Top seeds Nicol David and Ramy Ashour triumphed in the final of the CIMB KL Open, beating their opponents in straight games in the finals on an all-glass court at Berjaya Times Square in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur
It was a sensational sixth title for national heroine Nicol David, and a successful return to the winner’s podium after the world number one’s shock defeat in the women’s final last year.
David, celebrating her tenth appearance in the KL Open final since her making her first in 1999 as a 15-year-old, was in control from the outset, beating her career-long Egyptian rival Omneya Abdel Kawy 11-4, 11-2, 13-11 in 31 minutes.
Abdel Kawy, the fourth seed from Cairo, reached the final of the $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold event against expectations after upsetting England’s No2 seed Jenny Duncalf in the semi-finals.
The final of the men’s $50,000 5-star PSA World Tour event was an all-Egyptian affair between Ashour, the world number one, and his Cairo compatriot Karim Darwish, the second seed.
Ashour, boasting his sixth final appearance in his last seven PSA Tour outings since November, became the first Egyptian to win the title since 2007 after beating the world No5 in three close games, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 in 41 minutes.
The win takes 22-year-old Ashour’s collection of PSA Tour titles to 15 – and is sure to strengthen his grip on the top position in the Dunlop PSA world rankings.
Men’s final:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [2] Karim Darwish (EGY) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (41m)
Women’s final:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [4] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11-4, 11-2, 13-11 (31m)
—————————————————————————–
Women’s semi-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [3] Alison Waters (ENG) 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (35m)
[4] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 11-3, 11-8, 11-9 (37m)
Men’s semi-finals:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 (44m)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (48m)
Abdel Kawy Upset Heralds Hopes Of Egyptian Double In KL
Fourth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy pulled off a straight games upset over Jenny Duncalf, the No2 seed, in today’s (Friday) women’s semi-finals of the CIMB KL Open to raise hopes of the first ever Egyptian double in the major men’s and women’s Tour event being staged on an all-glass court at Berjaya Times Square in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Abdel Kawy, the 24-year-old world No6 from Cairo, despatched Duncalf – ranked two in the world – 11-3, 11-8, 11-9 in 37 minutes in the semi-finals of the $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold event to reach the 23rd Tour final of her career.
Much to the delight of the partisan KL crowd, Abdel Kawy’s opponent will be Nicol David, the Malaysian star who is now celebrating her tenth appearance in the KL Open final since 1999 – when she was just 15!
The world number one from Penang delivered the 26th birthday present England’s Alison Waters did not want – when she beat the third-seeded Londoner 11-3, 11-7, 11-5.
The win takes Nicol David to her 58th WISPA final – and her 12th Tour meeting with Omneya Abdel Kawy since their first, in KL, in April 2000!
Both semi-finals in the men’s $50,000 5-star PSA World Tour event featured Malaysians hoping to be lifted by the crowd against higher-ranked Egyptians.
But hopes of upsets by both Ong Beng Hee and Mohd Azlan Iskandar – leading to a repeat of the final between the pair in 2008 – were dashed when favourite Ramy Ashour beat eighth seed Ong Beng Hee 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 and second seed Karim Darwish overcame Iskandar 11-6, 11-6, 11-7.
The victories take world number one Ashour, aged just 22, to the 25th PSA Tour final of his career – and the fifth in a row – and Darwish to his 29th.
—————————————————-
Women’s quarter-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [8] Kasey Brown (AUS) 12-10, 14-12, 11-1 (43m)
[3] Alison Waters (ENG) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 11-5, 11-2, 8-11, 11-13, 12-10 (60m)
[4] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [5] Madeline Perry (IRL) 12-10, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7 (40m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [6] Laura Massaro (ENG) 11-7, 4-11, 10-12, 10-11 ret. (66m)
Men’s quarter-finals:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [7] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 12-14, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (47m)
[8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [4] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 7-11, 8-11, 16-14, 11-4, 11-8 (80m)
Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [5] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 11-1, 11-8, 11-5 (47m)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt [6] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 (38m)
Malaysians Exploit Home Advantage In KL Open
Hopes of an all-Malaysian men’s final in the CIMB KL Open were boosted today (Thursday) when both Ong Beng Hee and Mohd Azlan Iskandar claimed impressive upsets to earn unexpected places in the semi-finals of the $50,000 5-star PSA World Tour squash event being staged on an all-glass court at Berjaya Times Square in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Eighth seed Ong Beng Hee clawed his way back from two games down against rising Egyptian star Mohamed El Shorbagy, the 19-year-old No4 seed. After surviving a dramatic third-game tie-break, the 2008 champion clinched the next two games to record a magnificent 7-11, 8-11, 16-14, 11-4, 11-8 quarter-final victory in 80 minutes.
Beng Hee now faces the event’s toughest hurdle in top seed Ramy Ashour, the world number one from Egypt. But the 22-year-old from Cairo was fully tested by Pakistan’s Aamir Atlas Khan before overcoming the 19-year-old No7 seed 12-14, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6.
Despite being unseeded, Mohd Azlan Iskandar clearly has sights on a fourth appearance in the final since 2003. The 27-year-old from KL followed his first round upset over third seed Adrian Grant by despatching Australia’s No5 seed Stewart Boswell 11-1, 11-8, 11-5 in 47 minutes.
Iskandar, winner of the trophy in 2003 and 2006, will now take on Karim Darwish, the second seed from Egypt who also ousted an Australian, sixth seed Cameron Pilley, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9.
Malaysia’s five times champion Nicol David is on course to reach the women’s final for the tenth time since 1999 after overcoming determined Australian Kasey Brown in the quarter-finals of the $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold event.
David prevailed only after tie-breaks in the first two games – but then overwhelmed the No8 seed in the third game to record a 12-10, 14-12, 11-1 victory.
The favourite will now meet England’s third seed Alison Waters who, for the second day in a row, had to survive a tough five-game encounter before advancing to the last four. On the eve of her 26th birthday, Waters battled for 60 minutes to quash unseeded Mexican Samantha Teran 11-5, 11-2, 8-11, 11-13, 12-10.
But second seed Jenny Duncalf had a more surprising journey to the semi-finals after surviving an all-English clash with Laura Massaro. Sixth seed Massaro, chasing the first win over her England team-mate in four years, recovered from a game down to take the next two and then reach match ball in the fourth.
But the 26-year-old from Preston then rolled over on her ankle and ultimately had to concede the match to her surprised opponent.
—————————————————–
Women’s 1st round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 (37m)
[8] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt [Q] Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)
[3] Alison Waters (ENG) bt Delia Arnold (MAS) 7-11, 14-16, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (75m)
Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [7] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-2 (50m)
[5] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-7, 6-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7 (60m)
[4] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [Q] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 (30m)
[6] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [Q] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 11-9, 11-1, 0-11, 12-14, 12-10 (44m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (27m)
Men’s 1st round:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 (35m)
[7] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 (52m)
[4] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [Q] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 13-11 (55m)
[8] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-8 (56m)
[5] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 (29m)
Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [3] Adrian Grant (ENG) 11-4, 11-4, 11-9 (40m)
[6] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (31m)
[2] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 11-6, 11-9, 11-0 (36m)
Massaro Back On Track In KL
England’s world No9 Laura Massaro made up for two successive shock losses earlier this year to Raneem El Weleily when she beat the rising Egyptian star in today’s (Wednesday) first round of the CIMB KL Open, the $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold squash event in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Sixth seed Massaro looked to be in control as she took a two-game lead over El Weleily, the 21-year-old world No15 from Alexandria. But the tables turned as the Egyptian, this time a qualifier, took the next game in a surprise whitewash, then clinched the fourth to level the match.
The pair battled all the way to a tie-break in the decider before Massaro’s greater experience eventually paid off as the 26-year-old from Preston secured her 11-9, 11-1, 0-11, 12-14, 12-10 win after 44 minutes.
Massaro will now meet her England team-mate Jenny Duncalf after the second seed from Harrogate despatched Engy Kheirallah – also an Egyptian – 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 in just 27 minutes.
Another English seed was also stretched to the limit before claiming her anticipated place in the last eight. Alison Waters, the third seed from London, dropped the first two games to Delia Arnold as the unseeded Malaysian thrilled the partisan crowd with hopes of a shock upset.
But Waters, the world No5, steadied the ship and clawed back the advantage before ultimately salvaging the match 7-11, 14-16, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 after 75 minutes.
There was a surprise in the women’s event, however, when unseeded Mexican Samantha Teran claimed a 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-2 upset over seventh seed Vanessa Atkinson, the world No12 from the Netherlands. Teran, ranked just a single place below Atkinson, will now face Waters for a place in the semi-finals.
The KL crowd will be treated to unexpected additional local interest in the men’s quarter-finals after unseeded Mohd Azlan Iskandar pulled off the only upset in the $50,000 5-star PSA World Tour event when he ousted England’s No3 seed Adrian Grant, last year’s runner-up, in straight games.
Iskandar, the 27-year-old world No18 from KL who is looking for his third KL Open title since 2003, crushed Grant 11-4, 11-4, 11-9 in 40 minutes – and will now line up against Australia’s Stewart Boswell for a place in the last four.
Fifth seed Boswell, runner-up in 2007, was responsible for one of three first round Malaysian defeats when he beat unseeded Muhd Asyraf Azan 11-4, 11-8, 11-5.
Egypt’s two world top five players Ramy Ashour and Karim Darwish took the first step towards their predicted meeting in the final following straight games victories: Top seed Ashour, making his first appearance in KL since becoming world number one in January, beat Malaysian qualifier Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 11-7, 11-9, 11-7, while second seed Darwish defeated compatriot Mohd Ali Anwar Reda 11-6, 11-9, 11-0.