20-Jun: Day ONE
Steve Cubbins in LA
Qualifying
Finals:
The Draw
Tara Mullins (Can) bt Carlin Wing (Usa)
9/1, 9/0, 9/0
(20m)
plays Grainger
Dipika Pallikal (Ind) bt Sally Norgate (Usa)
9/1, 9/2, 9/0
(18m)
plays Manetta
Karen Kronemeyer (Ned) bt Lily Lorentzen (Usa)
9/6, 9/2, 9/2
(37m)
plays Teran
Neha Kumar (Can) bt Imelda Martinez (Mex)
4/9, 9/6, 9/2, 8/10, 9/7
(69m)
plays Reta
Qualifying Finals
This
morning’s winners were all up against fresher, higher-seeded
opponents, and it showed.
Sally Norton’s challenge against Dipika Pallikal lasted just 18
minutes as the Indian eased to victory, and Carlin Wing lasted just
two minutes longer against qualifying top-seed Tara Mullins.
Karen Kronemeyer and Lily Lorentzen both received byes this morning,
but it was always the Dutch girl who looked the likely winner. Up
6/2 in the first a few mistakes from Karen let Lily back in at
6-all, but she visibly upped the pace to regain control which she
never really lost thereafter (despite receiving a conduct warning
for ‘abuse of the ball’ – “that’s a new one on me!”).
 “I
was very nervous. I wanted to hit through the ball and keep it
basic, but somehow it didn’t happen, I hit quite a few loose shots.
I was moving ok, which got me through without doing anything
amazing.
“I’m really enjoying just playing at the moment. I was over here for
a year coaching, waiting for a visa, but I’m back in Holland now, it
feels good over there with all my friends.
"I’ve got a new sponsor, which allowed me to come over for this
tournament, so maybe that’s why I was nervous, wanting to do well
for him …”
Karen Kronemeyer
The longest and
closest match of the day saw Neha Kumar just about get past Imelda
Martinez. It was a real dogfight, not particularly pretty, but two
players slugging it out to the end. The match took several twists
and turns of fate, but the final one, which saw Neha recover from
2/6 down in the fifth, was the decisive one.
Qualifying
round one:
The Draw
Sally Norgate (Usa) bt Ivonne Diaz (Mex)
9/4, 9/0, 10/8, 0/9, 10/8 (60m)
Imelda Martinez (Mex) bt Sarycarmen Diaz (Mex)
9/5, 10/8, 9/3 (40m)
Carlin Wing
(Usa) bt Magaly Velez (Ecu)
9/0, 9/2, 9/2 (19m)
Qualifying under
way in LA
There was a definite North American flavour to the opening
qualifying matches at the LAAC with six players hoping to make
tonight's qualifying finals.
First up was an all-Mexican affair between Sarycarmen Diaz and
Imelda Salazar Martinez. Martinez held the upper hand for most of
the the match, although when she let slip an 8/5 lead lead in the
second it seemed as though it might be closer. She recovered to take
it 10/8, then raced to a 7/1 lead in the third before clinching a
place in the finals.
Meanwhile namesake of the defeated Sarycarmen, Ivonne Diaz, was
taking on 'local' Sally Norgate. The American's more powerful game
held sway in the early exchanges as she took a 2-0 lead, and at at
6-all in the third the end seemed near. Not to be though, as Diaz's
busy style - "a hustler" remarked one observer - started
to pay dividends as she took the third, catching her opponent out
repeatedly with boasts, sped through the fourth and held a 7/2 lead
in the decider.
Time for another switch as Sally started to get some of measure of
control back. She clawed her way back, saved match ball at 7/8 with
a dying lob and went on to win a tense finish. Sally was through,
but it could have been a lot shorter ...
Last up was another 'local' in Carlin Wing, like Sally now coaching
in San Diego, who managed to dispatch the Ecuadorian number one
Magaly Velez in a third of Sally's time.
All three winners face another hurdle tonight to reach the main draw
...
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Focus on LA, Issue #2
 “Being
top seed for qualifying helped, it helped, it gave me a bit of
confidence and a good draw. I was volleying well, my length was good
, and once I got off to a good start my confidence raised.
“I felt strong and fresh, looking forward to tomorrow’s match.”
Tara Mullins
 “I
was scared at the start, I’ve been on holiday here in the states and
haven’t played for a month. I surprised myself how well I played.
“I’m still based in Egypt with Hafiz, my coach, we’re going back
there for a month’s training before the world juniors. I hope to get
to the quarter-finals then we’ll just see what happens from there …”
Dipika Pallikal
 “I
started slowly, my shots weren’t on and I couldn’t volley as much as
I like to. In the end I just had to do whatever was needed to win.
“I went a bit flat for a couple of points at the end of the fourth,
I couldn’t get it back and had to work harder in the fifth.”
Neha Kumar
 "I lost
confidence for a few points in the second, but managed to get it
back."
 "I started ok,
but in the third her confidence picked up and she started to cut out
her errors, and I stopped volleying which let her back into it.
"In the fifth I just told myself not to give up, to stick in
and make it hard for her.
"This is my first WISPA event - I might have played one as a
non-member, but after my junior days I concentrated on school and
now I'm coaching at San Diego. I'll play more if my work commitments
allow, I certainly enjoyed it."
 "That's my first
competitive game for 18 months, so I'm pretty pleased with how that
went. I've had a few health problems, and went for grad school which
doesn't really mix well with playing.
"It was nice of Bob to give me a local slot, as I play out of
here anyway, it's just a case of trying to reconnect my body with
playing ..."
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