Marta Dominguez (Photo PSA)
Sam Todd and Marta Dominguez will make their debuts in the quarter finals of a Bronze-level event after dispatching Abhay Singh and Katie Malliff, respectively, in round two of the Hamburg Open squash championships.
Todd, who’s scooped two Copper-level titles already this season, followed up his five-game epic with Yassin Elshafei yesterday to overcome World No.22 Abhay 3-1 for a place in the last eight in Hamburg.
The Englishman produced some of his best squash to see off Abhay – who recently landed the Indian Open crown – to win 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-2 and earn himself a quarter-final showdown with the tournament’s No.3 seed Fares Dessouky on Friday.
“I’m very happy with that performance,” he said post-match.
“I know Abhay [Singh] has been in good form recently as he had some decent results in El Gouna and won the Indian Open. I knew it was going to be a tough match today and I’ve trained with him at Pontefract, which is my club, a few times so I know his game quite well as we’ve hit together a few times.
“I’m happy to get through and play some solid squash – I felt like yesterday got a lot of rust out of me and I was able to perform a lot better today.”
Spain’s Dominguez will also feature in the last eight of a Bronze event for the first time after overcoming No.6 seed Malliff.
Dominguez, who had never beaten the Englishwoman on Tour prior to their round two clash, ended a run of six straight defeats to advance to her maiden Bronze quarter-final by triumphing 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3.
“I’m so happy,” she said.
“At this event last year I played in the second round against Lucy Turmel and was 8-3 up in the fifth game and I lost that match. This year I wanted to have a different match and I’m very happy that I won today as I knew it was going to be tough.
“I’m super excited [to play in the quarter finals of a Bronze event for the first time]. It’s going to be tough against Nele [Gilis], she’s a very good player and we played here a few years ago in the Europeans. it was a good match and hopefully it will be the same and I can get the win.”
Meanwhile, home hopes were dashed following the exits of six-time national champion Raphael Kandra and tournament wildcard Maya Weishar.
Former World No.13 Kandra lost 8-11, 7-11, 7-11 to India’s Veer Chotrani while Weishar, who stunned World No.65 Hayley Ward yesterday, was foiled by the tournament’s No.4 seed Melissa Alves in straight games 4-11, 8-11, 2-11.
ROUND TWO RESULTS
Men’s: [2] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt Mazen Hesham (EGY) walkover; Balazs Farkas (HUN) bt. [7] Ramit Tandon (IND) 3-1: 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 (48m); Sam Todd (ENG) bt. [5] Abhay Singh (IND) 3-1: 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-2 (48m); [3] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt. Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8 (47m); [4] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) bt. Emyr Evans (WAL) 3-1: 13-11, 8-11, 13-11, 11-7 (52m); Veer Chotrani (IND) bt. [8] Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (30m); [6] Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt. Marek Panacek (CZE) 3-1: 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3 (45m); [1] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt. Patrick Rooney (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (42m)
Women’s: [1] Salma Hany (EGY) bt. Marie Stephan (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-3 (32m); [8] Joelle King (NZL) bt. Joshna Chinappa (IND) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4 (40m); [5] Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt. Lauren Baltayan (FRA) 3-2: 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 3-11, 11-9 (56m); [3] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt. Jessica van der Walt (AUS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (27m); [4] Melissa Alves (FRA) bt. Maya Weishar (GER) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 (22m); [7] Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt. Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 (29m); Marta Dominguez (ESP) bt. [6] Katie Malliff (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3 (38m); [2] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt. Hannah Craig (IRL) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (33m)
