TODAY in Hong Kong 2013 
   Daily News from the Hong Kong Open                                     Fram & Steve in HK

Another 16 matches today at Hong Kong Squash Centre as round one concluded with the bottom half of the men's draw and the top half of the women's.

In action today were eight-time defending champion Nicol David, world champion Nick Matthew, five-time HK champion Amr Shabana, local favourites Max Lee and Joey Chan, and no less than four Frenchmen including Gregory Gaultier who could become world number one after this tournament.

match reports & quotes on the blog

Mueller stops Marche comeback
as Momen denies Max

Proceedings opened with local favourite Max Lee up against speedy Egyptian Tarek Momen,. and although Lee started well, Momen fought back to level and take a tight third game before closing it out 3-1. He’ll play Olli Tuominen after the Finn came through a physical three games against qualifier Omar Abdel Meguid.

Karim Abdel Gawad added to the Egyptian tally in the second round as he came from 2-1 down to beat England’s Joe Lee, setting up a meeting with second seed Gregory Gaultier who took just under an hour to see off the challenge of Dutchman LJ Anjema in four games.

The match of the day saw young French qualifier Greg Marche come from two games down against Nicolas Mueller, and he had a match ball at 10-9 in the fifth too, but the Swiss came through 15-13 in a match that kept the packed court 9 crowd royally entertained for 89 minutes.

Five time champion Amr Shabana beat his French qualifier, Mathieu Castagnet, in straight games after saving game balls in the second.

World champion Nick Matthew .won his all-English match with Daryl Selby in straight games, and the fourth seed now meets Saurav Ghosal, who made it a hat-trick of losses for the French qualifiers with a straight games win over Lucas Serme just before midnight.

Tesni and Joshana stun seeds

Guyana’s 16th seed Nicolette Fernandes took three tight games against Donna Urquhart to open the women’s matches, to set up a meeting with England’s Jenny Duncalf, who came through a tough four-game encounter with local star Joey Chan.

Further English success came as Alison Waters eased past Misaki Kobayashi in straight games, and she’ll face unexpected opposition in the last 16 after Welsh qualifier Tesni Evans produced a stunning five-game upset against 10th seeded Aussie Kasey Brown in 81 action-packed minutes.

Defending champion Nicol David recorded her forty-first straight win in Hong Kong as she dismissed Canadian qualifier Sam Cornett in straight games, and the Malaysian’s next opponent will be Camillev Serme who David beat in last year’s final!

The French 9th seed, who has just climbed to a new highest world ranking of five, beat England’s Emily Whitlock in four games.

Denmark’s Line Hansen beat Sarah Kippax in straight games, as predicted by the seedings, but the day concluded with a second upset with India’s Joshana Chinappa taking out seventh-seeded Dutchwoman Natalie Grinham in straight games.

Men's Bottom Half:

[8] Tarek Momen (Egy) 3-1 [Q] Max Lee (Hkg)
         6/11, 11/8, 14/12, 11/4 (58m)
Olli Tuominen (Fin) 3-0 [Q] Omar Abdel Meguid (Egy)
         11/8, 11/9, 11/7 (45m)

Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy) 3-2 [Q] Joe Lee (Eng)
         12/10, 7/11, 9/11, 11/7, 11/8 (80m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) 3-1 Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
          11/8, 11/2, 10/12, 11/7 (59m)

Nicolas Mueller (Sui) 3-2 [Q] Grégoire Marche (Fra)
          11/8, 11/7, 6/11, 5/11, 15/13 (89m)
[6] Amr Shabana (Egy) 3-0 [Q] Mathieu Castagnet (Fra)
           11/6, 15/13, 11/5 (58m)

[4] Nick Matthew (Eng) 3-0 Daryl Selby (Eng)
           11/5, 11/6, 13/11 (54m)
Saurav Ghosal (Ind) 3-0 [Q] Lucas Serme (Fra)
          11/5, 11/4, 11/9 (40m)

match reports & quotes  on the blog

Women's Top Half:

[16] Nicolette Fernandes (Guy) 3-0 Donna Urquhart (Aus)
          11/7, 11/9, 12/10 (38m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) 3-1 Joey Chan (Hkg)
          11/9, 12/10, 6/11, 11/8 (45m)

[4] Alison Waters (Eng) 3-0 [Q] Misaki Kobayashi (Jpn)
           11/3, 11/5, 11/5 (24m)
[Q] Tesni Evans (Wal) 3-2 [10] Kasey Brown (Aus)
            10/12, 11/8, 7/11, 11/4, 11/8 (81m)

[9] Camille Serme (Fra) 3-1 Emily Whitlock (Eng)
           11/6, 11/4, 9/11, 11/7 (42m)
[1] Nicol David (Mas) 3-0 [Q] Sam Cornett (Can)
           11/5, 11/7, 11/4 (35m)

[15] Line Hansen (Den) 3-0 Sarah Kippax (Eng)
           11/6, 12/10, 11/9 (44m)
Joshana Chinappa (Ind) 3-0 [7] Natalie Grinham (Ned)
           11/8, 11/8, 11/4 (31m)

En Bref Issue#2

Men's Top Half:

[3] James Willstrop (Eng) 3-0 Adrian Grant (Eng)
                 11/1, 11/3, 11/1 (28m)
Simon Rosner (Ger) 3-0 Tom Richards (Eng)
                  11/5, 11/8, 11/8 (42m)

Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) 3-1 Ryan Cuskelly (Aus)
                 11/8, 10/12, 11/7, 11/8 (54m)
[5] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy) 3-0 Leo Au (Hkg)
                 13/11, 11/1, 11/5 (30m)

Chris Simpson (Eng) 3-0 Steve Coppinger (Rsa) v
                 11/8, 12/10, 11/5 (51m)
[7] Borja Golan (Esp) 3-0 Ong Beng Hee (Mas)
                 11/5, 11/6, 11/5 (36m)

[1] Ramy Ashour (Egy) 3-0 [Q] Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas)
                 11/8, 11/4, 11/5 (25m)
[Q] Adrian Waller (Eng) 3-1 Cameron Pilley (Aus)
               7/11, 11/6, 11/5, 11/5  (54m)

match reports on the blog

Women's Bottom Half:

 [Q] Emma Beddoes (Eng) 3-2 [6] Low Wee Wern (Mas)
           8/11, 12/14, 11/3, 11/8, 11/5 (72m)
[12] Annie Au (Hkg) 3-2 [Q] Yathreb Adel (Egy)
           11/9, 7/11, 11/8, 4/11, 11/2 (68m)

[8] Madeline Perry (Irl) 3-1 [Q] Marian Metwally (Egy)
           11/6, 7/11, 11/3, 11/6 (30m)
[11] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) 3-1 Siyoli Waters (Rsa)
           14/16, 11/4, 11/6, 11/6 (40m)

[13] Rachael Grinham (Aus) 3-0 [Q] Salma Hany Ibrahim (Egy)
            11/9, 13/11, 11/5 (31m)
[2] Laura Massaro (Eng) 3-0 [Q] Coline Aumard (Fra)
            11/2, 11/8, 11/9 (26m)

Nour El Tayeb (Egy) 3-0 [14] Dipika Pallikal (Ind)
             15/13, 11/6, 11/2 (34m)
[3] Raneem El Weleily (Egy) 3-0 Liu Tsz-Ling (Hkg)
              11/7, 11/6, 11/8 (21m)

Beddoes and Tayeb surprise

The first women’s match of the day produced the biggest upset as English qualifier Emma Beddoes stunned sixth seed Low Wee Wern, coming from 2-0 down to record one of her best ever wins.

Emma now plays Hong Kong’s own Annie Au who also came through a five-setter, a physical encounter with Yathreb Adel, one of three young Egyptian qualifiers.

Madeline Perry and Omneya Abdel Kawy both won in four games to set up a second round clash, while Rachael Grinham and second seed Laura Massaro both won in three.

Third seed Raneem El Weleily ended the hopes of local wildcard Liu Tsz Ling, while Nour El Tayeb made sure of an Egyptian quarter-finalist with an upset win over former junior rival Dipiak Pallikal in straight games.



Marwan still going strong, Waller finishes on a high

James Willstrop, the 2011 champion, started proceedings with a consummate performance against fellow Englishman Adrian Grant, while Willstrop’s next opponent, Germany’s Simon Rosner also showed good form in beating Tom Richards in straight games.

Fresh from winning the title in Edmonton, Marwan Elshorbagy delighted himself and the large Egyptian contingent with a tough four-game win over Ryan Cuskelly, setting up a meeting with older brother Mohamed, who beat the home crowd favourite Leo Au in straight games.

Chris Simpson was delighted with his win over Steve Coppinger, although the South African was perhaps unlucky not to take a game, and he’ll meet Spain’s Borja Golan who was strong and steady in beating Ong Beng Hee in three,

Top seed and defending champion Ramy Ashour made a solid return to action as he dismissed Malaysian qualifier Nafiizwan Adnan.

In the last match of the night English qualifier Adrian Waller made it a hat-trick of English winners with a four game upset win over Cameron Pilley.

match reports on the blog
 

En Bref Issue#2