WISPA Qualifying Complete in Kuala Lumpur

The main draw has been determined for the 2011 KL Open with the opening round beginning tomorrow at 4pm at Bukit Jalil National Squash Complex. Unfortunately, due to illness, Nour El Tayeb of Egypt had withdrawn from the tournament and we hope for a speedy recovery. 


The qualifiers will have little rest before hitting the courts again to try and advance, particularly in the lower half of the draw. The match of the night was local Delia Arnold vs Joshna Chinappa of India. It was great to see the fan interest in a qualifying match and the matchup was a great one. Match reports are below.

Joey Chan bt Donna Urquhart 8/11, 6/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/9 (55min)

"Last time I played Donna, I lost 3-2 in Hong Kong," said the smiling Chan. She redeemed her loss with a strong victory today. Despite quickly falling behind, Chan changed her game in the third and dropped, counter-dropped and cross court dropped relentlessly, jumping out to a 9-1 lead. She maintained her composure and stayed to the front eventually tiring Urquhart.

"I panicked early in the first. The court was a bit slippery in the front as well, but I wanted to bring her up there. This is my first time making the main draw at the KL Open so I am very happy." Chan looked incredibly strong and faces a formidable challenge against Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy.

Delia Arnold bt Joshna Chinappa 8/11, 11/7, 14/16, 12/10, 12/10 (88min)

This match was entertaining in spite of the numerous lets. With the ball so hot and the court very fast, the rallies became long as drops and boasts were unwise. The battle of attrition began, with legs tangling and lungs burning, these two left it all on the court.

 "This is my first tournament of the year," said Arnold in between breaths. "The court is very bouncy and the rallies and pace were fast, too fast," she added. With neither player attempting to slow the pace down, they essentially traded blows and the lets were bound to happen as rallies regularly exceeded the 1-minute mark. Arnold concluded, "hopefully I can recover for tomorrow's match."

She will need to as she prepares for France's National Champion and World #9, Camille Serme, which, if Arnold does recover, ought to be another in a great lineup of matches.

Sarah Kippax bt Heba El Torky 11/7, 12/10, 8/11, 11/5 (56min)

England's Sarah Kippax was challenged by young Egyptian Heba El Torky, but she was well within her game. "I felt reasonably in control throughout the match," Kippax said during her post match cool down. "Heba can be erratic; hitting winners then hitting a ball out. I just had to play my game, but I gave myself too much work to do." added the English woman.

"In the third, the ball just went dead and Heba capitalized on it. It became a lob and drop game, with the emphasis now being on height and timing rather than length." El Torky will have her chances in the future as she ought to be around the tour for some time.

For now, Kippax is enjoying her opportunity and realizes, as with most tourneys these days, all roads lead through Nicol David, her first round opponent. "I really like to come here, I enjoy Kuala Lumpur and its a great tournament! I just want to play my best." The first round match is scheduled for 6:15pm local time on Thursday.

Samantha Teran bt Dipika Pallikal 11/4, 11/9, 11/7 (38min)

Mexico's Samantha Teran was an intense foe for India's top player Pallikal. Teran's persistent presence at the T and solid length opened up the court, forcing movement from Pallikal. Counter drops proved effective as Pallikal's typical accuracy was absent. "She deserved to win," Pallikal told Squashstars.com.

 Teran spoke highly of Pallikal saying, "among the players on the tour her style is very different. It was a tough match and it helped having played her recently in Chennai at the World Cup."

 In yet another highly anticipated matchup, Teran faces Ireland's Madeline Perry and is excited to continue her stay in KL. When asked about her favorite WISPA World Tour stops, Teran shared, "KL is actually my favorite. Its such a well run tournament and a nice city!"

First Round action kicks off at Bukit Jalil's National Squash Complex on Thursday, March 17th, at 4pm.