Annie Au of Hong Kong has enjoyed her greatest success, having never advanced this far either in KL or in a WISPA Gold event. She acknowledges that the higher ranked players play at a much faster pace than she is used to, but she is incredibly disciplined as she slows the pace spreads the ball. Au, in a way, attempts to take away the strength of the opponent, working in the opposite manner, then jumps on the point to dictate. She is a very intelligent player and I would liken her methodology to Thierry Lincou or Azlan Iskandar. In other words, if you want to learn more advanced squash, watch her play and see how she counters her opponent. Don't confuse her soft-spoken demeanor with her court savvy play.
Au will be forced to make quick decisions in the fast playing Madeline Perry, a tour veteran regular threat in any tournament. Perry is enjoying a wonderfully colorful career and is encouraged at the quality of the younger players coming in, like Au. Perry, again, plays at pace and will make you use your legs in hopes of slowing your racket. She has many shots to choose from and could easily get you going the wrong direction. If Au thought she was playing high paced-players before, this will be a whole new level.Nicol David hosts Alison Waters in another semifinal matchup between the two. They are not strangers to one another and Waters is always a threat to David, moreso than their head-to-head count would suggest. Like Perry, Waters can and will use pace in her play. She loves to take the ball early and regularly puts you under pressure. David will send her back and develop each point with great defense and solid length. Expect another great match if Waters is fully recovered from her match with Rachael Grinham.
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