Round Two ( bottom half) :

[4] Laura Massaro (Eng) 3-1 [9] Amanda Sobhy (Usa) 
              11/7, 11/8, 9/11, 11/7 (45m)

[8] Nour El Sherbini (Egy) 3-0 [12] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
              11/3, 11/6, 11/5 (25m)

[2] Raneem El Welily (Egy) 3-1 [13] Dipika Pallikal (Ind) 
               11/9, 9/11, 12/10, 11/3 (41m)

[6] Camille Serme (Fra) 3-0 [15] Nicolette Fernandes (Guy)
                11/7, 11/6, 11/3 (33m)

En Bref #2
Citadel, Horses and Fun in Alex

Nour El Sherbini delighted the home crowd - and the governor of Alexandria - with a dominating performance against Jenny Duncalf.

The Alexandrian was in total command in the first game, and although Duncalf rallied in the second half of the next game, it was too last and Sherbini, having doubled her lead, took a 7-1 advantage in the third before finishing off the match in under half an hour.

"I’m so happy to be in the quarters here in Egypt, in front of my family, my friends," said Sherbini. "Thanks to my coach and my sponsors, and to all the Sponsors that made this event possible!"

Raneem El Welily made it two Egyptian winners on the night - and four in the quarter-finals - but she made hard work of her match with Dipika Pallikal.

The world #2 took good leads in the first two games, almost lost it in the first and did lose it in the second as :Pallikal levelled. Welily, not happy with herself,  had to fight back to take the third at the death but quickly took control of the fourth to ease her and the crowd's worries.
 
"I am struggling with my game, with my momentum," admitted Raneem. "Dipika played very well, but then again, nobody plays badly anymore. What made the difference in the fourth? The support ..."

Camille Serme took the last place in the quarter-finals - making it the top eight seeds in the last eight - with a straight-game win over Nicolette Fernandes.

The opening game was well-contested and level, but from 7-all Serme took four points in a row to take the lead, and carried that momentum with increasing authority into the next two games.

"It was tough," said Serme, "it was hot and we don't normally play this late so I'm pleased to get through to the quarters, and because I'm playing Raneem the crowd and the atmosphere will be great."

Tomorrow's quarter-finals feature four Egyptians - one in each match ...

[4] Laura Massaro (Eng) 3-1 [9] Amanda Sobhy (Usa) 
              11/7, 11/8, 9/11, 11/7 (45m)

Massaro masters Sobhy

I guess it took Amanda a little time to adapt to the Glass court. Laura has been playing for years on that glass and loved the warm and bouncy conditions. Amanda was a bit clumsy at first, not really getting the ball to the back, finding herself way down 8/3 before make the rallies a bit longer to come back to 7/9 and put a bit more pressure on her opponent. The English lady felt the danger at that point, and fought with all she got in a great rally, retrieving everything and more to make sure she took the next two points, 11/7.

The second was much closer, but there again like in the first, Laura was never headed in the second game. Still, the American/Egyptian was getting more power in her shots, getting closer and closer, 6/7 and 8/9. She was digging in, running on fumes by then – she didn’t EXACTLY train a lot those past few weeks thanks for Uni graduation. Another superb rally to finish, when we saw Amanda’s attacking abilities, and the tremendous determination of the English lady again, getting everything back and finding a lovely winner to close out the game 11/8.

All credit to Amanda, she could have folded and gone to stuff herself with the local cuisine she loves so much, but no. Now with her second win, she dug in. And even when Laura went up 5/2, she was making her do much more work, crosscourting deep at the back, twisting and turning Laura beautifully, to finally take the lead for the first time in the match at 7/6. Laura was fighting hard to win in 3, but Amanda takes that third 11/9 on her second game ball.

Laura appeared a bit flat at the start of the 4th and sort of lost her way/tactic, suddenly opening the court far too much, allowing Amanda to be just a bit ahead, 4/2, 5/3. But that’s the moment the New Graduate just hit the wall. Laura scored 5 points really quickly, 8/5. Amanda found a few nice winners, but it was over pretty quickly, 11/7 in the 4th.

It was a good match, I thought that all the games were quite competitive. The court was very good, it was warm and bouncy out there, the court is protected from the wind, so it was really nice on there.

Amanda has been playing very well, she has just finished and graduated from college, so I’m not sure how much training she’s done, so I happy to manage to get one more win before she get full time!

She plays a bit like an Egyptian really, very high on the T, she is powerful, and it’s a different sort of rallies like the girls who play attritional games, like Nicol, Alison, Wee Wern, where the rallies are long but not as sharp and fast and explosive than the Egyptian style. So in the third, I was a bit taken back and I let her get in front of me a bit. But I had the confidence in my fitness that I could come back strong in the 4th, and that is that feeling, that confidence that I lacked at the end of the year. But now, I have it back, I’m happy with my training and I can safely say that my fitness got me through tonight.

The crowd is not as close as it can be sometimes, plus there wasn’t an Egyptian on tonight, so we couldn’t hear it as much as we would if they were cheering their girl! But the crowd has been really great this week, I hope they keep coming!

Not sure who I play yet, I’d rather play an English than an Egyptian in Egypt, but they are both fair players, and I will have to be disciplined like I’ve been tonight, and stay on my toes…

I have no expectation than take a match at a time, and see when it takes me, but I will do my best and I’m delighted to get to the quarters, that’s for sure.

After the British Open, my coach, my Team, told me that what was preventing from winning was my overthinking and my lack of confidence in my game, in my shots.

So today, I just went on there, and just played my shots, and impose my squash. Trying not to think, just believe in myself, and that I could win, and thank God it worked;

I’m so happy to be in the quarters here in Egypt, in front of my family, my friend, thanks to my coach and my sponsors, and to all the Sponsors that made this event possible!

I am so happy!!!!!

[8] Nour El Sherbini (Egy) 3-0 [12] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
              11/3, 11/6, 11/5 (25m)

Sherbini too good ... too Egyptian

There is a vicious rumour going the rounds that Omar El Sherbini, tournament director, was actually charging her sister for the time on court, and that’s why the poor girl rushed through the first game, 7/0, 9/1 and 11/3 in under 5m.

Only joking OF COURSE but the Miracle Girl was on fire today, and took Jenny by the throat and never let go.

Jenny didn’t put a foot wrong as in, about 3 unforced errors the whole match, just completely overwhelmed in the first game.

The second was a bit better, Jenny was finding a better length and was able to go pass Nour without getting shopped right away.

Still, the Egyptian was leading comfortably the whole way, 6/3, 9/4 to take the game 11/6.

The third didn’t start well again for the English lady, 7/0, but we had some pretty good rallies during that game, with Jenny managing to build up the rallies, even if she didn’t get awarded at the end, again Nour in control, 8/3, 9/4 and match 11/5.

Too good, too relaxed, too… Egyptian.

[2] Raneem El Welily (Egy) 3-1 [13] Dipika Pallikal (Ind) 
               11/9, 9/11, 12/10, 11/3 (41m)

Raneem overcomes her demons

As James Willstrop would say “Squash is such a mental game it’s a joke”.

Yes. Today, as so often with Raneem and a few others, the match was in the head. Dipika can be a bit like that as well, but tonight, the Indian lady – who is getting married in August, watch this space – was as relaxed as it comes.

No pressure, nothing to lose. And she did some real damage to Raneem’s confidence, her shots getting in superbly.

It started well for the Egyptian though, 5/0, 6/1, 8/2. But as she did in the previous round (up 10/3 and eventually taking the game 13/11 to avoid to go down 2/0), she just couldn’t stop Dipika to come back and score 6 points in a row. 8/8, 9/9. A tin gives Raneem a game ball, a gigantic rally and a lovely backhand volley drop shot closes the opener 11/9

For the second, you just reverse the end: 5/1 for Raneem, 7 points for Dipika, we arrive to 9/9 and this time, the winners are in the Indian’s racquet, 11/9.

I can feel Tameem – Raneem’s brother sitting next to me – getting slightly tense. Slightly would be an euphemism yeah?

And he didn’t exactly relaxed in the 3rd, as the game was close the whole way, three tins from his sister, two no lets, always trading behind a couple of points behind, 3/5, 4/6, 5/7, before equalising at 7/7. Dipika was playing superbly, one of the best matches I have seen her play for a long time. Light on her feet, moving well, lobbing nicely and her volley drop shots were truly lethal.

Down 7/9, she scores three points in a row to game ball 10/9, but Raneem is finally getting her winners, impossible to retrieve and it’s 12/10 to the great relief of the crowd!

The fourth will be a formality. Dipika, probably a bit tired from the hard work produced, while Raneem finally letting the arm go, it’s all about the Egyptian now, 8/1, 10/2, 11/3.

The whole crowd exhaled…..

I am struggling with my game, with my momentum, it’s not the first tournament I have the problem, and it’s the last one of the season! It’s about time I sort it out and find it…

I’m thinking about so many things, and my mind is not clear. I’m trying to keep things simple, and I repeat, simple, simple, simple, one or two things, but it’s difficult, and I don’t always succeed.

Dipika played very well, but then again, nobody plays badly anymore, all the players are good! She is fast on the ball, and she can strike the ball, being aggressive and chop it so well.

And once I had a loose shot, she would punish me. Then she would string three points, and I would start being negative, and feel like I would be stuck to the ground, not able to move, like heavy and lazy.

So what made the difference in the 4th? The support…

It was tough, it was hot and it was late. We are not used to play that late, and it could have been much worse, it was not as late as I feared.

I was struggling a bit at the beginning, first time on the court at night, played during the day but not at night, so I was trying to find my marks and my length most of all.

It was a very close opening, up to 7/7. She was very strong, and getting some great shots in, I was more temptative, and was not confident with my shots, so I was sending everything at the back more. It was point for point the whole first game, and it’s only at the end that I relaxed a bit, and started to go for my shots. I was lucky they went it.

After the first game, I was more in control, I got used to the court and I tried to vary my attacks to the front, then to the back, and then the shots started to work.

I am satisfied with the way I played, the way I coped with the conditions, the late time and the court, truly happy to get through to the quarters, I’ve reached my seeding, and I can now relax and enjoy it!

Tomorrow, I’ll play Raneem, I know there will be a great crowd for sure!!! Only thing, we may have to wait a long time, that will be the factor I may have trouble handling, but I will try and make sure I spend the day as it should be!

[6] Camille Serme (Fra) 3-0 [15] Nicolette Fernandes (Guy)
                11/7, 11/6, 11/3 (33m)

Camille in control

Camille Serme took the last place in the quarter-finals - making it the top eight seeds in the last eight - with a straight-game win over Nicolette Fernandes.

The opening game was well-contested and level, with Nicolette Fernandes matching the British Open champion in all areas it seemed.

But from 7-all the Frenchwoman took four points in a row to take the lead.

That seemed to break the resistance of  Fernandes as Serme carried that momentum into the next two games, playing with increasing confidence and control as the match progressed.

Anything loose was despatched, more often than not on the volley, with Fernandes in the end unable to do anything about it.