Asyraf and Sharon keep hopes alive
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Asyraf and Sharon keep hopes alive
KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Asyraf Azan and Sharon Wee stayed in contention to get into the main draw of the CIMB Malaysian Open squash championships when they advanced to the second round of the qualifying tournament at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Asyraf beat Amr Swelim of Egypt 6-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-6 in 43 minutes and will play against Ryan Cuskelly of Australia today.
Three other Malaysian men – Nafzahizam Adnan, Ivan Yuen and Elvinn Keo – failed to clear their first-round matches.
Sharon, who now has to earn a place in the main draw after slipping out of the top 16 in the world, beat Song Sun-mi of South Korea 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4. She has to beat Louise Crome of New Zealand today to make the grade.
Crome dashed Asian Junior champion Low Wee Wern’s hopes of qualifying, beating the Malaysian 9-11, 11-2, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9.
It was also the end of the road for juniors Lim Yoke Wah, Siti Munirah Jusoh, Tan Yan Xin and Pushppa Devi.
The first round of the Malaysian Open, which begins tomorrow, will also be played at the the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil. Matches from the quarter-final stage, beginning on Thursday, will be played at the Curve in Mutiara Damansara.
Top seeded Malaysian Nicol David, who will be gunning to win her home Open for the fourth consecutive time, opens her campaign against Rebecca Chiu of Hong Kong.
The other Malaysian in the women’s main draw is Delia Arnold and she will be up against fifth seed Jenny Duncalf of England.
In the men’s main draw, defending champion Mohd Azlan Iskandar will play against fellow Malaysian Nafiizwan Adnan in the first round. The other Malaysian in the fray is national number one Ong Beng Hee.
