CIMB Malaysian KL Open Squash Racquets

MEN’S SEEDS SAFELY THROUGH

Matches in the men’s event all went according to seeding when the top four seeds booked their places in tomorrow’s semi finals.

Bengy and Azlan Keeps Hopes for an all-Malaysian Final Alive

Ong Beng Hee and Azlan Iskandar once again overcame their hurdles today in a bid to face each other in the final on Saturday. Bengy, the former world number 7 from Penang, spent an hour on court before managing to shrug off Egyptian youngster Omar Mosaad. Compatriot Azlan Iskandar, in contrast, had the quickest men’s match against England’s Jonathan Kemp. It was a high tempo match and the crowd simply enjoyed the display. In the end, the lanky six-footer just couldn’t match Iskandar’s speed and was sending the ball to the tin ft too often, especially in the second and third games.

Top Two Also Advance

Stewart Boswell, losing finalist to Mohammad Abbas last year, beat reigning Asian Junior Champion Aamir Atlas Khan of Pakistan in four closely contested games. The young Pakistani had last year stretched Abbas to five and he is certainly one to look out for the future. Adrian Grant of England also moved into the semi final after eliminating another Pakistani Mansoor Zaman. Grant took a while to settle into the match, often shaking his head in frustration and soon allowed Zaman to take the first game. After the break, he seemed to loosen up, gained composure and played very smart and simple textbook squash to win the next three rather comfortably and book himself a semi final date against Azlan Iskandar, who ousted him in 2006’s semi final and also last year’s Malaysian Open quarters.

MORE UPSETS IN WOMENS

Waters and Atkinson Continue Killing Run

British national champion Alison Waters claimed her biggest scalp when she eliminated Rachael Grinham in five games in the longest match of the evening. The first two games were won rather comfortably and Grinham’s usual chops were all picked up without much fuss. Waters looked set to cruise through the third as well, up to 7-4, after which Grinham did not drop another point in the game to force the fourth. Grinham was in total control in the fourth and it looked as if Waters had lost her chance. Most people in the crowd by now would’ve expected Grinham to cruise through the fifth, but control changed once again as Waters raced to an 8-0 lead. Grinham saved match ball and managed just another 2 points.

Vanessa Atkinson meanwhile, upset Egypt’s Omneya Abdel Kawy. Though unseeded, it was only four years ago that the Dutch champion was crowned world champion here. An upset it was, but this was definitely a match that could go either way from the start. Atkinson could’ve won it 3-0, and one might argue she was unlucky to lose the two games, both on the tie break. Atkinson’s court coverage was far better than Kawy, whose shots also did not come in as well as they normally would. Atkinson’s win earns her a semi final clash with Natalie Grinham in a repeat of the 2004 world Open final.

Chiu troubles Grinham

Rebecca Chiu of Hong Kong continues her great form after beating Jenny Duncalf yesterday, as she troubled Natalie Grinham. The first game was close, players breaking off to lead and then the other caught up. Service changed hands a few times at 7-7 in the first before Grinham clinched it, and followed it up with an easy 9-2 in the second. All looked lost but Chiu came back to take the third, only to eventually bow out to Grinham’s superiority in the fourth. Chiu definitely played one of her best matches I’ve witnessed and it was also aided by Grinham’s trouble with seeing the ball in the brightly lit complex.

The last match of the night between world champion Nicol David and Laura Lengthorn began at 10pm, just as the shops in the mall were shutting. David was in devastating mood and Lengthorn never looked dangerous enough to trouble her.

RESULTS: CIMB KL Open Squash Championships, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [7] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)             11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 (48m)
[4] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [6] Omar Mosaad (EGY)                     11-9, 5-11, 11-2, 11-10 (3-1) (60m)
[3] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [5] Jonathan Kemp (ENG)       11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (35m)
[2] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [8] Mansoor Zaman (PAK)                    7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (40m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (ENG)            9-4, 9-3, 9-4 (28m)
Alison Waters (ENG) bt [3] Rachael Grinham (AUS)                      9-2, 9-4, 7-9, 4-9, 9-2 (65m)
Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)            9-3, 9-10, 9-5, 8-10, 9-3 (50m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt [Q] Rebecca Chiu (HKG)                 9-7, 9-2, 7-9, 9-3 (51m)

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