Kawy loses to Leevey in Qatar
April 19, 2005, by Howard Harding
SquashTalk Independent News Service © 2005 all Rights Reserved;

Tamsyn Takes Kawy In Qatar Airways Challenge Upset [Complete draw]

New Zealand's unseeded Tamsyn Leevey caused a notable upset on the opening day's play in the Women's Qatar Airways Squash Challenge when she defeated Egypt's eighth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy in a dramatic five-game battle in the Qatar capital Doha.

After taking the first game, Leevey fell two games behind as Kawy, the 19-year-old world junior champion fought back. But the 27-year-old from Wellington still had her sights on victory, and clinched her unexpected place in the second round of the WISPA Grand Prix event with a 9-3 2-9 4-9 10-8 9-5 win in 66 minutes.

Leevey now meets Ireland's Madeline Perry after the eleventh seed from Craigavon - fresh from her victory in last week's Irish Open - brushed aside Scotland's Pamela Nimmo 9-2 9-0 9-3 in just 24 minutes.

Second seed Vanessa Atkinson began her defence of the title in fine style, beating Malaysia's Sharon Wee 9-7 9-3 9-2 in 28 minutes. The Dutch star will now meet Asian Games champion Rebecca Chiu after the 15th seed from Hong Kong survived a remarkable straight games marathon against England's Laura-Jane Lengthorn - the scoreline being 10-9 9-6 10-8, but the time taken 65 minutes!

Australia's third seed Natalie Grinham had the easiest ride through to the last sixteen. The 27-year-old Queenslander was given a walkover by Carla Khan after the Pakistan No1 was diagnosed with a viral infection that is affecting her kidneys. Grinham, a quarter-finalist in the 2004 event, now meets England's ninth seed Jenny Duncalf for a place in this year's last eight.

RESULTS: Women's Qatar Airways Squash Challenge, Doha, Qatar

1st round:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) 9-4, 9-5, 9-3 (28m)
[15] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 10-9, 9-6, 10-8 (65m)
[5] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [Q] Runa Reta (CAN) 9-3, 9-3, 9-2 (26m)
[12] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt [Q] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-1, 9-3, 9-2 (33m)
[4] Nicol David (MAS) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 6-9, 9-0, 9-4, 9-2 (34m)
[10] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt Alison Waters (ENG) 9-6, 9-2, 9-2 (42m)
Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) bt [8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 9-3, 2-9, 4-9, 10-8, 9-5 (66m)
[11] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Pamela Nimmo (SCO) 9-2, 9-0, 9-3 (24m)
[13] Annelize Naude (NED) bt [Q] Amelia Pittock (AUS) 9-3, 5-9, 9-7, 9-2 (39m)
[6] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [Q] Melissa Martin (AUS) 9-1, 9-2, 9-0 (16m)
[9] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [Q] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 9-10, 9-5, 9-5, 9-7 (60m)
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Carla Khan (PAK) w/o
[16] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [Q] Eman El Amir (EGY) 9-6, 10-8, 10-8 (41m)
[7] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Stephanie Brind (ENG) 1-9, 9-1, 9-6, 9-6 (50m)
[14] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [Q] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) 7-9, 9-7, 10-9, 9-4 (56m)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 9-7, 9-3, 9-2 (28m)

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