Home favourite Nicol David survived a 76 minutes fight against France’s Camille Serme in the quarter-finals of the Penang CIMB Women’s World Squash Championship – but the World No1 did just enough to scrape through 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 11-4 to the last 4 in Penang, Malaysia.
Meanwhile, a further record was set when Egypt’s unseeded Nour El Sherbini (ri) becoming the youngest ever semi-finalist at 18 – after upsetting world No5 Joelle King 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 11-6. In the earlier rounds El Sherbini was surprising by kicking out 12th seed Kasey Brown (AUS) and 4th seed Alison Waters (le) from England.
Malaysian interest in the 29th championships was whittled down to just Nicol, however, after World No7 Low Wee Wern squandered 4 match balls in the 4th game to lose 14-12, 6-11, 11-6, 11-13, 7-11 in 105 minutes to world No2 Laura Massaro of England.
Massaro will meet now World No3 Raneem El Welily in the semis, after the Egyptian survived a solid challenge from Ireland’s Madeline Perry, winning 10-12, 14-12, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7, to confirm two Egyptian semi-finalists for the 1st time.
Semi-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) v Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
[2] Laura Massaro (ENG) v [3] Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [8] Camille Serme (FRA) 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 11-4 (76m)
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [5] Joelle King (NZL) 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 11-6 (52m)
[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [7] Madeline Perry (IRL) 10-12, 14-12, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7 (59m)
[2] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [6] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 12-14, 11-6, 6-11, 13-11, 11-7 (105m)
2nd round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 (24m)
[8] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 14-12, 11-5, 11-3 (38m)
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [4] Alison Waters (ENG) 11-3, 11-9, 7-11, 11-3 (41m)
[5] Joelle King (NZL) bt [13] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 (36m)
[7] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [15] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 7-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6 (61m)
[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [10] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-7, 11-7, 11-1 (26m)
[6] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt [Q] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 (42m)
[2] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [9] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 (34m)
1st round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Emma Beddoes (ENG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (36m)
[Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) bt [11] Annie Au (HKG) 13-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8 (46m)
[8] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [Q] Habiba Mohamed Ahmed Alymohmed (EGY) 11-6, 12-10, 11-7 (44m)
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt [14] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 4-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-7 (63m)
[4] Alison Waters (ENG) bt Joshana Chinappa (IND) 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2 (32m)
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [12] Kasey Brown (AUS) 12-10, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5 (43m)
[5] Joelle King (NZL) bt [Q] Tesni Evans (WAL) 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 (30m)
[13] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [Q] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (44m)
[15] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Joey Chan (HKG) 11-3, 11-9, 11-5 (26m)
[7] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-8, 13-11, 11-2 (37m)
[10] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [Q] Lisa Aitken (ENG) 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 (32m)
[3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [Q] Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 (25m)
[Q] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [16] Line Hansen (DEN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (32m)
[6] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 (32m)
[9] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [Q] Megan Craig (NZL) 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (23m)
[2] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [WC] Vanessa Raj (MAS) 11-7, 11-4, 11-1 (25m)
