South African star dominates UCT event to win on home soil
By HOWARD HARDING, Squash Mad WSA Correspondent
It took just 26 minutes for South African champion Siyoli Waters to delight the local crowd at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town by beating Egypt’s Salma Nassar in the final of the Women’s Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open to clinch the WSA Tour 5 squash title.
Nassar, the No3 seed from Cairo, denied the hosts an all-South African final when she upset Milnay Louw, the second seed from Cape Town, in the semi-finals.
In the final, Siyoli (pictured above in action with Nassar) demonstrated her number one seeding and her fondness of this event, still not dropping a game in two years, and continuing her winning streak – winning 3/0 in 26 minutes against exciting Egyptian third seed Salma Nassar.
Tournament promoter Kerr Rogers said:Â “Siyoli was complimentary of her opponent in the after-match interview, crediting her for starting each game better than her and putting the reigning Champion under a lot of pressure.”
The 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 victory marks up the eighth WSA Tour title of Waters’ career – but her first international title on home soil since becoming the country’s national champion for the first time last August.
Women’s Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open, Cape Town, South Africa
1st round:
[1] Siyoli Waters (RSA) bt [Q] Danielle van Niekerk (RSA) 11-4, 11-1, 11-1 (11m)
[Q] Sacha West (RSA) bt [7] Enora Villard (FRA) 12-14, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (35m)
[4] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt Katie Smith (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (25m)
[5] Julia Lecoq (FRA) bt Hannah Shipley (ENG) 11-6, 11-2, 11-2 (15m)
[Q] Lume Landman (RSA) bt [8] Sachika Ingale (IND) 11-8, 8-11, 11-3, 11-6 (30m)
[3] Salma Nassar (EGY) bt [Q] Alexa Pienaar (RSA) 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 (15m)
[6] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt [WC] Karen Schultz (RSA) 3-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (25m)
[2] Milnay Louw (RSA) bt Elani Landman (RSA) 11-2, 9-11, 6-11, 11-2, 11-6
Quarter-finals:
[1] Siyoli Waters (RSA) bt [Q] Sacha West (RSA) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (25m)
[4] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt [5] Julia Lecoq (FRA) 11-2, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10 (50m)
[3] Salma Nassar (EGY) bt [Q] Lume Landman (RSA) 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3 (30m)
[2] Milnay Louw (RSA) bt [6] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 12-10, 11-5, 11-5 (25m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Siyoli Waters (RSA) bt [4] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (31m)
[3] Salma Nassar (EGY) bt [2] Milnay Louw (RSA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (32m)
Final:
[1] Siyoli Waters (RSA) bt [3] Salma Nassar (EGY) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (26m)
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