Category: "teams"
March 12, 2011 •
Tags: Chennai, Egypt, England, India, World Cup, WSF • Categories: all posts, teams, tournaments
Egypt and England will contest in the final of the WSF World Cup after contrasting successes in the semi-finals in Chennai, India. Underdog Raneem El Weleily (pic) pulled off one of the best wins of her career when she defeated the former world champion Rachael Grinham in the 1st semi between favourites Egypt and 3rd seeds Australia. Ramy Ashour, the world No2, had put Egypt ahead with an 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 victory over the Australian No1 Cameron Pilley, the world No14. In the best-of-three ‘dead’ rubber that followed, world No3 Karim Darwish beat Tasmanian Aaron Frankcomb 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 to give Egypt maximum points. England had a shock in their later semi against 5th seeds Malaysia when world No2 Jenny Duncalf was forced to retire injured in her match against Low Wee Wern after just 3 games. James Willstrop, the England No1 ranked 4 in the world, had put the title-holders ahead earlier after comfortably beating Malaysia’s Muhd Asyraf Azan, ranked 57 places lower, 11-7, 11-3, 11-1. There were sighs of relief from the England camp shortly afterwards when the 2nd seeds clinched their place in the final after Peter Barker beat Malaysian No3 Choong Kam Hing 11-1, 11-4, 11-4.
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March 11, 2011 •
Tags: Australia, Chennai, Egypt, England, India, Malaysia, World Cup, WSF • Categories: all posts, associations, teams, tournaments
In the final qualifying round of the WSF World Cup in Chennai, Malaysia produced the event’s first upset by beating 4th seeds France to earn a surprise place in the semi-finals in India. 5th seeds Malaysia fell behind when Muhd Asyraf Azan went down 11-4, 11-13, 11-3, 11-0 to top-ranked Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet. But it took world No1 Nicol David just 20 minutes to restore order for the underdogs with her 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 dismissal of Coline Aumard, the French No2 who is ranked 68 places lower in the world. But the star of the Malaysian team was Kamran Khan (pic), the 21-year-old from Kuala Lumpur who was making his senior international debut in the event. Ranked ten places behind French opponent Gregoire Marche, Khan recovered from a heavy defeat in the 4th game to beat the former European Junior champion 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, 2-11, 11-4 in a 71-minute marathon. Semi-finals: 1600: [1] Egypt v [3] Australia; [2] England v [5] Malaysia.
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March 9, 2011 •
Tags: Chennai, Egypt, England, India, PSA, World Cup • Categories: all posts, teams, tournaments
A 4th successive win in the qualifying rounds of the WSF World Cup takes Egypt, the top seeds, into the semi-finals in Chennai, India. After despatching outsiders Sri Lanka 3/0 earlier in the day, the favourites took on 4th seeds France in a crucial tie to determine supremacy in Pool A. In little more than an hour of play, world No2 Ramy Ashour beat the French number one Yann Perrin, Raneem El Weleily outlasted Coline Aumard, and Karim Darwish, the world No3, defeated Gregoire Marche to consolidate Egypt’s position as group leaders. 2nd seeds England were given a scare by 7th seeds Mexico when world No8 Laura Massaro went down in five games to Samantha Teran, ranked 9 places lower. World No7 Peter Barker had put the defending champions ahead with an 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 win over Mexican No1 Cesar Salazar. As Tom Richards beat Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira 11-7, 11-7, 11-3, the Englishman secured the victory. Results: http://www.wsfworldcup.com/results.html
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December 4, 2010 •
Tags: Australia, Donna Urquart, Kasey Brown, Rachael Grinham, Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Women's World Teams Championship, WSF • Categories: all posts, teams, tournaments
After last winning the title in 2004 – and finishing in 10th place two years later – Australia re-established their authority in women’s world squash by beating England in the final of the Women’s World Team Championship in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The second seeds’ 2/1 win over favourites England extends Australia’s record to nine titles in the 17 World championships since 1979. Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the five times world champion who came out of retirement to play this event, gave the Aussies again a perfect start with an 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 demolition of Sarah Kippax in the opening match. However, England’s world number two Jenny Duncalf hauled her team back into the tie with an 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 win over Australian No1 Rachael Grinham to send the final into a decider between Laura Massaro, the world No9, and Kasey Brown, the world No7. Brown raced to a 2/0 lead, Massaro fought back one game but it was Brown who closed out an 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 victory.
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December 2, 2010 •
Tags: Jaclyn Hawkes, Joelle King, New Zealand, Shelley Kitchen, Women's World Teams Championship, WSF • Categories: all posts, teams, tournaments
The fairytale continues for home favourites New Zealand. The fifth seeded kiwis beat France 2/1 to set up a semi-final with top seeds England. Once again Joelle King who gave the hosts a positive start. The world No17 raced to a 11-9, 11-3, 11-4 win over Isabelle Stoehr in just 27 minutes. Afterwards Jaclyn Hawkes couldn’t close out the tie, going down to Camille Serme, the tenth-ranked French top string, in straight games. That left birthday girl Shelley Kitchen (pic), who turned 31, to claim victory for New Zealand. The former world No6 produced another superb performance to down Coline Aumard 11-5, 11-5, 11-4. In the semis New Zealand will meet top seed England who earned their place in the semis with a straightforward 3/0 win over Ireland. Semi-finals line-up: [1] ENGLAND v [5] NEW ZEALAND, [2] AUSTRALIA v [4] MALAYSIA.
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December 2, 2010 •
Tags: Delia Arnold, Low Wee Wern, New Zealand, Nicol David, Women's World Teams Championship, WSF • Categories: all posts, teams, tournaments
Defending champions Egypt crashed out of the Women’s World Team Squash Championship after losing 1/2 to Malaysia in today’s quarter-finals in New Zealand. Raneem El Weleily had given Egypt the perfect start, with a straight games win over Low Wee Wern. However, world number one Nicol David (pic ri) squared the ledger with an 11-9, 11-3, 8-11, 11-4 victory over Omneya Abdel Kawy (pic le). World No21 Delia Arnold then completed the Malaysian fight back, with an epic 11-9, 3-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 victory over Engy Kheirallah, the Egyptian third string ranked six places higher. Malaysia will now play Australia in the semis after the second seeds edged to a 2/1 win over USA.
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December 2, 2010 •
Tags: Jaclyn Hawkes, Joelle King, New Zealand, Shelley Kitchen, Women's World Teams Championship, WSF • Categories: all posts, teams, tournaments
Hosts New Zealand (pic) pulled off their third successive win in the pool stages of the Women’s World Team Squash Championship by upsetting Malaysia to finish in top place in Pool D in Palmerston North. The fifth-seeded Kiwis beat fourth seeds Malaysia 2/1 – a crucial win which ensures that the home team have avoided playing one of the top three seeds in the quarter-finals. Joelle King was first on court and beat Malaysia’s world No16 Low Wee Wern 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9. It was all on Shelley Kitchen to seal the tie with a victory over world No21 Delia Arnold. Kitchen, who turns 31 tomorrow – and is competing in her first international event since the birth of her daughter Amalia in February – started the celebrations early with a stunning 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 victory. David then completed the expected victory over Hawkes, winning 11-3, 11-5, 11-5. Quarter-final line-up: [1] ENGLAND v [7] IRELAND, [5] NEW ZEALAND v [6] FRANCE, [3] EGYPT v [4] MALAYSIA, [2] AUSTRALIA v [9] USA.
November 28, 2010 •
Tags: Australia, New Zealand, Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Women's World Teams Championship, WSF • Categories: all posts, players, teams, tournaments
National pride was behind Sarah Fitz-Gerald‘s (pic) decision to play for Australia at the Women’s World Team Squash Championships New Zealand. The 5 times world champion compete in her 1st big squash event in almost 10 years, as she retired in 2002. She joins a powerful team that includes world number five Rachael Grinham, 7th ranked Kasey Brown and 17th ranked Donna Urquhart. “There was one year Australia finished 10th and I think the last one we might have been about sixth. When I was coming through we were always in the top three, probably the top two so that’s part of the reason I put my hand up – just to see if I could help move us up from potentially sixth to four or five even. I haven’t ever really stopped playing since I came off tour. I’ve been doing league, promotions and exhibitions, so my fitness is still pretty good and I’m playing all right”.
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