WSF: France top pool in Nimes

RESULTS: WSF World Team Championship, Nimes, France

Final qualifying round (final session):

Pool D:
[13] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [20] COLOMBIA 3/0
Anna Klimundova bt Karol Gonzalez 12-14, 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (38m)
Olga Ertlova bt Catalina Pelaez 11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 (35m)
Lucie Fialova bt Silvia Angulo Rugeles 8-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-6 (35m)
Final positions: 1 Hong Kong China, 2 Czech Republic, 3 Colombia, 4 Namibia

Pool F:
[11] CANADA bt [18] AUSTRIA 3/0
Stephanie Edmison bt Jacqueline Peychar 11-1, 11-6, 11-4 (16m)
Alexandra Norman bt Judith Gradnitzer 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (19m)
Samantha Cornett bt Birgit Coufal 11-8, 11-2, 11-2 (22m)
Final positions: 1 Australia, 2 Canada, 3 Austria

Pool H:
[9] FRANCE bt [21] GERMANY 3/0
Maud Duplomb bt Caroline Sayegh 11-3, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4 (34m)
Coline Aumard bt Franziska Hennes 11-6, 11-1, 11-1 (26m)
Camille Serme bt Pamela Hathway 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (26m)
Final positions: 1 France, 2 Netherlands, 3 Germany

France Finish On Top In Nimes World Championship Pool

From HOWARD HARDING
While Canada and Czech Republic secured places in the last 16 round of the 2012 WSF Women’s World Team Championship in Nimes tonight, it was hosts France who attracted the biggest crowd and rounded off the qualifying stages of the World Squash Federation event in the greatest style by beating Germany 3/0 to finish at the top of Pool H against expectations.

The ninth seeds made their breakthrough 24 hours earlier by overcoming significant rivals Netherlands, the No8 seeds.

And after Maud Duplomb and Coline Aumard gave the home team an insurmountable lead, the country’s number one and four-time French champion Camille Serme beat the top German Pamela Hathway 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 in 26 minutes to send the crowd home happy.

“It’s incredible,” said Serme, the world No14 from Paris. “I play all over the world so it’s great to play here in front of a home crowd for once. My parents are here, for instance, and that’s great.

“There’s a great spirit in the squad, and that’s why I think we’re doing well and can go far.

“It’s good to be in the last 16 of course – but our main aim is to finish in the last eight.”

French national coach Philippe Signoret added: “Our success is also very good for the crowd and for the event.

“Beating the eighth seeds yesterday and then Germany 3/0 tonight is very good preparation for tomorrow – the girls are very confident.

“I was especially pleased with the way Coline played tonight, after her disappointing result yesterday,” added Signoret. “She has improved a lot recently – and has done extremely well considering that she had an appendix operation about a month ago. She’s extremely fit.”

Canada brushed aside Austria 3/0 following impressive straight games wins by Stephanie Edmison, Alexandra Norman and number one Samantha Cornett.

Event debutantes Czech Republic, seeded 13, were the last side to make sure of qualifying after a hard-fought 3/0 win over Colombia. Second string Olga Ertlova had to fight back from 2/1 down to beat Colombian Catalina Pelaez to put victory beyond the reach of the 20th seeds.

In the draw for the last 16 round, favourites England will face neighbours Wales, and 2008 champions Egypt, the No2 seeds, will take on Mexico.

Third seeds Malaysia were drawn in England’s half of the draw, and will line up against Czech Republic, while fourth seeds Hong Kong will face South Africa.

All the last 16 round action will take place on the three all-glass show courts at La Parnasse Arena - and, for the first time in a world championship, simultaneous live streaming from all three courts will be available onwww.youtube.com/worldsquashtv

Full last 16 draw:
[1] ENGLAND v [15] WALES
[9] FRANCE v [7] IRELAND
[3] MALAYSIA v [13] CZECH REPUBLIC
[5] NEW ZEALAND v [11] CANADA
[6] AUSTRALIA v [12] USA
[4] HONG KONG CHINA v [14] SOUTH AFRICA
[10] INDIA v [8] NETHERLANDS
[2] EGYPT v [16] MEXICO

Picture shows the triumphant French squad after finishing at the top of Pool H

Final qualifying round (afternoon session):

Pool A:
[16] MEXICO bt [23] REPUBLIC OF KOREA 2/1
Nayelly Hernandez bt Kim Ga-Hye 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-9 (48m)
Karla Urrutia lost to Park Eun Ok 4-11, 5-11, 5-11 (26m)
Samantha Teran bt Song Sun-Mi 11-1, 11-7, 10-12, 12-10 (40m)

Final positions: 1 England, 2 Mexico, 3 Republic of Korea

Pool B:
[15] WALES bt [24] SCOTLAND 3/0
Hannah Davies bt Rosie Allan 11-8, 11-5, 11-7
Deon Saffery bt Alex Clark 11-8, 11-6, 11-5
Tesni Evans bt Frania Gillen-Buchert 11-3, 11-7, 11-5

Final positions: 1 Egypt, 2 Wales, 3 Scotland

Pool C:
[3] MALAYSIA bt [26] SPAIN 3/0
Delia Arnold bt Chantal Moros-Pitarch 11-3, 11-3, 11-2 (25m)
Low Wee Wern bt Cristina Gomez 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (30m)
Nicol David bt Xisela Aranda Nunez 11-2, 11-3, 11-7

[14] SOUTH AFRICA bt [19] CHINA 3/0
Milnay Louw bt Xiu Chen 11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 11-2
Diana Haynes bt Gu Jinyue 11-1, 11-6, 11-3
Siyoli Waters bt Li Dongjin 11-2, 4-11, 13-11, 13-11

Final positions: 1 Malaysia, 2 South Africa, 3 China, 4 Spain

Pool D:
[4] HONG KONG CHINA bt [25] NAMIBIA 3/0
Tong Tsz-Wing bt Lucinda Rodrigues 11-2, 11-0, 11-2
Liu Tsz-Ling bt Adri Lambert 11-6, 11-2, 11-7
Joey Chan bt Isabell Schnoor 11-3, 11-5, 11-4

[13] CZECH REPUBLIC v [20] COLOMBIA ….. result to follow

Pool E:
[12] USA bt [22] JAPAN 2/1
Olivia Fiechter bt Mayu Yamazaki 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (16m)
Sabrina Sobhy bt Chinatsu Matsui 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8 (46m)
Natalie Grainger lost to Misaki Kobayashi 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 10-12

Final positions: 1 New Zealand, 2 USA, 3 Japan

Pool F:
[11] CANADA v [18] AUSTRIA ….. result to follow

Pool G:
[10] INDIA bt [17] ARGENTINA 3/0
Anaka Alankamony bt Maria Eugenia Bonilla 11-4, 11-4, 11-7
Joshana Chinappa bt Cecilia Cerquetti 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 (19m)
Dipika Pallikal bt Antonella Falcione 11-8, 11-7, 11-8

Final positions: 1 India, 2 Ireland, 3 Argentina

Pool H:
[9] FRANCE v [21] GERMANY ….. result to follow

India Mark ‘Huge’ Success In Nimes World Championship

After upsetting seventh seeds Ireland in the first qualifying round of the 2012 WSF Women’s World Team Championship in Nimes, tenth seeds India clinched pole position in Pool G after despatching Argentina 3/0 in today’s final qualifying round of the biennial World Squash Federation event taking place in France for the first time.

The event boasts a record entry of 26 nations and is being staged simultaneously at both the eight-court Club des Costières and La Parnasse Arena where, for the first time ever, action is taking place on three all-glass show courts.

Teams have been fighting for the top two places in the eight pools to ensure themselves a place in the last 16 knockout stage.

Squad number three Anaka Alankamony led the way for India, beating Maria Eugenia Bonilla 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 – before second string Joshana Chinappa took just 19 minutes to overcome Cecilia Cerquetti 11-6, 11-3, 11-4.

In the final match, top-ranked Argentinean Antonella Falcione battled hard against India’s star Dipika Pallikal - but world No13 Pallikal had the edge, defeating her opponent ranked more than 100 places below 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.

“It’s huge,” said Indian National Coach Cyrus Poncha when asked the significance of the success in the event so far. “Our aim was to top the pool – and making the quarter-finals is our goal.

“Beating Ireland definitely gave us a lot of confidence and we hope to have a great performance against the Dutch tomorrow.”

Incredibly, this is only India’s third appearance in the women’s world championship, with an 18th place finish in their debut in 2002 and 11th last year.

“Last year it was a first for us to finish in the top eight in the men’s world team championship – so if we can make the top eight here this year it will be a huge achievement and another significant step forward for Indian Squash,” concluded Poncha.

USA bounced back from the disappointment of a 3/0 loss to New Zealand yesterday to beat Japan today to finish in second place in Pool E.

Teenager Olivia Fiechter put the 12th seeds into the lead with an 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 win over Japan’s third string Mayu Yamazaki. But it was an impressive performance from senior squad newcomer Sabrina Sobhy that ensured victory when the 15-year-old beat experienced Chinatsu Matsui, aged 35, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8 in 46 minutes.

Japan gained a consolation point when world No38 Misaki Kobayashi beat retired 35-year-old former world No1 Natalie Grainger 8-11, 13-11, 11-8, 12-10 in the final match.

Team coach Chris Walker, a former England captain, was pleased with his largely inexperienced squad’s performance. “We knew it was going to be tough, but Olivia was clinical and sound, playing the best she’s been all week to put us ahead.

“This took some of the pressure off Sabrina who played a fine game to see us through.

“The beauty of having this young squad is that they are gaining important experience and learning all the time.”

Live results and streaming on www.worldwomensquash-nimes2012.fr