Hong Kong’s Annie Au stormed to victory in the Women’s Sheikha Sheikha Saad Al Sabah International, the inaugural $11,600 WISPA World Tour squash event at the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally, Kuwait.
The 21-year-old top seed reached the final without dropping a game – winning each of her two previous matches in just 18 minutes and dropping only five points in her semi-final victory over Egypt’s third seed Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy.
But second seed Dipika Pallikal provided sterner opposition. The 18-year-old world No40 from India dropped the first two games – but got the better of the experienced Au, ranked 17 in the world, in the third to win by a tie-break.
But left-hander Au regained the upper hand in the fourth to clinch her 11-6, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3 title triumph after 38 minutes.
The win marks Au’s first WISPA World Tour title success this year – but the sixth of her career.
Final:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [2] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-6, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3 (38m)
Top Seeds To Contest Kuwait Climax
Top seeds Annie Au and Dipika Pallikal will contest the final of the Women’s Sheikha Sheikha Saad Al Sabah International, the inaugural $11,600 WISPA World Tour squash event at the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally, Kuwait.
Hong Kong favourite Au raced to her second successive match win in under 20 minutes by despatching Egypt’s third seedKanzy Emad El-Defrawy 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 in just 18 minutes.
Second seed Dipika Pallikal needed four games to book her anticipated place in the climax. The 18-year-old world No40 from Chennai battled for 38 minutes to get the better of Japan’s fourth seed Misaki Kobayashi 11-6, 13-11, 4-11, 11-5.
Pallikal is celebrating her third appearance in a WISPA Tour final, while 21-year-old Au, ranked 17 in the world, is marking her ninth final.
Semi-finals:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [3] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 (18m)
[2] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [4] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) 11-6, 13-11, 4-11, 11-5 (38m)
Seeds Survive In Kuwait
The top four seeds will contest the semi-finals of the Women’s Sheikha Sheikha Saad Al Sabah International in Kuwait, with favourite Annie Au taking just 18 minutes to win her quarter-final match in the inaugural $11,600 WISPA World Tour squash event at the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally.
The 21-year-old from Hong Kong despatched seventh-seeded South African Adel Weir-Nunan 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 and will now meet third seed Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy for a place in the final.
The Egyptian had an even easier time, gaining a walkover after her opponent Linda Hruzikova, the fifth seed from Slovakia, was forced to withdraw following an injury.
Second seed Dipika Pallikal also dropped a game for the second day in a row as she battled to her predicted place in the semi-finals.
The 18-year-old world No40 from Chennai needed 36 minutes to overcome France’s No8 seed Laura Pomportes 11-6, 11-1, 8-11, 11-6 and will now line-up against Japan’s fourth seed Misaki Kobayashi in the other semi.
Quarter-finals:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [7] Adel Weir-Nunan (RSA) 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (18m)
[3] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) bt [5] Linda Hruzikova (SVK) w/o
[4] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt [6] Celia Allamargot (FRA) 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (23m)
[2] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [8] Laura Pomportes (FRA) 11-6, 11-1, 8-11, 11-6 (36m)
Pallikal Tested In Kuwait Opener
Dipika Pallikal took her anticipated place in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Sheikha Sheikha Saad Al Sabah International – but the second seed from India was stretched to four games by Egypt’s unseeded Sara El Noamany in the opening round of the inaugural $11,600 WISPA World Tour squash event at the Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally, Kuwait.
Pallikal, the 18-year-old world No40 from Chennai, battled for 45 minutes to overcome the 20-year-old from Cairo 11-4, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8 – and will now face eighth seed Laura Pomportes for a place in the last four.
Pomportes, from Toulouse in France, despatched Mariam Dashti – one of two Kuwaiti qualifiers – 11-0, 11-3, 11-2 in just 14 minutes.
Top seed Annie Au was in commanding form as she brushed aside Pakistan’s Zoya Khalid 11-5, 11-7, 11-5.
The world No17 from Hong Kong will now line up against South Africa’s No7 seed Adel Weir-Nunan.
1st round:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt Zoya Khalid (PAK) 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (28m)
[7] Adel Weir-Nunan (RSA) bt Aisha Al-Hamad (KUW) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (18m)
[3] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) bt Surbhi Misra (IND) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (17m)
[5] Linda Hruzikova (SVK) bt Muqaddas Ashraf (PAK) 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10 (53m)
[6] Celia Allamargot (FRA) bt [Q] Hisa Al Shaebi (KUW) 11-1, 11-3, 11-2 (11m)
[4] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (19m)
[8] Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt [Q] Mariam Dashti (KUW) 11-0, 11-3, 11-2 (14m)
[2] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Sara El Noamany (EGY) 11-4, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8 (45m)