[1] Nardine Garas (EGY) 3-1 [6] Habiba Hani (EGY) 11-6, 12-10, 5-11, 11-5 (36m)
Interesting match that one. Both players know each other well, know each other’s game. Habiba, looking very good and fit, just wasn’t consistent enough mentally I felt. I even asked her coach, Andrew Shoukry, if she had been injured, but apparently, no, she was perfectly fit.
Weird, as I felt she was staying a lot in the way of her opponent, and going in and out of the match, as you would do when recovering from injury.
Nardine made far too many errors still. She was a bit lucky that Habiba gave her a lot of strokes for lack of accuracy in the front corner, the ball shooting in the middle of the court. She’ll have to be far more patient if she wants to compete with who ever she’ll face from the main draw….
Nardine
We play a lot, we know each other pretty well. We actually played last year in the qualifications for the World Champs, and I won in 3 or 4. I know how to play her, and how to get inside her head.
It was all about playing my basic game, getting the ball to the back, that’s my strength, and I had to stay away from her volley, as she does kill the ball very quickly.
[9] Lauren Baltayan (FRA) 3-0 [2] Alicia Mead (ENG) 11-4, 9-2 rtd (13m)
You have events you’ll remember for the wrong reasons. Alicia not only got a very severe food poisonning, that prevented her to play, but also, the 11.30 bus was 30m late – thanks to a Police impromptu check that delayed the shuttle by 30m. The match was postponed to allow the English lady to prepare, but she was sick just before going on court, and the chances of her being able to compete were … none.
She still showed up but the writing was on the court wall.
Lauren
I just stay focus on my preparation, and I don’t look or think about whatever is happening outside the court. I don’t look at my opponent, I do my routine warm up. That was today the only way to stay concentrating on my squash. And that’s what I do for each of my matches.
I just hope she gets better very soon as I know how unpleasant food poisonning is!
