Egyptian teenager rules in Kangar to take Malaysian tour title
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
Egyptian teen sensation Nadine Shahin captured her fifth WSA World Tour title of the year when she beat South African Cheyna Tucker in the final of the Malaysian Tour Squash Circuit No6, the WSA Tour 5 event at the Perlis Sports Complex in Kangar, the state capital of Perlis.
The 17-year-old third seed survived a 58-minute semi-final which went the full distance – fighting back from 2/1 down to upset second-seeded Welsh opponent Deon Saffery.
Tucker made her breakthrough in the quarter-finals. The No5 seed from Johannesburg removed Malaysia’s No4 seed Vanessa Raj before reaching the second Tour final of her career after outlasting unseeded Egyptian Menna Nasser in a 55-minute semi.
World No72 Tucker extended Shahin to a tie-break game in the opener of the final, but the Cairo teenager, ranked 13 places higher, took control thereafter before closing out the match 13-11, 11-6, 11-5 in 29 minutes.
“I’m really happy to win this tournament – this is my fifth title for this year,” said Shahin, who won her fourth at the Colony Ford Lincoln National Squash Academy Open in Canada just two weeks ago.
“Hopefully I will win another title this year!”
Women’s Malaysian Tour Squash Circuit No6, Kangar, Perlis, Malaysia
1st round:
Menna Nasser (EGY) bt [8] Aika Azman (MAS) 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 12-10 (35m)
[6] Chloe Mesic (FRA) bt Sachika Ingale (IND) w/o
[7] Teh Min Jie (MAS) bt Sivasangari Subramanian (MAS) 11-9, 8-11, 11-1, 11-3
Quarter-finals:
Menna Nasser (EGY) bt [1] Lisa Aitken (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7 (59m)
[5] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt [4] Vanessa Raj (MAS) 11-9, 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3 (61m)
[3] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt [6] Chloe Mesic (FRA) 10-12, 11-4, 11-0, 11-7 (44m)
[2] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt [7] Teh Min Jie (MAS) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (29m)
Semi-finals:
[5] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt Menna Nasser (EGY) 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 3-11, 14-12 (55m)
[3] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt [2] Deon Saffery (WAL) 11-7, 6-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6 (58m)
Final:
[3] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt [5] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 13-11, 11-6, 11-5 (29m)
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Picture courtesy of WSA
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