Hurghada International Main Draw

Lauren Siddall & Georgina Stoker at Hurghada (Photo © WISPA)

A little on the warm side, but then that's Hurghada for you. A daytime where the temperature was a mild 38c! As the sunshine finished its’ shift half of the main draw of the Hurghada International would get underway at the Egyptian Red Sea resort.

But not before the cameras of national TV focussed on an opening ceremony featuring a large troupe of dancers dressed in Galabeya the traditional Egyptian clothing and headcover. It was only when the announcer enquired where the players were that the WISPA group revealed themselves as part of the group!

The large crowd came to life from the off as Alexandria's Amnah El Trabolsey went 7/0 up in the first against Hong Kong's Christina Mak; but soon quietened as seventh seed Mak settled in, climbed and overtook her opponent.

While El Trabolsey is way better than her 88 WISPA ranking while in the last throes of her industrial engineering degree, Mak is well worth her 34 and seemed to have enough in hand to win in three having taken the second.

But the bronze medallist in the Asian Games last December allowed the Egyptian the chance to use her splendid racketwork as she faltered towards the end of the third.

Sarah Kippax and Delia Arnold (Photo © WISPA)

The wobble turned into a crisis when the fourth was lost too as she failed to pin El Trabolsey in the back; but while Mak was still not getting as good a length and width as she would have liked in the decider she created enough openings to reach match ball at 8/2. A carefree last stand brought El Trabolsey back to 6/8 but was beaten when two steady rallies saw Mak home.

She had needed 55 minutes to subdue her opponent, whereas holder Omneya Abdel Kawy completed the first stage of her title defence in about a third of the time in a battle of two 21 year olds.

Opponent Georgina Stoker spent a good deal of time rallying well without getting a point to her name. It was well into the second before it was notched – and it was likely that there would be few more gained. Game though she was, the English girl was despatched cheaply.

NOUR EL TAYEB MAKES WISPA DEBUT
The same fate seemed likely for Nour El Tayeb, surprise package of the qualification, and at only just fourteen years of age the youngest member of the draw. Her opponent was Raneem El Weleily the current World Junior Champion who will defend her title in Hong Kong in a couple of months.

Having reached Hurghada El Tayeb was excited rather than fazed by her first match on a glass court. And while El Weleily comfortably won, the potential of her opponent was clear to see. It was akin to watching Abdel Kawy and El Weleily themselves a few years ago; knowing that there was something special beginning to blossom.

Overblown talk? Not if the comments of El Weleily herself count for anything. “I was in Nour’s place four years ago and I wasn't as good as she is today. You need time to get used to the glass and the place but she really took to it well” she said.

Before leaving back to Cairo to face some school exams El Tayeb maturely reported “It was an enjoyable match, and although she was too good for me I managed to fight and had some good points. It was a good experience for me” she added.

In the last match of the evening sixth seed Sarah Kippax booked her place in Thursday's quarter finals by holding steady when Delia Arnold threatened to take the second game. Arnold looked lively and comfortable, but England's Kippax has continued to edge towards the top thirty on the back of a solid game and just had a little too much control for the Malaysian.

The remainder of the first round will take to the glass on the Promenade and sees what is certainly the first time two Indians have featured in the main draw of a WISPA Silver, the other half of the Hong Kong and Malaysian double acts, a Brit and a couple of home players together with a foreigner who calls Egypt home.  

HURGHADA INTERNATIONAL 2007

TUE 8 MAY          1st Round (Half)         HURGHADA PROMENADE

Christina Mak (HKG) (7) bt Amnah El Trabolsey (EGY) 9/7 9/4 6/9 3/9 9/6 (55m)
Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) (2) bt Georgina Stoker (ENG) 9/0 9/1 9/2 (19m)
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) (4) bt Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 9/2 9/4 9/3 (27m)
Sarah Kippax (ENG) (6) bt Delia Arnold (MAS) 9/4 9/7 9/5 (39m)