[1] Hania El Hammamy (Egy) 3-2 [4] Siva Subramaniam (Mas) 6-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-0, 12-10 (86m)
Fram’s thoughts
Once again, Hania got off to a slow start, something she has acknowledged herself in previous post-match interviews. Siva was on fire, and was forcing the Egyptian in the four corners, with sharp short attacks and perfect lobs. From 4/4 to 8/4, 9/5, 11/6 in 10m. Too many errors from Hania.
In my opinion, the second is the turning point.
The Malaysian led the whole game, quite dramatically, 7/3. But that kind of desperate situation seems to wake up something in the former world number one: she clawed back, never letting the pressure go, making herself very hard to beat, 8/9. Siva finally stopped the flow, game ball to lead 2/0, 10/8. But with a roar, Hania forced a tie-break 10/10, scoring 4 points in a row, 12/10 in 17m.
The third is about the same momentum: the Malaysian is clearly dominating, 5/2, 8/3, 9/4. Surely, this time, she will close the game… Well ‘not on my watch’, states Hania.
Five points later, Hania has game ball, 10/9. Siva learned her lesson and finally clinched the last three points, 12/10 in 24m, minus 5m to warm up the new ball (: the ball got off at 9/7, new ball, which favoured Hania’s style of squash).
The fourth is just pure gold from Hania. Siva, exhausted from the hard work she had put in, let that one go: 6m, 11/0.
The fifth could be a heart-attack maker for both camps, as Hania now seems in perfect control, with Siva running on fumes. She is truly struggling, with 4 events in a row: London Classic, Qatar, the Asian Games individual (she got the Gold and the LA28 qualification), then the Asian Games Teams (Malaysia got the 2 gold), and now straight here. But does she throw in the towel and die gracefully?
Hania isn’t making any errors and isn’t changing her tactics. But Siva is running on pure adrenaline, struggling with a foot niggle, it seems, and yet, still giving what she doesn’t have anymore. Hania ahead, 9/6.
Two match balls for the Egyptian, 10/8. One saved, Two saved… 10/10. The French/Malaysian coaching bench is going wild.
But Hania has the last word. She wrong-foots Siva one more time, and finds a splendid winner to finish. Never in doubt hey…
PSA report
In the opening stages of the match, Malaysia’s Sivasangari picked up where she left off in her quarter-final comeback win over Fayrouz Aboelkheir, dictating large portions of the opening game and half and poised to lead 2-0 when 7-4 up in the second.
However, El Hammamy stuck in gamely and produced some of her best squash to overturn two game balls and level the match at 1-1 in the subsequent tie-break.
The back-and-forth contest continued over the next two games, with Sivasangari taking the third in another dramatic tie-break and standing within a game of her first Diamond-level final.
The defending champion refused to go down without a fight though, delivering a faultless 11-0 fourth game which saw the momentum swing heavily in the Egyptian’s favour.
An epic fifth game followed, with Sivasangari rallying from 7-4 down, and later saving two match balls from 10-8 down to force a thrilling tie-break. The comeback wasn’t to be for the No.4 seed, though, with El Hammamy delivering two clinical points to advance to the Diamond-level final and keep her title defence alive.
The problem is that it comes down to lots of small details. The third game should have been finished earlier. She’s leading 9-7, and for me it’s never a let at the end of that game. The ball was out…. As a result, she finds herself at 9-9, with a new ball when the old one suited her well, and that changes everything.
Inevitably, she spent ten more minutes on court in that game, and in the end you pay for it.
That said, you have to give credit to Hania: she was phenomenal in the fourth and fifth. She really rolled up her sleeves. I think this is going to become a classic of women’s squash, because every time they play, their matches are immense. But there wasn’t much to be done, which is why I keep thinking the third should have been wrapped up earlier. It’s as simple as that.
I think she turned her ankle again in the front left. Anyway, I’m so proud of her. She’s getting closer and closer, and soon it’ll be her. She’s very, very close. And it’s a pleasure for everyone to watch.
That’s why it’s so frustrating to get caught out by decisions like that. There aren’t many in a match, so if on top of that you get the few tight calls wrong… It happens in squash. But anyway, she has to keep her head up. What she did was outstanding.”
“I’m sure everyone is excited to watch our matches every time we play. I think it must be hard for Siva losing both matches 12-10 in the fifth, but I’m very happy and proud to get the win. “I’m a fighter. If I’m going to lose, I’m going to give every single thing I can on court. I think that’s a strength, that mindset. I’m very tough. “Siva is the same as well. Maybe a few years ago she wasn’t pushing all the way into those fourth and fifth games, but now what’s so hard is that she’s pushing me really hard mentally and tactically all the way. “I like to feel I’m winning the mental battle when I leave the court. That’s the way I like to push myself.”
Hania : I’m definitely so proud to be taking part in all these brilliant battles with Siva. Obviously, very long matches, all five gamers, and what I’m really proud of is how clean they are, barely any decisions, and if they are, then they’re little ones.
