Rachel Arnold (Mas) 3-2 Aifa Azman (Mas) 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-13, 12-10
This is a match I really would like to see on replay, as I only arrived at the business end of the 4th, when Rachel won the match. Oh sorry, she didn’t because a winning shot, which seemed live like a clean, lovely backhand winner, game and match, done, 11/9, was overturned as “stroke for Azman”.
Not surprisingly, Rachel lost that game, mentally gone, 13/11 to compatriot Aifa.
After a chat with her coach, Wael El Hindi who I think part of the victory today, Rachel took an excellent start in the decider, from 3/3 to 7/3. But in a bit of a dog fight, so many calls, so many contact, decisions between them two, Aifa dug her hills on, 6/7, 9/9. Again, decisions that surprise me, but what do I know, and it’s match ball for Aifa, 10/9.
She can’t transform it, and it’s Rachel, finally, 12/10….
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Rachel
“We played in July in the Asian Championships and it was the same thing, I was 2-0 up and then she came back so I’m glad to have come through. She’s always tough to play and we’ve got a bit of history.
“I think on court it can be a bit tricky for the both of us, it’s tough playing each other and we get nervous playing those crucial points so I’m glad to have pulled through.
“I was feeling ok at match ball down. I stayed calm.
