Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open 2012
Sun 26th Nov, Day Two, Qualifying Finals:
English excel in Hong Kong qualifiers
From STEVE CUBBINS
The crowd at Hong Kong Squash Centre only had one home victory to cheer in today’s qualifying finals as HK number one Max Lee made sure there would be home representation in the men’s main draw with a straight-game win over Finland’s Henrik Mustonen. It was the English who were celebrating the most though, as Max’s namesake Joe Lee, Chris Simpson and Adrian Waller all won tough encounters.
Joe beat Scotland’s Alan Clyne in four games, Simpson overcame Malaysian Nafiizwan Adnan in the longest match of the day, but star of the show was Waller who came from 0-2 and 2-7 down to beat qualifying top seed Marwan El Shorbagy.
Other qualifiers were French duo Mathieu Castagnet and Greg Marche – who drew the short straw as he was paired with compatriot Gregory Gaultier – along with Egypt’s Karim Abdel Gawad and Australain Ryan Cuskelly.
In the women’s draw there was to be no repeat for yesterday’s giant-kille Ho Ka Po as the HK youngster lost in straight games to Kylie Lindsay, who was joined in the main draw by fellow Kiwi Amanda Landers-Murphy who came from two games down to deny another Lee from Hong Kong, Carmen.
There were two marginal (according to the world ranking) upsets as Australian Melody Francis, 3-1 over Lauren Selby, and Nicolette Fernandes, 3-0 over Lucie Fialova, advanced to the main draw where they face Low Wee Wern and Samantha Teran respectively.
Completing the qualifiers were Lauren Briggs, Joshana Chinappa, Coline Aumard – making it three out of three for the French – and Heba El Torky.
The first round of the main draws take place at Hong Kong Squash Centre over the next two days.
Men’s Qualifying Finals:
Mathieu Castagnet (Fra) 3-1 Martin Knight (Nzl) 11/6, 11/4, 8/11, 11/3 (60m)
Grégoire Marche (Fra) 3-1 Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) 11/9, 11/8, 10/12, 11/9 (67m)
Max Lee (Hkg) 3-0 Henrik Mustonen (Fin) 11/6, 11/2, 11/8 (33m)
Joe Lee (Eng) 3-1 Alan Clyne (Sco) 11/9, 11/8, 3/11, 11/4 (68m)
Karim Abdel .Gawad (Egy) 3-2 Shawn Delierre (Can) 10/12,11/5,4/11,11/6,11/2 (48m)
Chris Simpson (Eng) 3-1 Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) 11/5, 11/8, 12/14, 13/11 (74m)
Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) 3-0 Siddarth Suchde (Ind) 11/6, 11/4, 11/6 (39m)
Adrian Waller (Eng) 3-2 Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) 7/11, 3/11, 11/7, 11/9 ,11/7 (55m)
Women’s Qualifying Finals:
Lauren Briggs (Eng) 3-0 Salma Hany (Egy) 11/8, 11/6, 11/3 (26m)
Kylie Lindsay (Nzl) 3-0 Ho Ka Po (Hkg) 11/7, 11/9, 11/6 (34m)
Joshana Chinappa (Ind) 3-0 Siti Munirah Jusoh (Mas) 11/9, 11/7, 11/7 (29m)
Nicolette Fernandes (Guy) 3-0 Lucie Fialova (Cze) 11/7, 11/5, 11/3 (27m)
Coline Aumard (Fra) 3-0 Tong Tsz-Wing (Hkg) 11/4, 11/8, 12/10 (49m)
Melody Francis (Aus) 3-1 Lauren Selby (Eng) 11/4, 3/11, 11/8, 11/8 (37m)
Amanda Landers-Murphy (Nzl) 3-2 Carmen Lee (Hkg) 3/11, 9/11, 11/2, 11/8, 11/6 (44m)
Heba El Torky (Egy) 3-1 Salma Hany Ibrahim (Egy) 9/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/8 (50m)
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