Blatchford, Sobhy, Razik Advance - Harrity, Tandon, Toorpakai Lose In 2nd Day US Open Qualifying by Steve Cubbins October 10, 2013
- Day Two of the Delaware Investments U.S. Open in Philadelphia, and it
was qualifying finals with eight main draw places up for grabs in each
of the men's and women's competitions - offering equal prize money for
the first time ever in a World Series event.
Action again took place at four Philadelphia clubs, each hosting two women's and then two men's matches.
Women's:
There were upsets
aplenty in the women's matches, and two home successes. At Germantown
Cricket Club Olivia Blatchford took out Milou van der Heijden in
straight games, while over at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia it was
Sabrina Sobhy who delighted the home fans with a quickfire win over
Australian Melody Francis.
The longest match of
the round was at Merion Cricket Club where young Egyptian Nouran Gohar
beat Lucie Fialova in four games and 64 minutes, while at Drexel
University it was birthday girl Sarah Cardwell who came through an up
and down five-setter against Maria Toor Pakay.
"I didn't mean to
change my game after going 2-0 up," said Cardwell, "but I tried to
finish it too quickly. At 5-1 down in the fifth I just about got it
back in time!"
Other winners were
Wales' Tesni Evans who beat US wildcard Elizabeth Eyre,, Egypt's Kanzy
El Dafrawy who won an upset four-setter against Olga Ertlova, Kylie
Lindsay against pre-qualifier Georgina Stoker, and top seed Lisa Aitken
who dismissed Brazil's Thaisa Serafini in straight games.
"It's good to get
through to play one of the top girls in my first U.S. Open," said
Lindsay, "it's the biggest tournament I've ever made the main draw of."
In the main draw
matchups it was Lindsay who drew world number one and defending
champion Nicol David, while Cardwell's 'present' is a match against
another Malaysian,sixth seed Low Wee Wern.
Men's:
There were fewer
upsets in the men's qualifying finals, and no joy for the home fans as
Eddie Charlton beat Merion Cricket's own Todd Harrity in four games to
dash hopes of further U.S. Involvement in the main draw.
"Really happy to qualify in a really tough four game battle," tweeted Charlton.
Charlton was the only
Englishman to make it through, as Matthew Karwalski beat Jaymie
Haycocks and Shahier Razik eased past Charles Sharpes.
Muhd Asyraf Azan and
Mohamed Abouelghar progressed against the seedings, while top seeds
Abdullah Al Mezayen and Campbell Grayson both claimed their main draw
places as expected.
The final qualifying
spot was taken by Steve Finitsis, who beat fellow Aussie Rex Hedrick in
a see-saw 78-minute affair at Drexel. "We're good friends, so it's
tough to play each other, not sure if he'll be in my corner tomorrow
though," said Finitsis, to which Hedrick replied "don't worry mate,
I'll be there!"
As in the women's
draw, the top seed in qualifying got the worst possible draw, with Al
Mezayen set to face third seed Nick Matthew.
