England
all the way in the JSW SDAT WSF World Cup before going down
to the second seeds in today's first qualifying round of the
World Squash Federation event at the Indian Squash Academy
in Chennai.
[2] ENGLAND bt [6]
INDIA 3-0
James Willstrop bt Saurav Ghosal
12-14, 11-3, 11-5, 10-12, 12-10
(61m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Joshna Chinappa 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 (21m)
Peter Barker bt Harinder Pal Sandhu
6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10 (48m) |
In the opening match in Pool B, Indian number one Saurav
Ghosal faced James Willstrop, the world No4 against whom he
had never previously taken a game. The pair train together
in Pontefract, England, where both are coached by the
Englishman's father Malcolm Willstrop.
Spurred on by a loyal local crowd surrounding the all-glass
showcourt at the Chennai centre, Kolkata-born Ghosal saved a
game-ball in the opening game before taking his first ever
game against Willstrop in a tie-break to earn a surprise
lead.
Willstrop quickly reclaimed the advantage, taking the next
two games for just eight points before moving on to within
two points of victory in the fourth.
But Ghosal still had his sights on the winning post and,
after levelling the match, built up leads of 8-4 and 9-6 in
the decider.
However, the experienced Englishman, a former world No2 and
winner of two world titles on the same Chennai court since
2002, battled on to a first match-ball at 10-9 before
clinching victory 12-14, 11-3, 11-5, 10-12, 12-10 after 61
minutes.
Jenny Duncalf, the world No2, ensured victory for England
with an 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 win over the Indian women's number
one Joshna Chinappa, before world No7 Peter Barker recovered
from a game down to beat Chennai-based Harinder Pal Sandhu,
ranked over 100 places lower, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10.
India's national coach Cyrus Poncha was delighted with his
team's performance: "That's the best I've ever seen Saurav
play - taking a player like James Willstrop to 12-10 in the
fifth is absolutely outstanding.
"For India to play England was always going to be a tough
one - but there are some very encouraging signs for us.
"It will be the same tomorrow when we face Australia - when
our players will be lower-ranked in all three matches. But
beating Australia is our target."
England team manager David Campion said: "I was always going
to be tough against India - we expected them to come at us.
Saurav was excellent and James had to work hard to beat him.
"But it was an excellent - and typical - England
performance," added Campion. "I'm really pleased with the
start." |
[1] EGYPT bt [5]
MALAYSIA 2-1
Karim Darwish bt Muhd Asyraf Azan
11-1, 11-5, 11-1 (22m)Raneem El Weleily lost Nicol David
9-11, 6-11 6-11 (28m)
Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Kamran Khan
11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (39m)
[1] EGYPT bt [8] SOUTH AFRICA 3-0
Ramy Ashour bt Stephen Coppinger
12-10, 12-10 11-6 (29m)
Raneem El Weleily bt Siyoli Waters
11-8, 11-3, 11-3 (18m)
Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Rodney Durbach
11-7, 7-11, 11-0, 11-7 (43m) |
Favourites Egypt were twice in action on the opening day -
and finished in a commanding position in Pool B with
victories over fifth seeds Malaysia and eighth seeds
South
Africa.
But after world No3 Karim Darwish put Egypt ahead in the
morning tie, Malaysia's world No1 Nicol David levelled the
score by beating Raneem El Weleily in straight games. But
rising star Mohamed El Shorbagy, the 20-year-old world No9
from Alexandria, clinched Egypt's 2/1 win after beating
Malaysian senior international debutant Kamran Khan 11-4,
11-6, 11-7.
Later, world No2 Ramy Ashour led the Egyptian attack against
South Africa - beating Stephen Coppinger 12-10, 12-10, 11-6
before El Weleily - the lone Egyptian woman following the
last-minute withdrawal of Nour El Tayeb, who is suffering
with chicken pox - beat Siyoli Waters 11-8, 11-3, 11-3 to ensure Egypt's win.
Mohamed El Shorbagy also made his second appearance of the
day - and was taken to four games before overcoming the
South African team manager Rodney Durbach, the 38-year-old
former world No23, 11-7, 7-11, 11-0, 11-7.
[3] AUSTRALIA bt [7] MEXICO 3-0
Cameron Pilley bt Cesar Salazar
12-10, 11-8, 11-2 (36m)
Rachael Grinham bt Samantha Teran 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 (35m)
Aaron Frankcomb 3-1 Jorge Baltazar Ferreira
11-8, 11-4, 2-11, 11-7
(47m) |
Third seeds Australia, winner of the inaugural event in
1996, defeated seventh seeds Mexico in a hard-fought Pool B
tie.
Australia's top string Cameron Pilley defeated
fast-rising Mexican Cesar Salazar 12-10, 11-8, 11-2 before
experienced former world number one Rachael Grinham put the
result beyond Mexico's reach with an 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 win
over Samantha Teran.
Hobart-born Aaron Frankcomb ensured maximum points for the
former champions when he beat 28-year-old Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira
11-8, 11-4, 2-11, 11-7. |
Pool A:
|
Pool B: |
[1] Egypt
[4] France
[5] Malaysia
[8] South Africa
[9] Sri Lanka |
[2] England
[3] Australia
[6] India
[7] Mexico |
"I was really disappointed not to capitalise on my leads in
the fifth," said a downcast Saurav Ghosal afterwards.
"But he is
four in the world - he's up there with the best."
The 24-year-old world No24 was full praise for his opponent.
"We train together all the time. A lot of what I am now is
because of him," admitted Ghosal. "He's one of the best guys
I know, and I'm not just talking about squash.
"I'm happy with the way I played - I have to look at the
positives," added the top-ranked Indian of all-time.
When asked his thoughts about the mixed format of the WSF
event, Ghosal responded: "It's good to have the girls
together - it's a great format and I hope it takes off after
this.
"It's always an honour to play for your country - and, of
course, being here there's a lot of expectation. But we're
used to it," concluded Ghosal. |
Willstrop admitted that his opponent had played really well:
"But he's been close for a while, even though I might have
won previous games 3/0. He was very strong in the fourth and
fifth - he's immensely quick. He's got some great assets to
his game.
"I really had to dig deep in the fifth. You have to play
well even at the end of the game. I don't give up." |
France v
Sri Lanka
"It's great to have Mexico in the competition - they've
produced a number of good players over the years," said
Australian coach Byron Davis afterwards.
"We had to prepare
for a tough battle and our guys produced an impressive
performance. It was a good opening for us. |
 |
WSF President Signals World Cup Launch
World Squash Federation President N Ramachandran praised the
hosts and officially declared the 2011 JSW SDAT WSF World
Cup open at a star-studded Opening Dinner for the first
world squash championship of the year at the Marriott Hotel
in Chennai in India.
Nine nations, led by top seeds Egypt and England and
including the world-number-one led Malaysia and hosts India,
will compete in this unique two-man-one-woman WSF mixed team
event in its third year.
After early rounds at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai,
the final stages of the championship will be held on an
all-glass show court erected at the Express Avenue Mall, the
largest shopping complex in southern India.
Secretary General Srivatsan Subramaniam welcomed the guests
on behalf of the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI).
Mr Subramaniam also expressed his gratitude to the Sports
Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the Tamil
Nadu Government for their sponsorship and support - and also
to title sponsors JSW Steel and the all other co-sponsors.
WSF Technical Delegate Martin Wren responded on behalf of
the guests, highlighting the widespread interest in the
distinctive qualities of this mixed event and thanking the SRFI for its commitment to staging the biennial event for
three years to 2015.
Crowds watching the World Cup action in Chennai will see
world-class action featuring ten players from the men's and
women's world top tens. "The best of the best are here,"
said SRFI consultant coach Major Maniam, the event's
Tournament Director.
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