Mon 19th, Day SIX:
It's the busiest day at Grand
Central, with TEN matches on the Glass Court, six women's first
round and four bottom-half men's round two.
[8] Nour El Tayeb (Egy) 3-0 [Q]
Victoria Lust (Eng)
11/5, 11/6, 11/2 (25m)
[4]
Nour El Sherbini (Egy) 3-0 Annie Au (Hkg)
11/3, 11/7, 11/7 (23m)
Amanda Sobhy (Usa) 3-2
[7] Low Wee Wern (Mas)
11/7, 5/11, 6/11, 11/8, 11/7
[3] Raneem El Welily (Egy) 3-0 Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy)
11/7, 15/13, 11/7
[6] Camille Serme (Fra) 3-1 [Q] Kanzy El Defrawy (Egy)
9/11, 11/3, 11/5, 12/10 (58m)
[2] Laura Massaro (Eng) 3-0 [Q] Salma Hany Ibrahim (Egy)
11/4, 11/4, 11/3 (30m)
Miguel Rodriguez (Col) 3-2 [5] Peter Barker (Eng)
11/6, 8/11, 11/13, 11/9, 11/7 (121m)
[8] Simon Rosner (Ger) 3-1 Mathieu Castagnet (Fra)
11/13, 11/5, 11/5, 11/6 (75m)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (Fra) 3-0 [Q] Tom Richards (Eng)
11/6, 11/5, 11/3 (43m)
[3] Nick Matthew (Eng) 3-1 Omar Mosaad (Egy)
7/11, 15/13, 11/6, 13/11 (94m)
PSA Roundup:
Rodriguez makes history in New York
29-year-old Colombian
World No.8 Miguel Angel Rodriguez became the first ever South
American squash player to reach the quarter-finals of a PSA World
Series event after beating England's Peter Barker in a 120-minute
epic at the J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions.
Two of the fittest and most fluid movers on tour, the duo served up
a titanic battle of attrition that was packed with lung-bursting
rallies as they tried to break each other down but it was Rodriguez,
the highest ranked South American player of all time, who managed to
edge it, taking the match 11-6, 8-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7 and record
his first ever win over the World No.6.
"This is one of the best wins of my career so far because it is
the first time I have beaten him and also the first time I've made
it to the quarter-finals at one of the major events," said
Rodriguez.
"I prepared very hard for the match and I'm delighted to win. I
think I played very well - it was not an easy match because he is a
very tough player."
After taking the opening game, which in itself lasted 26-minutes,
Rodriguez found himself 2-1 down after Barker closed out a gritty
tie-breaker in the third and the Englishman appeared to have the
ascendency as he moved 9-7 ahead in the fourth game and within two
points of the match.
But two consecutive errors gave the Colombian an opportunity and he
pounced to keep the match alive and in the deciding game he
continued to set a relentless physical pace that 31-year-old Barker
couldn't live with.
"I worked very hard on the physical side of the game last year
and I played a lot of events as well so had a good rhythm and it has
all paid off for me," sad Rodriguez.
"I've started the year in the top ten and at my highest ever ranking
and I'm into the quarter-finals for the first time so i already feel
like this is definitely going to be my best year."
In a mammoth day of action in Manhattan there were also wins for
German World No.10 Simon Rösner, French World No.2 Gregory
Gaultier and England's World No.4 Nick Matthew, with
Gaultier claiming the quickest win of the day with his 43-minute,
3-0 triumph over qualifier Tom Richards.
"Sometimes you have
to dig in & if that doesn't work dig in some more. Omar had me on
the ropes tonight but proud of myself for finding my way through.
Grateful for a day off tomorrow."
WSA Roundup:
Sobhy sinks Low in Grand Central upset
 Unseeded
US squash star Amanda Sobhy defeated world No.7 Low Wee Wern
of Malaysia in five games to provide unexpected home interest in the
women's quarter-finals.
"I knew that I had to be mentally prepared to get everything
back, because Wee Wern is a great mover and super consistent,"
said the 21-year-old Harvard University senior. Sobhy started strong,
winning the first game 11-7, but dropped the next two by the
identical scores, 5-11, 5-11.
Down 4-7 in the fourth, the Long Island native was undaunted,
reeling off seven straight points to win the game. "I have been
working on my fitness, and I got a second wind," Sobhy remarked. "I
usually play better when I am behind."
That come-from-behind courage was called upon in the fifth game as
the seventh-seeded Malaysian took a 7-5 lead - but Sobhy once again
refocused and ran off six straight points to earn a return trip to
the iconic ToC glass court.
"I am so happy to have won in front of the home crowd cheering me
on," said the jubilant US No.1, who played her
match in front of a capacity crowd.
In her fifth quarter-final appearance in the event since 2003, Sobhy
will face Raneem El Welily, the world No.2 from Egypt who eliminated
her countrywoman Omneya Abdel Kawy in four games.
 Egyptian
interest in the semi-finals is already guaranteed as two compatriots
- Nour El Tayeb from Cairo and Nour El Sherbini from
Alexandria - face each other in the quarter-finals. Both are
university students as well as top 10 squash players.
El Tayeb overcame surprise English qualifier Victoria Lust. The 21-year-old
Egyptian - who leapt from the lower reaches of the world top 30 to
No8 during last year - controlled the contest from start to finish.
"Last year I couldn't even get into the qualifying draw and now I
am in the quarterfinals," said El Tayeb after the match. "During the
past year, I have been working on my movement, position to the ball
and fitness. The biggest difference is that a year ago I could beat
a top 10 player but then lose to a much lower-ranked player in the
next match. Now I am more consistent."
El Tayeb will need that consistency against El Sherbini, who last
year rocketed from 27 to 4 in the rankings. The 18-year-old, who is
juggling her first year of college studies with playing professional
squash, had to take her exams a week early to be able to play in the
ToC.
The academic course-load does not seem to have affected the
teenager's game; she dismissed Hong Kong's world No.10 Annie Au in
just 21 minutes. "The start of the match was very good for me,
and gave me confidence, and that was really important," said El
Sherbini.
 France's
Camille Serme had her hands full with 20-year-old Kanzy Emad
El-Defrawy, the acrobatic 20-year-old Egyptian who gives the term
playing with abandon new meaning. Fearlessly diving to the floor to
return her opponent's shots, the Trinity junior - ranked just 66 in
the world - delighted the crowd with here energetic, never-say-die,
play.
Although El-Defrawy took the first game, world No6 Serme confidently
claimed the next two in commanding style. Down 2-7 in the fourth,
the 25-year-old Frenchwoman remained calm, patiently chipping away
until she took the game 12-10 to win the match.
In the
Gallery: Can Kanzy Dive ... you bet !!!
"Glad, happy and relieved," was how the Serme described her
feelings after the match. "I was a little surprised at how much
energy Kanzy had, because she played three tough qualifying matches
before today."
 Serme progresses to face second seed Laura Massaro.
The Englishwoman,
runner-up in 2014, played with authority as she defeated 18-year-old
Egyptian qualifier Salma Hany Ibrahim, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3.
"The last time we played, it went to five, so this first round
was a potential banana peel," said the world No.3. "I am glad to get
it out of the way."
Quick impressions (as we saw them)
Lots more photos in the Gallery |
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