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TODAY in Belfast:
Tue 21st: Qualifying finals |
Lauren Briggs (Eng) bt Runa Reta (Can) 9/5, 7/9, 4/9, 9/6, 9/0 (74m)
plays David
Becky Botwright (Eng) bt Sarah Kippax (Eng)
9/7, 3/9, 8/10, 9/7, 9/5 (68m)
plays Waters
Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) bt Carolyn Russell (Can)
9/6, 7/9, 9/1, 9/0 (62m)
plays N.Grinham
Amelia Pittock (Aus) bt Christina Mak (Hkg)
9/3, 9/0, 9/6 (40m)
plays Abdel Kawy
Samantha Teran (Mex) bt Tricia Chuah (Mas)
5/9, 9/2, 9/3, 9/0 (35m)
plays Kheirallah
Tegwen Malik (Wal) bt Georgina Stoker (Eng)
9/4, 7/9, 9/1, 9/0 (40m)
plays Kitchen
Nicolette Fernandes
(Guy) bt Margriet Huisman
(Ned) 9/1, 9/0, 9/6 (29m)
plays Duncalf
Tenille Swartz (Rsa) bt Latasha Khan (Usa)
9/3, 3/9, 2/9, 9/3, 9/1 (49m)
plays Lengthorn |
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Qualifying Complete ...
Steve Cubbins reports from Belfast
Eight players made it into the main draw at the Belfast Boat Club
tonight, and the winners were a great mix of nationalities - fans in
England, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Wales, Guyana and South
Africa will all be delighted.
Many of the players will now appear in their first World Open
proper, but the most remarkable of them is South Africa's Tenille
Swartz.
Playing in only her third senior tournament she overcame the
experienced Latasha Khan in five games to become possibly the first
player outside the top 100 to reach the main draw of a World Open.
More reports, quotes, photos to follow ... |
TICKETS
available from Ulster Hall Box Office
02890 323900
Top two want
2nd titles |
Malik |
Swartz |
Hawkes |
Teran |
Pittock |
Briggs |
Botwright |
Fernandes |
Briggs & Botwright Boost British Hopes In Belfast World Open
Roundup from Howard Harding
Lauren Briggs and Rebecca Botwright survived marathon encounters in
today's qualifying finals of the Women's World Open Championship in
Belfast to boost British representation in the biggest ever squash
event to be staged in Northern Ireland.
After qualifying finals and first round matches tomorrow at
the Belfast Boat Club, action in the richest WISPA World Tour event
of all-time moves onto a state-of-the-art four glass-walled court in
the auditorium of the city's world-renowned Ulster Hall.
Lauren Briggs, the world No22 from Essex, came back from 2/1
down in games, and five points behind in the fourth game against
Canada's Runa Reta, to forge a 9-5, 7-9, 4-9, 9-6, 9-0 victory in 74
minutes.
"Even when I was 5-0 down in the fourth game, I was confident that I
could rally it out and win the match," said a delighted 27-year-old
from Chingford, in east London . "I never counted myself out."
Briggs is combining a successful life on the WISPA Tour, which
includes two titles to her credit this year, with a
three-days-a-week coaching role at London 's prestigious RAC Club in
Pall Mall .
"I haven't even looked to see who I might get tomorrow,“ but I'll
take it as it comes, and will do my best to carry on my winning
run," concluded Briggs, now in her second successive World Open.
Rebecca Botwright will join her older sister, fifth seed
Vicky Botwright, in the main draw after recovering from 2/1 down to
beat regular training partner Sarah Kippax 9-7, 3-9, 8-10, 9-7, 9-5
in 68 minutes.
"We always have close matches, we have quite similar games, I
think," said Botwright junior after her lengthy battle.
"I was 6-2 up in one game, and let her get back to six-all,“ I kept
asking myself why I had let her back," explained the 24-year-old
from Manchester .
"But it's a great achievement to get into the main draw of the World
Open for the second time, even though I felt I could have played
better than I did.
"Having Vicky in my corner between games is really good, she's
always full of confidence for me. It's good to have someone that's
there for you 100%."
South African Tenille Swartz became the first player outside
the world's top 100 to book a place in the main draw of the World
Open in recent memory when she edged out Latasha Khan, the
seven-times US national champion, in a major qualifying upset.
The 19-year-old from Parys made her WISPA debut only last month, and
earlier this month, in her second outing, won the Meersquash Open in
the Netherlands, where she is now based.
After taking the opening game, Swartz slipped behind as the
experienced Khan - ranked more than a hundred places higher - moved
2/1 ahead. But the youngster fought back to claim her historic 9-3,
3-9, 2-9, 9-3, 9-1 win in 49 minutes.
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LAUREN LEAVES IT LATE
 Match
Points from Steve Cubbins
Top seed in qualifying, England's Lauren Briggs found herself
2/1 and 5/0 down to a Runa Reta who, after losing the first
game, was picking off her opponent's drives and putting them sweetly
away. Lauren tried to keep the ball deeper and wider, and to
lengthen the rallies, and it started to pay off.
Slowly she pegged her way back via a series of rallies that hurt
both players, and reached game ball 8/6. Another punishing rally,
and when Runa played a drop from the middle of the court and showed
no intention of chasing after it, the writing was on the wall. Sure
enough, Lauren reached the drop, then raced away with the fifth to
reach the first round proper ... and a meeting with Nicol David.
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Lauren Briggs (Eng) bt Runa Reta
(Can)
9/5, 7/9, 4/9, 9/6, 9/0 (74m) plays David
 "I
got off to a good start, then started not building rallies, going
too short too soon, no length. She's so good at flicking it around
the middle, put it loose and the ball's just gone.
"So I tried to keep it deeper and out of her reach. I felt ok at 0/5
in the fourth, I knew that if I kept rallying it out I could come
through. She seemed to get a bit tired towards the end of the
fourth, and I knew the game plan would work in the fifth.
"It was a nice little runout ready for tomorrow!"
 "I
can't remember the last time I was so nervous in a match, but I
slowly got into it.
"Going into the fourth I knew that I just had to go for my shots, I
was never going to win on fitness and it was a race against time.
"When I was 5/0 up I was thinking that I was playing well, I wasn't
thinking of the next matchor anything, but I thought I had it, I was
playing well and she was losing the plot a bit.
"The difference was that she started getting the ball wider in the
last two games, and by the time she got to eight in the fourth I
knew I was pretty much finished."
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Tenille Swartz (Rsa) bt Latasha Khan (Usa)
9/3, 3/9, 2/9, 9/3, 9/1 (49m)
plays Lengthorn "She was
brave, stuck to her game plan which was to open up the court and
play to the four corners, keeping Latasha away from the 'T'. She
kept to it well at the start, let it go, so I told her that if she
wanted to win she had to go back to attacking.
"She got a bit shaky at 8-0 in the fifth, but I'm proud of her, she
deserves it ..."
 "I'm
really, really pleased. I was attacking in tht first game but in the
second and third she just killed me with her shots and was getting
really nervous.
"I got it back in the fourth and fifth, and at 8-0 I was thinking
about the win and couldn't seem to finish it off.
"It's a big surprise to go through to the main draw, I'll just see
who I get ..."
 |
 BECKY
BATTLES BACK
An all-English battle this one, between two players who know each
others' games well. Both were running willingly, moving the ball to
all corners and chasing down everything they could - they'd
obviously done this before! The match turned on a couple of
comebacks - Becky pulled back Sarah's early 7/3 advantage to take
the lead, but Sarah took the next two.
Becky looked set to level at 6/0 in the fourth, but at 7-all the
momentum turned Sarah's way before two strokes in the front right
corner gave Becky the points she needed. Becky started the fifth
better, going to 4/0, and made sure she hung on to the advantage
with some determined running and retrieving.
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Tegwen Malik (Wal) bt Georgina Stoker (Eng)
9/4, 7/9, 9/1, 9/0 (40m) plays
Kitchen
 "For
three games I was in control and for one I wasn't. When I was in
charge I was stepping up the court and taking it early, in the other
I was letting her dictate things.
"She played a really good game,but I know she's hitting well,she's
got a lo tof good training partners in Manchester, I was over there
myself a couple of weeks ago so I saw what it was like. She's an
up-and-coming junior, and I knew I couldn't afford to take it
lightly.
"I'm delighted to be through to the main draw ... who have I got
???"
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Becky Botwright (Eng) bt Sarah Kippax
(Eng)
9/7, 3/9, 8/10, 9/7, 9/5 (68m) plays
Waters
 "We
always have good games so I knew I was in for a graft, it goes
either way in practice.
"I went up in some games then got a bit edgy, and needed to go back
to playing how I played to get ahead in those games.
"Having Vicky in my corner between games is really good, she's
always full of confidence for me
"I'm pleased to qualify, don't care who I get get next, the aim was
to qualify and it's a new competition now."
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TERAN TAKES IT
It was a good start for Malaysian Tricia Chuah, who raced to
a 7/0 lead in the first game. But once Samantha Teran found
her game, stopped making errors, there wasn'tmuch she could do about
it. Triciah held on to take the first, but never really threatened
in the next three.
The Mexican was controlling the pace of the game, while Tricia was
getting frustrated at her own mistakes as she found herself chasing
rather than dictating. She'll find it harder against Engy
Kheirallah, but one thing's sure, she'll give it her all as she
always does ...
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Samantha Teran (Mex) bt Tricia Chuah (Mas)
5/9, 9/2, 9/3, 9/0 (35m) plays
Kheirallah
"I was so nervous at the start, I
just couldn't play. She went 4-0 up and it was all on strokes. Then
I started playing, and as the match went on I felt more and more
comfortable.
"I'm just happy to qualify and excited to play anyone ..."
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Nicolette Fernandes (Guy)
bt Margriet Huisman
(Ned) 9/1, 9/0, 9/6 (29m)
plays Duncalf
"I'm very happy,it's the first time
I've qualified for the World Open. I had a good start, but I lost a
bit of patience in the third so I'm happy to have been able to
finish it off in three.
 "I'm
just hoping for a good draw, there's a few girls I'd like to have a
go at, but whoever I get it will be a new experience for me, I just
love to play new people..
"It would be nice to play on the glassback court tomorrow, but they
play the same, it's more a problem for the spectators. Getting on
the glass court in round two, that's the aim!
"I'd just like to say hello to everybody back in Guyana ..."
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 JACKY'S
BATTLE
What a battle this was, for two games at least. It was played at a
fast and furious pace, long hard rallies with neither willing to
give an inch. This resulted in a lot of lets, a lot of discussions
with the referee, and a conduct warning each. Jaclyn fought back
from 4/6 to take the first, fought back again from 2/7 in the second
but this time fell just short. At 6/8 there must have been twenty
lets (they're not recorded on the marking sheet,but trust me, there
were a lot!), before Carolyn finally levelled.
The game times tell the story - 19 each minutes for the first two
games, then 11 and 7 forthe final two. As Carolyn said afterwards,
"I didn't get tired, I just got trapped behind her and couldn't
control things any more."
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Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) bt
Carolyn Russell (Can)
9/6, 7/9, 9/1, 9/0 (62m) plays N.Grinham
 "It
was very hard to start with, and it was getting a bit physical at
times. I played much better in the third and fourth, I stopped
thinking about what she was doing and about the referee, and I think
she got a bit tired, which helped.
"It's my second world open and the first time I've qualified, so I'm
pretty happy.
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Amelia Pittock (Aus) bt Christina Mak (Hkg)
9/3, 9/0, 9/6 (40m)
plays Abdel Kawy
 "I
thought I played pretty well there.
"I've been working pretty hard, I had a few bad tournaments which
spurred me on to work harder and it seems to be paying off.
"I've been staying in New York since July, training with the juniors
at the Apawamis Club, doing some coaching and some work with Rod
Martin which has really helped.
"I'm really pumped up for this tournament, it's the last of the year
and I really wanted to make the main draw and give it everything,
get myself set up for next year."
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