Team Egypt straight after their semi-final victory: Coach Amir Wagih, Nour El Tayeb, Omneya Abdel Kawy, Raneem El Weleily, Nour El Sherbini and Manager Hanny Hamouda (f.l.t.r.) Londoner Alison Waters marked her comeback from career-threatening injury in sensational style in the WSF Women’s World Team Championship in Nimes when she beat Malaysian Low Wee Wern in a dramatic 56-minute semi-final decider to take England into the final. England national coach Chris Robertson summed it up in a different way: “You know what it would have meant if, as number one seeds, we’d lost in the semis – winning tonight is what we were here for.
Now in the final for the tenth time in a row, favourites England will face 2nd seeds Egypt, the 2008 champions who beat Australia 3/0 to make the final for 3rd time since 2006. Egyptian coach Amir Wagih, a veteran of numerous Egyptian world campaigns, was delighted with his young team’s performance. “We are very happy to beat Australia – they are the legends of squash. We now look forward to the final. Whoever we play, it will be very tough, but very special.”
Semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [3] MALAYSIA 2/1
Laura Massaro lost to Nicol David 5-11, 6-11, 8-11 (41m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Delia Arnold 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (44m)
Alison Waters bt Low Wee Wern 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5 (56m)
[2] EGYPT bt [6] AUSTRALIA 3/0
Raneem El Weleily bt Rachael Grinham 11-7, 14-16, 11-9, 11-9 (44m)
Nour El Tayeb bt Melody Francis 11-6, 11-2, 11-5 (23m)
Nour El Sherbini bt Donna Urquhart 12-10, 6-11, 11-8 (26m)
