Sivasangari Subramaniam defeated Grace Gear 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (Photo PSA)
Top seeds Paul Coll and Sivasangari Subramaniam sent out statements of intent to the rest of the draw after breezing into the last eight of the Squash Australian Open with dominant wins over Henry Leung and Grace Gear, respectively.
Kiwi Coll took just 35-minutes to pack off Hong Kong’s Henry Leung 11-1, 11-5, 11-6 in the men’s draw while Malaysian women’s ace Sivasangari was as ruthless in dispatching Grace Gear of England 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 in just 24-minutes.
No.2 seeds Joel Makin and Tinne Gilis were given stern tests by Iker Pajares and Torrie Malik, but managed to hold off their challengers in four games apiece.
But the day belonged to the French duo of Auguste Dussourd and Melvil Scianimanico, who booked their spots in the quarter-finals after claiming dramatic victories over No.6 seed Dimitri Steinmann and No.7 seed Curtis Malik at the Gold-level event in Brisbane.
Unseeded Dussourd had won just one PSA Squash Tour match in the 12 months since gatecrashing the semi-finals of this very event last year.
However, he followed up his opening-round five-game win over Sanjay Jeeva with another brutal five-game triumph over World No.18 Dimitri Steinmann on the stifling traditional courts at Sangate Squash Club.
In a match fraught with disruptions and constant discussions with the match referee, it was World No.35 Dussourd who managed to rally from 2-1 down to eventually defeat the Swiss No.1 by an 11-6, 5-11, 7-11, 11-1, 11-7 scoreline.
“I haven’t had that winning feeling for a while. So winning yesterday and backing it up today, it feels so good,” Dussourd said after setting up a quarter-final tie with top seed Paul Coll.
“It’s nice, we’re all really close with Melvil,” Dussourd added on his countryman’s impressive win. “He is such a good player and a future French No.1, I guess! So I was so happy for both of us. He played two matches before me, so I coached him. I was there to help him, and then he stayed there for me and supported me all through my match.”
Scianimanico was also at the heart of the drama on day two of play, with the in-form 20-year-old battling through a heavy elbow to the eye to book a quarter-final meeting with No.4 seed Jonah Bryant.
After colliding with Malik’s elbow while chasing a drop shot at 10-8 up in the third, World No.34 Scianimanico was forced into an extended stoppage to treat the bleeding beneath his eye.
Undeterred upon his return, however, the Frenchman refocused and managed to close out a well-deserved 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-3 win after 79 minutes of play.
RESULTS
Men’s Round Two: [1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Henry Leung (HKG) 3-0: 11-1, 11-5, 11-6 (35m); Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt [6] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-2: 11-6, 5-11, 7-11, 11-1, 11-7 (79m); Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt [7] Curtis Malik (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-3 (79m); [4] Jonah Bryant (ENG) bt Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-0: 12-10, 12-10, 11-9 (48m); [3] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (42m); [5] Ng Eain Yow (MAS) bt Matias Knudsen (COL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (35m); [8] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) 3-1: 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8 (65m); [2] Joel Makin (WAL) bt Iker Pajares (ESP) 3-1: 11-6, 10-12, 11-2, 11-6 (64m)
Women’s Round Two: [1] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (24m); [6] Aira Azman (MAS) bt Tomato Ho (HKG) 3-2: 11-4, 12-10, 8-11, 5-11, 11-6 (44m); [8] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Marie Stephan (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 (31m); [4] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Ka Yi Lee (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 (41m); [3] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Hollie Naughton (CAN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (34m); [7] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 (31m); [5] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt Alina Bushma (UKR) 3-1: 11-7, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5 (54m); [2] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-5, 7-11, 11-4, 14-12 (47m)
