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Wed 15th Dec, Quarter-Finals:
[1] Laura Massaro bt [7]
Victoria Lust
11/4, 11/6, 11/4 (25m)
[4] Nour El Tayeb bt [5] Kanzy El-Dafrawy
12/10, 11/7, 13/11 (38m)
[6] Heba El Torky bt [Q] Salma Hany
7/11, 9/11, 11/9, 11/6, 4/0 rtd (56m)
[2] Raneem El Weleily bt [8] Lucie Fialova
11/8, 11/6 11/6 (22m)
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It’s a bit frustrating, but Laura is obviously a great player,
and she played better than me today. Her basic game was
excellent, she didn’t give me much to work with.
The first game was the way I wanted to play, but after that, it
kind of fell apart! Surely because she is a better player, and
makes me run a lot, hence me getting tired…
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[1] Laura Massaro bt [7]
Victoria Lust
11/4, 11/6, 11/4 (25m)
Top seeds wins all-English starter
Lauren Selby reports
 The
first match tonight was to be a contest between the only two
English players left in the tournament. Both players have been
in good form of late with Vicky having some good results from
her previous two tournaments in London and Greece.
There was a slight drama in the warm-up as two birds flew on
court which sparked Vicky’s bird phobia! With the birds long
gone the match started as expected with long, patient rallies.
Both players were moving efficiently, keeping the ball straight
and working their openings well. Laura gained a 7-4 lead in the
first and from there she raced ahead to win the game 11-4, Vicky
just losing her width and allowing Laura to punch in some tight
straight volley drops.
The 2nd game saw Laura increase the tempo slightly but control
the ball just as well. Vicky retrieved well and fired in some
good forehand boasts to keep the scores again very even. The
points were flying back and forth up until 6-6 with some hard
fought rallies, both players trying to get in front of the
other. Again Laura used her experience to race away to win the
game from 7-6 all the way through to 11-6.
The last game saw a frustrated Lust run out of ideas and give
away 5 points with unforced errors. Laura eased through to win
the game 11-4, she is now the only English player left to fly
the flag.
 I
was aware that Vicky had got to the final in London Open, and
won the Greek Open, so, I thought she was playing well, and that
I should be focused the whole time!
During the first game, and start of the second, she really
played well, keeping with me in the rallies, and not making much
errors. And I thought that we were quite level there. But I
guess after that, she couldn’t stay with that pace and errors
started to creep in.
But Vicky really moved well today, and picked up a lot of shots.
And when I was a bit loose, in the service area, or else, she
would just punish me and play some good kills. So I had to
refocused…
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[4] Nour El Tayeb bt [5] Kanzy El-Dafrawy
12/10, 11/7, 13/11 (38m)
Tayeb tames Kanzy
Wispa reports
Kanzy harried and hustled her higher seeded opponent to good
effect early on in the first opening up and 8/3 lead in the
process. However, Nour’s calm & controlled approached started to
pay off as she pegged her back to 7/8. Some more determined
recoveries back-up with some good widths on the cross-court set
up 3 game points for Kanzy.
However, still unflustered Nour made her play every ball forcing two
errors and hitting one outright winning cross-court to level at
10-10, and then closing out the game at the first attempt.
The second followed a similar pattern with Nour crafting the
ball around the court and Kanzy flying around, making some great
returns and demonstrating her own rackets skills with several
winners early on to again set up a lead. An incredible rally at
4/2 had both players covering all four corners, but eventually
Nour put the ball out of reach and won 3 quick points to turn
things around, Kanzy fought back to even things up but once
again Nour showed her class by responding to the onslaught with
some clever use of height and angles to take the game.
However, Kanzy was far from done as she used her on brand of
attack, at pace and using short boasts and volleys she lead 6/1,
8/3 and 9/5. A couple of errors helped Nour back into it and the
finale was pure entertainment as at 9-8 she hit a lucky nick,
Kanzy stayed in the next rally with a dive before losing it and
then two rallies later another lucky nick gave Nour a match ball
which she eventually gratefully used to close out the match.
A highly entertaining encounter pitting to contrasting but
hugely talented prospects together.
I was never relaxed for this match. Neither before, I was trying
to have a nap, and couldn’t, nor on court. And she started so
well, she didn’t give me anything, she was picking up so many
balls, and made it so hard for me to keep focused.
We play in the same club in Cairo, we were again training
together yesterday, we know each other’s game so well, all that
was in my mind as well…
I’m so lucky I got those lucky shots, I’m sorry for it, but I’ll
take them!!!!
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 I
had game balls in two games, so many game balls too. I was
leading the whole match. Trouble is, when I’m up, like in the
first game, 10/7, I thought I won it, and was already thinking
about the 2nd game. And the same in the 2nd, I stopped trying.
And Nour was wining, one point after another. And only at 8/8 or
9/9, then I’m starting panicking and focusing again…
I’m so disappointed, I played the game I had to play, I run
well, even when she was trying to slow the ball down, I kept
playing and imposing my game. I played well, and I end up losing
3/0. Maybe it’s her experience… she is two years older than I
am, so she had more experience in the crucial rallies.
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As I played, I felt fine for the first two games, and got
suddenly a bit tired again. But it’s also because Heba made less
errors and played better. Still, I lost a bit of concentration,
stop and start games, lots of lets, collisions, contacts.
And in the fifth, I went for a ball, but felt like a tear in my
right quad. And that was it really. I tried to push, I just
couldn’t.
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[6] Heba El Torky bt [Q] Salma Hany
7/11, 9/11, 11/9, 11/6, 4/0 rtd (56m)
Intense Shootout!!
Lauren Selby reports
Where to start?! On paper I couldn’t have predicted how this
match would turn out but Heba probably the strong favourite.
Salma had exceeded expectations in this tournament, qualifying
strongly and then coming through the first round due to an
injured Nour el Sherbini.
The match started at a rapid pace with very short, fast, intense
rallies. From the beginning lets were creeping in which would
unfortunately go on to haunt the match. In the first game Salma
looked unfazed by the interruptions and moved the ball into all
four corners well. Heba seemed frustrated from the start causing
her to play loose squash. Salma took the first game 11-7.
 The
second game followed suit with even more short, sharp rallies.
Much of the play was at the front of the court with a series of
kills, boasts and mainly “below the cut line” squash. Salma
again took advantage of an “out of sorts” Heba who was getting
increasingly angry as the game progressed. The qualifier moved
on to a 2-0 lead and a glimpse at a semi-final place.
As predicted the third game would prove to be the key to the
outcome of the match. Salma again started well taking a 3-0 lead
with a tin from Heba and two strokes. At 4-1 Salma started to
lose her focus and Heba started constructing the rallies better.
Heba gained momentum and stormed to 6-4. The score stayed the
same for quite some time due to a barrage of lets, collisions
and heated discussions between the players themselves and
referees. Heba upped her game to then win the game 11-9 with an
excellent counter-drop.
Heba was now playing with more confidence in the fourth but still
the disruptions were incessant. Salma was now the player getting
increasingly annoyed with the decisions causing her game to drop
in quality. Heba proceeded on to win the game 11-6.
The match was now tied 2-2 but the balance seemed to lie with
Heba with her increased confidence. Yet more lets ensued to
start the game, Salma taking a tumble on her leg. At 4-0 down,
Salma lunged into the front right and asked for an injury break
for her right thigh. She came back onto court, played one point
and retired at 5-0 down.
An unfortunate ending for the qualifier but relief for Heba who
now plays Raneem in the semi final.
 I’ve
never lost against Salma, and yet today, I was so nervous, so
afraid. And when I find myself 2/0 down, I said to myself, what
are you afraid of! It can’t get worse, I’m already 2/0 down!
So I decided to go for every volley, like I normally do. But I’m
angry with myself for talking with the ref, it’s not good. But
when you are nervous, you do things you come to regret later.
I’m so sorry that the match has to end this way, especially as
Salma was playing the best she ever played against me, she never
played anything like it.
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[2] Raneem El Weleily bt [8] Lucie Fialova
11/8, 11/6 11/6 (22m)
Raneem races into semis
Wispa reports
Showing few ill effects of her titanic tussle yesterday Lucie
started brightly keeping the pace up to try and limit Raneem’s
attacking opportunities, and holding the second seed to 7-7.
However, thereafter Raneem used the hold and straight drive to
good effect, hurting Lucie with the quality of the squash on the
way to take the first 11/8.
The second followed a similar pattern with Raneem controlling
the play to such an extent that Lucie started to visibly tired
as she was pulled from corner to corner, and a boast nick
followed by a dying boast took Raneem to a two game lead and
well in control of proceedings.
Although Lucie stopped the rot at the start of the third to stay
in touch to 5-5, Raneem eased her way to 9/5 and a cross-court
nick was Lucie’s only further point before going down in
straight games.
 I
thought she didn’t rally as much as she did yesterday, that
match she played yesterday must have tired her, quite logically.
At the beginning, she was hitting very hard all the shots, and
it took me a while to get used to it. She was finding killing
shots from everywhere, she’s got good hands.
I’m lucky, I could see her getting a bit tired in the end, and
I’m really happy to be playing in the semis tomorrow.
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I’m not sure if it was my match yesterday, but Raneen is such a
player, she’s got a fast game, she was reading my game very
well, and looked like she knew where my ball was going very
often.
It was the first time I was playing her, I have the greatest
respect for her, what a player, I really enjoy playing against
her, and did my utmost best today.
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