Vaidehi's gritty display not good enough

By Raju Chainani

PENANG, JULY 18. A brave effort by Vaidehi Reddy wasn't enough to stop England's Jenny Duncalf in the fourth round of the 9th World junior women's squash championships here on Wednesday. The third seed won 9-4, 9-3, 9-3 in 24 minutes but the match was much closer than what was reflected in the scoreline.

Vaidehi had her moments, particularly when she played the ball to length, but it was the experience of the 18 year-old Yorkshire lass, winner of the European junior Open and ranked at 17 on the latest WISPA list, which saw her through to the quarterfinals.

Vaidehi wasn't overawed by the situation. In fact, there were times when she matched strides with Duncalf and in the third game, was leading 3-0, before the front court approach of her opponent caught her out.

The difference was in Duncalf's volleying and drops which Vaidehi found hard to keep up with. But, when a rally was on, there was little to choose between the two.

``Jenny gets a lot more competition and matchplay in England than your girl'', observed David Campion, former international and manager of the English team. Duncalf next plays her compatriot Laura-Jane Lengthorn, who defeated Line Hansen (Denmark) 9-2, 9- 7, 9-0 in 24 minutes.

The Indian team manager Rajiv Reddy felt Vaidehi had played well and given a very creditable account of herself. ``This is the World championship and the competition is of the highest level. Vaidehi showed we have the capability of doing well. It's only the second World Championship we are competing in, and we shall learn from the experience. Today's performance just reiterates this''.

Michell Quibell, the only American player to have won a junior age-group in the British Open, trains with Tom Rumpler in Atlanta and is seeded at five here. Quibell, the British under-17 champion, showed her prowess as she dismissed Egypt's Nadine Bahgat 9-2, 9-3, 9-1 in twenty minutes and next runs into the number two seed, Omneya Abdel Kawy. The young Egyptian hardly broke sweat, taking 17 minutes to ease her way past Georgina Davis (Australia) 9-0, 9-2, 9-1. Top seed Nicol David was in a tearing hurry as she whipped England's Tina Rix 9-1, 9-1, 9-1 in just twelve minutes. The local favourite plays Germany's Kathrin Rohrmuller in the quarterfinals.

The German number one was taken to the wire by England's Alison Waters in a 47 minute match. She missed out on going two games up by squandering a 8-5 lead. The tide turned and Waters inched her way to win that game and the third.

At 6-2 in the fourth, Waters was on the verge of toppling the joint fifth seed. A gutsy player, Rohrmuller, forced her way to level at 6-6. Thereafter, the Munich-based 17 year- old, who finished 3rd in the European Juniors, took over the reins and won easily.

Tricia Chuah's match with Switzerland's Manuela Zehnder was expected to be close and the Malaysian, seeded four, began tentatively. Words of wisdom from coach Jamshed Gul had their effect as Chuah started floating the ball deep and Zehnder's impatience added to the delight of the locals.

Chuah's brief moment of anxiety came in the fourth game where she allowed Zehnder to draw level from 1-6 but the finish from the Malaysian was lethal. A backhand crosscourt gave her matchpoint and she sent a forehand into the deep to end this 31 minute encounter.

Chuah's 4-9, 9-1, 9-4, 9-6 has earned her a quarterfinal against the unseeded Australian Kasey Brown who defeated her colleague and joint fifth seed, Lisa Camilleri 7-9, 9-3, 3-9, 9-4, 9-6 in 38 minutes.

Mumbai to host 2001 men's World Open

Mumbai is to host the 2001 Men's World Squash Open from December 1-9. Following a meeting between the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and the promoters, Procam Sports, in London on Tuesday, it is `all systems go'. As yet, the title sponsors have not been announced but sources indicate the prize money would be US $ 150,000.

This is welcome news for the game as the last World Open was last held in Doha in 1998. The venue had to be switched from Mumbai because of political problems surrounding the participation of Pakistani players, particularly Jansher Khan.

It was an unfortunate situation and was compounded when Mahindra and Mahindra, who had sponsored the event and seen it grow from an Invitational Challenge to a World Open in a matter of five years, decided to pull out from the following year.

But, the good news for the sports-loving Mumbaites is that the World Open is set to make its debut in the city which has always been regarded as the home of Indian squash.

The results (fourth round):1-Nicol David (Mal) bt 9/16- Tina Rix (Eng) 9-1, 9-1, 9-1; 5/8-Kathrin Rohrmuller (Ger) bt 9/16-Alison Waters (Eng) 9-7, 9-10, 0-9, 9-6, 9-4; 3-Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt Vaidehi Reddy (Ind) 9-4, 9-3, 9-3; 5/8-Laura- Jane Lenthorn (Eng) bt 9/16-Line Hansen (Den) 9-2, 9-7, 9-0; Kasey Brown (Aus) bt 5/8-Lisa Camilleri (Aus) 7-9, 9-3, 3-9, 9-4, 9-6; 4-Tricia Chuah (Mal) bt 9/16-Manuela Zehnder (Sui) 4-9, 9-1, 9-4, 9-6; 5/8- Michelle Quibell (U.S.) bt 9/16-Nadine Bahgat (Egy) 9-2, 9-3, 9- 1; 2-Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) bt Georgina Davis (Aus) 9-0, 9-2, 9- 1

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