Alexandria International Quarter-Finals: 

[7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) 3-2 [3] Alison Waters (Eng)
            8/11, 11/9, 2/11, 11/3, 11/3 (53m)

[1] Nicol David (Mas) 3-0 [5] Nour El Tayeb (Egy)
             11/5, 11/8, 11/9 (41m)

[4] Laura Massaro (Eng) 3-2 [8] Nour El Sherbini (Egy)
                 5/11, 11/8, 7/11, 11/7, 11/8 (63m)

[2] Raneem El Welily (Egy) 3-2 [6] Camille Serme (Fra)
                 8/11, 11/4, 11/13, 11/5, 11/1 (55m)
 

The day started well for Egypt as Omneya Abdel Kawy won a see-saw five-setter against Alison Waters.

One player or the other seemed to be in charge for most of the match, but after Waters had taken a 2-1 lead it was all Kawy as she took the last two games 11/3, 11/3 to the delight of the home crowd.

"That was very tough. In the first two games, strangely enough I was very tired, said Kawy. "And she was playing very, really well, and my head was just not there. My coach told me come on, you can win this, you know you are not tired, just give it a big push."

World number one Nicol David put paid to hopes of an Egyptian clean sweep as she beat Nour El Tayeb in straight games.

David started strongly but Tayeb was getting closer and closer as the match wore on, and by the end of the third game David was having to work extremely hard to stay ahead.

On the first match ball they played a huge rally, with David eventually leaping in to punch away a winner with Tayeb stranded on the floor after a dive.

"I think it was a very exciting match for the crowd, with Nour diving all over the court and just picking up everything," said Nicol. "It was a very tough match, it was very hot on there, and I’m truly happy to get through in 3!"

Laura Massaro, in her own words, "spoilt the party" for the Alexandra crowd as she got the better of hometown favourite Nour El Sherbini in a tense five-setter.

Dominant in the first, Sherbini couldn't maintain that form but retook the lead with a strong third game.

A typically determined performance from Massaro saw her take the last two games, despite a late comeback attempt in the fifth from Sherbini, to quieten the crowd.

"Nour is so talented, I’m happy I managed to get one more win out of her today." said Massaro. "I’m sorry I spoiled the party for the crowd, everybody wanted her to win, and I had to work extra hard in each rally to compensate for everybody cheering for Nour!"

In the final match of the day - finishing well after 23.30 - Raneem El Welily kept hopes of an all-Egyptian final alive as she came from 1-2 down to beat Camille Serme.

After the first two games were shared the Frenchwoman retook the lead in a close third, but from 0-3 down in the fourth Welily dominated proceedings, dropping just three more points  to send the crowd home happy.

"She was playing unbelievably well, obviously," said a relieved Raneem.

"The plan I had prepared today was a dangerous one I really didn’t like, but I couldn't afford to change it at all. I'm just so relieved to get through."

Full reports below ...

En Bref 3 : Governor brings World Class Squash to Alex

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This a very tough. After the match, I just couldn’t hold my emotions anymore. I had the impression that my Dad was here, watching me tonight.

He was always watching from the side, in the middle of the second row. And during the match, I thought I saw him, looking at me, smiling. And there is a photo from WadiDegla, where I’m doing a high five with him, there is my fitness coach I think with him as well. That smile he had after I won, that’s the smile that carried me tonight.

In the first two games, strangely enough I was very tired. And she was playing very, really well, and my head was just not there. And my coach told me come on, you can win this, you know you are not tired, just give it a big push.

And it was like my Dad came into the game, and just gave me that push I needed.

Now, I’m going to recover, watch the match, and just enjoy the moment…

 [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) 3-2 [3] Alison Waters (Eng)
            8/11, 11/9, 2/11, 11/3, 11/3 (53m)

Omneya turns it around

A very weird match that one was. If Omneya was a bit flat at the start of the match – so many things happening in her head, the loss of her dad a few weeks ago is obviously playing a big part in her focus on court – Alison was lethal. From 3/3, she pushed to 7/3, 3 tins from Omneya, 10/4. That was a wake up call for the Egyptian who started to step a bit in front instead of just returning Ali’s shots, and found her usual shot magic, to only concede the game 11/8

The second was much better from Omneya, start of the game is close, 2/2, 4/4, and the Egyptian finds her groove, 7/4, 8/5. But Ali is still in front of the Egyptian, great length and width, deep and powerful, and she comes back to threaten Omneya, 7/8, 8/9, to finally lose the game only just, 11/4.

Omneya keeps tinning a lot of shots, 4 in the first three games, and she basically cannot do anything to stop a stunningly accurate English lady, 11/2. And at that point, it really doesn’t look good for the Local Hero.

Funny how the brain works though. Having had a few decisions she was unhappy with, Omneya gets really frustrated with a no let at 1/1. Truly unhappy, she uses the energy in the game, and scores the following 9 points, to take the game 11/3, not having made 1 single unforced errors…..

The fourth is very surprising for me. Suddenly, Alison is looking extremely flat, and Omneya is just imposing her attacking game as she pleases, leading comfortably 5/1, 6/3 to win the match in one hand, scoring there again 6 points in a row, before bursting into tears as she exited the court…

[1] Nicol David (Mas) 3-0 [5] Nour El Tayeb (Egy)
             11/5, 11/8, 11/9 (41m)

Nicol sends a message

An excellent start for Nicol-Awy today, 11/5 in a very short time, and a Nour probably a bit overwhelmed and nervous. But Clever Nour changed her tactic – or actually applied the game plan she may have not apply in the first game, as in, being ultra patient, accepting to rally with the Queen of Patience.

The second game was stunning squash. Nicol will stay ahead the whole game, but the rallies are endless and soooo intense it’s just pure joy to watch.

Nic is moving like a swan on a lake, while Nour is basically playing the Ballerina, doing splits every other rally, or diving Kanzy like sometimes twice a rally! The crowd is enjoying it thoroughly, and the presence of the Malaysian support makes the atmosphere very electric indeed!

At 7/5, the rally is so intense that I’m actually breathless, and Nicol is still looking as fresh as a Malaysian Rose. “She is never tired?” I asked. And the girl sitting next to me goes “She is never tired, I AM TIRED”!!!

Amazing stuff, so amazing that actually Nour, after diving once again in vain at the end of that rally, just stay on the floor as to say “that’s it, I’ll just die here, just bury me right here!”



Nour comes back very close, 7/8, but Nicol wins the lengthy rallies, 10/7, 11/8.

The third could have gone either way, and the Egyptian crowd was really believing their girl could push Nicol at least to a fourth.

Not a point between those two till 6/6. Nicol take a little advantage, 8/6, but it’s back to 8/8, 9/9, with Nicol so calm, determined and composed tonight, taking the third 11/9. She really sent a strong message tonight…
 

I think it was a very exciting match for the crowd, with Nour diving all over the court and just picking up everything. It was a very tough match, it was very hot on there, and I’m truly happy to get through in 3!

I am so grateful to the Malaysian crowd for their support, they are Malaysian Students from the University of Alexandria. Their support means so much to me, and I hope they’ll be back tomorrow.



I think maybe she was looking for opportunities and opening in the first game, that she didn’t find as I was seeing the ball much better than yesterday, I was really comfortable, my length was going deep.

So she had to go into a “patient mode”, and the game became much closer. But today, I was much more in control, I was able to play and impose my game. Still when you play an Egyptian, you have to be ready for the unexpected, because you never know what they are going to come up with! So you have to be clear with what you have to do.

Today, I had to be ready to fight for every point, and until the last point. Because she is such a fighter, and she just keeps sending the ball back, again and again. I had to keep my consistency up. I think I managed to do that, and I’m really relieved to win in three.

Nour is extremely talented, I’m happy I managed to get one more win out of her today. I’m sorry I spoiled the party for the crowd, everybody wanted her to win, and I had to work extra hard today in each rally to compensate for everybody cheering for Nour!



At 2/1 down, I said to Danny “if I keep on playing it safe and patient, trying to get the ball to the back, I’ll be waiting for my own death because each length was for her an opportunity to chop it! So I thought if I’ve got to lose, I’ll do it on my own terms. So I played again more positive, and the court became longer again, and maybe she got tired a bit. But God only knows how I won that one.

I guess everybody wanted me to lose, so I really wanted to win. I love doing that, it’s like the people that wrote me off at the beginning of the year, I wanted to prove them wrong, and that motivated me soooo much…

[4] Laura Massaro (Eng) 3-2 [8] Nour El Sherbini (Egy)
                 5/11, 11/8, 7/11, 11/7, 11/8 (63m)

Laura toughs it out

Laura produced a superb mental performance tonight. I remembered Andrew Shelley telling me about Peter Nicol playing Barada at the Pyramids a few years back. When Peter actually won the match, the only person clapping was Pat Nicol, Peter’s dad. Well tonight, the only shouting for Laura was Danny, Laura’s husband. The rest of the crowd was definitely on Nour’s side!!!

And the Miracle girl nearly did it tonight too. Having lost some weight, looking trimmed and much more confident, Nour really pushed Laura to the limit tonight, starting from the word go, taking her to the throat, truly controlling the court to perfection, 6/3, 10/4, 11/5, chopping every other ball really.

The second looked to be about the same, 6/3 for the Egyptian, cruising away, but Laura started to make her move, and twisting and turning Nour, managed to score 6 points in a row to get to 9/6. Nour will come back to 8/9, but Laura has now the belief and equalises 11/8, one game all.

Despite the heavy running imposed by the English, Nour is physically holding it together. She is getting once again in front of her opponent, chopping nicely and retrieving superb attacks from Laura, 4/1. Score get close again, 4/4, 5/5, but Nour is now on fire as she was in the 1st, 9/5 to take the game 11/7, and now leads 2/1. Imagine the crowd….

The fourth is completely dominated by the English lady, determined and aggressive on there, not letting her opponent a sniff, 3/1, 5/2, 10/5, taking it to force a decider, 11/7.

With the enormous amount of running Nour had to do to stay in the rallies, I truly thought she would fold in the 5th. But no. Beginning is truly nothing between the players, 1/1, 3/3, 4/4. Nour is now at the wrong end of lengthy rallies, and it seems that it’s all lost, 9/4. Still, Nour produces an gigantic effort to come back. The entire place is now silent, like if the crowd didn’t want to break the spell as Nour is climbing back, 5/9, 6/9, 7/9. Laura gets her first match ball, 10/7, but is wrong footed, 8/10. The crowd is chanting Nour’s name, but it’s all quiet now as Laura finds a superb long volley drop shot.

“What a shot” shouts Danny. And his voice just cuts the silence like a knife…
 

[2] Raneem El Welily (Egy) 3-2 [6] Camille Serme (Fra)
                 8/11, 11/4, 11/13, 11/5, 11/1 (55m)

Raneem powers through

Another superb battle between those two fair players. I counted 5 decisions during the whole match, but I missed the first 12 points as I arrived at 6/6. But even if there were let’s say 8, that’s the maximum. That shows you how pleasant this was. Beautiful squash indeed.

Camille really played beautifully tonight and truly imposed her volleying in the first game, Raneem didn’t put a foot wrong there, Camille was flying on there, cutting off Raneem who was crosscourting far too much for her own good. 6/6, 7/7, 8/8, but Cam scores 4 points from 7/8 to take the opener 11/8.

The second is a typical Raneem’s game. She is dominated 4/1 in no time, like if she was not playing at all, and zoooooom, out of nowhere, she just imposes her delicate and accurate squash, 10 points in a row bless her brand-new-Tshirt-with-a-new-Wadi-Degla-logo, 11/4…

The third is huge, Camille takes again a great start, 4/1 like in the precedent game, then 6/3. Raneem is closing down the angles, 6/6, 7/7, Cam goes 9/7, back 9/9 we are. The French lady gets the first of her 3 game balls at 10/9, but will only take the game 13/11.

From the middle of that fourth, my compatriot looks terribly tired, and a bit lost at sea really.

She will tell me later that being completely on her own was difficult for her tonight, and it’s understandable in the Buzzing Egyptian atmosphere. She still fought very hard in the fourth, up to the middle of the game, 5/5, but Raneem just got in her zone, scoring 8 points in a row from 3/5 to 11/5, and will carry that momentum in the fifth, 3/0, 11/1, the French girl looking very tired and discouraged in that last game….

"It's the third time I lose 3/2 after being 2/1" smiles sadly Camille in the shuttle that takes us back to the hotel. One of those matches where I cannot win, heart breaking for the loser, and rejoicing with the winner. Not easy being Mother Hen ...

She was playing unbelievably well, obviously….

The plan I had prepared today was one I really didn’t like.

And the plan was so dangerous, and thin that if I was changing one centimetre of the plan, I would lose 8 points in a row, and if I would do it right, I would win 8 points in a row.

It was incredibly hot on the there tonight, and humid. And I was sweating so much, I had to change shirt twice.

A little nod to my sponsor Harrow who sent the shirts I needed with the correct logo, I just received them today!!!

So thank you Harrow, you saved the day…