It’s day two of the Squash World Cup, which is back after a 12-year absence!
We’ll be bringing reports and reactions from the SDAT WSF Squash World Cup as they happen right here, and you can watch live and free worldwide on WORLDSQUASH.TV and on the Olympic Channel, while viewers in India can watch on JioCinema.
Japan continue to impress as they come from behind to beat Hong Kong, China
Japan continued their progress through the pool stage as they came from behind to beat Hong Kong, China.
In the opening match, Toby Tse got the better of Akari Midorikawa to give Hong Kong, China the lead.
The match was expected to be a tight one, with the pair sharing a 1-1 head-to-head record after playing twice in the same month last year.
Tse made the brighter start to the match and looked confident as she took the first game 7-5, only for Midorikawa to hit back with a 7-3 win.
From here, play became at times scrappy, which Tse dealt better with as she notched up a pair of 7-4 wins to give her side the lead.
In the second match, Ryunsuke Tsukue quickly wiped out Hong Kong, China’s lead, with the Japan No.1 wasting no time in going after Andes Ling.
Tsukue flew into the lead with a 7-1 victory and never looked like letting it slip, taking game two 7-4 and game three 7-1.
In the third game, Satomi Watanabe initially looked to be cruising to past Heylie Fung, with the powerful World No.18 blasting into a 2-0 lead with comfortable 7-2, 7-1 wins.
Fung appeared more relaxed in the third game and hit her targets better, which was rewarded with a 7-5 win for the 20-year-old, before an improved Watanabe closed things out in the fourth with a 7-2 victory.
In the final match, Tomotaka Endo looked much improved on his opening match performance yesterday as he saw out the tie with an assured 3-0 victory over Chung Yat Long.
Japan face hosts and No.2 seeds India tomorrow in the final tie of the pool stage.
Speaking after her match, Watanabe said: “ “I think I started really well and got my pace and my rhythm and then in the third game she changed things a little bit and at the same time I lost my concentration in the middle of the game, which wasn’t great from me. But then in the fourth I regrouped and got my concentration and to finish it 7-2 gives me a little bit of confidence.
“I really love this atmosphere and the huge shopping mall with this glass court. I was just having fun!”
“Obviously [tomorrow’s opponent Joshna Chinappa] is one of the legends and she made it to top ten in the world. I haven’t actually shared a court with her yet so I’m really looking forward to playing against Joshna, but all I can do is give my best and enjoy the match.”
Result: SDAT WSF Squash World Cup Pool B
[3] Japan 3-1 Hong Kong, China [6]
Akari Midorikawa lost to Toby Tse 1-3: 5-7, 7-3, 4-7, 4-7 (20m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue beat Andes Ling 3-0: 7-1, 7-4, 7-1 (18m)
Satomi Watanabe beat Heylie Fung 3-1: 7-2, 7-1, 5-7, 7-2 (20m)
Tomotaka Endo beat Chung Yat Long 3-0: 7-4, 7-6, 7-5 (26m)
Egypt continue to pile on the wins
In the second tie of the day, Egypt continued their march at the top of Pool A with a second successive 4-0 win as they dispatched No.8 seeds Colombia.
19-year-old Kenzy Ayman was up first for Egypt and came up against an in-form Catalina Pelaez, who was Colombia’s sole winner in yesterday’s 3-1 defeat to Malaysia.
Pelaez’s aggressive style disrupted Ayman’s gameplan on a number occasions.
Ayman, who after the match confessed that she was feeling the pre-match nerves, still had enough quality to hold off the 31-year-old, though, and looked at her best when targeting winners as she claimed a 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 win.
The second match was a more comfortable affair for the top seeds, with highly rated 23-year-old Aly Abou Eleinen storming past Felipe Tovar 7-5, 7-2, 7-2.
The dangers of losing focus in this shorter format were highlighted in the third and fourth matches. First for Fayrouz Aboelkheir, who after 7-3, 7-4 wins against Laura Tovar, allowed the Colombian a run of points that she couldn’t haul back in time as Tovar reduced the deficit to 2-1.
Aboelkheir regained her focus in the fourth, upping the pace as she gave Egypt a third win with a 7-2 victory.
Just as Tovar before him, Alfonso Marroquín was able to mount some resistance to Karim El Hammamy. After El Hammamy had taken the first two games 7-5, 7-3, complacency crept into his game in the third, with Marroquín taking full advantage as he pulled a game back with a 7-4 win.
El Hammamy came back on court early for the fourth game and wasted no time in reasserting himself, with the 27-year-old taking a 6-1 lead.
Marroquín dug in well and saved three of the match balls, before eventually falling to a tight effort from the Egyptian.
Egypt face Malaysia tomorrow as Pool A concludes.
Afterwards, Kenzy Ayman said: “In the first game, I was really nervous at the beginning! I was the first to play but I really enjoyed playing against Catalina, I think I played well. I’m really happy to win and I hope the rest of my team play well.
“I think in the third game, I was leading 5-2 and she came to 5-5 and I was really nervous.”
Result: SDAT WSF Squash World Cup Pool A
[1] Egypt 4-0 Colombia [8]
Kenzy Ayman beat Catalina Pelaez 3-0: 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 (15m)
Aly Abou Eleinen beat Felipe Tovar 3-0: 7-5, 7-2, 7-2 (18m)
Fayrouz Aboelkheir beat Laura Tovar 3-1: 7-3, 7-4, 5-7, 7-2 (20m)
Karim El Hammamy beat Alfonso Marroquín 3-1: 7-5, 7-3, 4-7, 7-4 (24m)
Ong gets Malaysia over the line v Australia
In a tense and exciting clash, No.4 seeds Malaysia edged out No.5 seeds Australia to stay in second place in Pool A.
Haydon adopted an aggressive tactic in game one, getting up the court well and attacking early as she deservedly took the first game 7-5.
That opening game defeat seemed to settle Yee, who came out well in the second, with crosscourts on her forehand a consistent source of points as she levelled with a 7-4 win, which she followed up with a dominant 7-2 win in game three to take the lead.
Now oozing confidence, the left hander attacked Haydon’s backhand with relish in the fourth game, completing her comeback with a 7-4 win.
Australia hit back immediately through their tournament No.1 Joseph White, with the 25-year-old taking the first five points of the first game on the way to a 7-2 wi over Darren Pragasam.
In an entertaining second game, Pragasam had the opportunity to level when he had game ball at 6-5 but could not convert and White forced a sudden death tie break which he converted to double his lead.
With momentum firmly behind him, White guaranteed his side two valuable points with a dominant 7-1 win in game three.
In the third match, Aira Azman restored Malaysia’s lead with an entertaining 3-1 win over Jessica Turnbull.
Azman edged a tight first game on sudden death tiebreak 7-6 and then doubled her advantage with a 7-2 win in game two.
Turnbull responded with a tie break win of her own as she took game three 7-6, which provoked a huge response from Azman, who took the final game 7-1.
In the final match of the tie, Sai Hung song put in an excellent performance to secure the vital points for Malaysia.
The 24-year-old covered every inch of the court in a tense first game, edging ahead after the sudden death tiebreak.
Ong, taking confidence from that crucial win, pushed on in the second to double his lead with a dominant 7-1 victory.
In an at times bad tempered third game, Ong was able to hold on to deliver the win for Malaysia, who will face top seeds Egypt tomorrow.
Afterwards, Ong said: ““It’s not easy to play the last game as I’m the decider. I made it for the team!
“There was so much pressure and it wasn’t easy. I just kept my mentality to stay longer on the court.”
Result: SDAT WSF Squash World Cup Pool A
[4] Malaysia 3-1 Australia [5]
Xin Ying Yee beat Alex Haydon 3-1: 5-7, 7-4, 7-2, 7-4 (20m)
Darren Pragasam lost to Joseph White 0-3: 2-7, 6-7, 1-7 (19m)
Aira Azman beat Jessica Turnbull 3-1: 7-6, 7-2, 6-7, 7-1 (21m)
Sai Hung Ong beat Nicholas Calvert 3-0: 7-6, 7-1, 7-5 (25m)
India maintain 100 percent record
In the final tie of the day, hosts and No.2 seeds India ensured that they will go into the final day of the Pool Stage on top of Pool B as they took maximum points from South Africa.
Tanvi Khanna looked excellent in the first match as she powered past Hayley Ward.
The 26-year-old looked in good touch as she comfortable took the first two games 7-4, 7-2.
Ward came back with a 7-3 win in the third game, but could do nothing to stop a fired up Khanna from sealing the match with a 7-2 win.
In the second match, Indian No.1 Saurav Ghosal was put through a test by Dewald van Niekirk.
In the opening stages of the first game, the South African dealt better with the fast conditions on court – which saw the ball flying off the front wall with pace – before Ghosal adjusted to clinch the game on a thrilling sudden death tiebreak 7-6.
From here, the Indian No.1 – whose already substantial home support had been further bolstered after informing the referee that his own point should have been a let – pushed on well.
The 36-year-old looked more comfortable as he took the second game 7-4, before driving on in the third to end the match in 25 minutes with a 7-1 win.
Up next for India, Ghosal’s fellow former World No.10 Joshna Chinappa gave India a 3-0 lead with a 3-1 win over Lizelle Muller.
Chinappa looked the better player in the first two games as she took a 2-0 lead with 7-4, 7-3 wins, but was pegged back in the third 3-7 by Muller.
After a conversation with coach Chris Walker, Chinappa came out well in the fourth game to put the match to bed with a 7-1 win.
In the closing match of the day, Abhay Singh ensured that India would remain unbeaten with a 3-1 win against Jean-Pierre Brits.
Singh, who was born in Chennai, wowed the crowd with an entertaining display as he took the first game 7-4, with the highlight being a between-the-legs winner that drew gasps.
Brits, though, came back well to take the second game 7-3.
In a tight third game, Singh held his nerve during the sudden death tiebreak to reclaim his lead with a 7-6 win.
Both men pushed each other to their limits in the fourth game, with the action fast paced and furious. To the delight of the crowd, though, it was Singh who came out on top with a 7-5 win the put the icing on the cake.
Afterwards, Ghosal said: “I want to be the best there is, and the best there ever was, but I want to do it in the right way so that I’m remembered in the right way. For me, doing it the right way is very important. It helps me sleep better at night and I think it’s the most important thing in life, to be happy in life and do things in the correct way.
“Squash is a massive part of my life and everyone’s life who’s playing here today, but in the grand scheme of things it’s a very small thing and my favourite player, Amr Shabana told me once that squash is like a laboratory of life… and the true personality of someone shows on court, in the heat of battle.”
Result: SDAT WSF Squash World Cup Pool B
[2] India v South Africa [7]
Tanvi Khanna beat Hayley Ward 3-1: 7-4, 7-2, 3-7, 7-2 (20m)
Saurav Ghosal beat Dewald van Niekerk 3-0: 7-6, 7-4, 7-1 (25m)
Joshna Chinappa beat Lizelle Muller 3-1: 7-4, 7-3, 3-7, 7-1 (23m)
Abhay Singh beat Jean-Pierre Brits 3-1: 7-4, 3-7, 7-6, 7-5 (27m)