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Raneem 2/1 Camille
Another great women's match, first game very close, Camille up
10/7, but only taking the game 11/9 after two quick unforced
errors.
With the moment, Cam went up 4/1 in the second, but the start of
the come back for our SphynxRaneem, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6, 8/8, this
time it's Raneem that gets the game balls at 10/8, but the
French woman forces a decider, 10/10. She won't have a match
ball though and loses the (crucial) second 12/10.
The Frenchwoman seems to have the match in hand 7/4 and 9/6 in
the second but Raneem finds her magic and scores the next 5
points, 11/9.
 Raneem
El Welily
“She was playing really well and she was in front for 80
per cent of each game, I don't know how I won that!
“I had a very close win yesterday and an even closer win today
but I'm pleased because I didn't want to go into tomorrow's
match with the extra pressure of having to win to stay in the
competition.
“I maybe wasn't as energised as I was yesterday and I stood back
too much and played to her strengths. But I'm into the semis now.
“I still want to win tomorrow though. I still have to give it my
all and be prepared for the match and the matches that follow
and I have to prove a few things to myself that I can come here
play well and win all my matches.”
Nour 2/0 Omneya
Both Serme and El Sherbini have now won one
match from two in the round robin format with tomorrow’s victor
assured of joining El Welily in the semi-finals of the lucrative
tournament which has a prize pot of $160,000 up for grabs.
 “Omneya
is very hard to play against and she is very skilful, whenever
she has time on her hands, she kills it, so I was trying to get
the ball deep so she couldn’t attack as much as usual. I’m happy
with the way I played and I’m happy that I ended it 2-0.
“We’ve been travelling together a lot, training together and
doing everything together. It’s really hard to play against each
other, but this is the game. I have to get on court, and whoever
is the best player wins.
“Tomorrow is a very important match for me and also for Camille.
Every time we play the matches are very tough and very long so I
expect another tomorrow and I will just go out there and give it
my all.”
Laura 2-1 Nicol
 Laura
Massaro
"Anyone who thinks best of threes aren't hard should come out
here and play with one of us because that was really tough!
Because you know there only are three games I think the
intensity is higher and every rally counts so mentally you are a
little different.
'In the third game all I was thinking was that I didn't want to
have to play tomorrow knowing that I needed to do something
ridiculous to go through the pool so I'm really happy with the
end result and to come through.”
Amanda 2-1 Nouran
The 22-year-old Harvard graduate allowed the World Junior
Champion too much time on the ball in the first but stepped up
and attacked from all corners in the second, dominating it to
level the match via an 11-5 win, before keeping her composure to
take the decisive third 11-7.
Amanda Sobhy
 “I
knew if I lost it tonight it would be near impossible to move
past the group stage so I'm very happy to pull it off. I tried
to slow it down and contain her and I'm happy with how I pulled
myself together after the first. I stepped up my game in the
second and pulled it out in the end so I'm really happy not be
the one with an 0-2 record. I knew that I just had to be patient
and stay mentally tough in that third and I'm happy with how I
turned it around.
“Coming into the tournament I wasn't even thinking about the
semis, noon expected much of me but anything can happen in this
format and I'm happy to have survived and still be in with a
chance going into tomorrow.”
Simon 2/0 Omar
 “I’m
really happy with how I played. I think that Omar had an issue
with his knee, but that’s something that can get into your head,
so you have to focus on your game and play all the way through.
“I think I managed to do that quite well today, and I’m glad to
stay in the contest for the semi-finals.
“As you get older, you get a bit wiser. You play more solid and
your physical abilities get stronger and better. Also, the
mental strength had got better so I think that a mixture of
everything makes you more consistent.”
Greg 2/0 Cameron
 Greg
Gaultier
“I was really pumped up today, I
didn’t have the best start to 2016 due to a bad injury, but I’m
coming back strong now. “I can finally move smoothly, without
pain, with a lot of flexibility in my foot, and a lot of power.
It took a while, but now I’m back playing well and I’m really
delighted to feel like I can play my shots, to move the way I
want, and to see the ball like a big balloon.
“I knew it would be a big danger playing a best-of-three with
Cameron, but I didn’t give him any cheap points, I was covering
the court well and trying to make him work hard.
“I’m happy with how I raised my game. I’m almost back to my peak
now, and I’m full of confidence. I’ve got no pressure on me
anymore, I’ve done everything I wanted in my career, so
everything I do now is a bonus.
“I just enjoy life, I enjoy being on the court, and every win is
a bonus for me. Of course, I am going to try as hard as possible
to win this event, I worked really hard to come back and win
events like this. Winning these kinds of events are highlights
of your career, so I hope that I can have another title like
this one.”
Mohamed 2/0 Miguel
 Mohamed
El Shorbagy
“He’s a great player and the progress he has made in the past
two years is incredible, he has improved a lot and for him to
beat Nick yesterday was a great result and today that second
game could have gone either way – and a third would have been
very tough.
“We pushed each other and either one of us could have won that
game. At the end I was able to sneak it and I’m happy.
“Playing best of three changes the whole dynamic of the game
because if you lose concentration for one game you are close to
losing a match. We were both up and down a little today and it
was very tough but it was a very enjoyable match as well and I’m
pleased to still be playing well here.”
Mathieu 2-0 Nick
A very close first game, with Nick looking very good in the
second, up 6/2 but seems to lose his way (injury flairing up?)
at the end.
 “Nick
is a legend of the sport so to be able to beat him is a great
achievement for me.
"I was very confident with my game plan and I have to thank my
coaches for that, Benoît Letourneau, who was my coach when I was
a junior.
I had an injury a few weeks ago on my adductor but my coaches
really helped me so much to trust my capacity today. Yesterday,
I just didnt trust my leg at all. When you have been injured and
step on court for the first time it is not easy to be at your
best straight away but I had a good practice this morning which
helped me a lot and I am enjoying every second of being here in
this tournament.
“Just to qualify and be part of the top eight is amazing for me
and I just want to try and play my best tomorrow and see what
happens.” |
