Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-1 Marie Stephan (FRA) 11-7, 13-11, 6-11, 13-11 (55m)
I don’t think either girl will be that delighted about their squash today. The court conditions didn’t help them to settle to be honest. For some reason, there was a lot of dust on there, whereas the court had been thoroughly cleaned this morning. And the girls – in particular Marie – were struggling with stability on there.
The second game was the one where the floor seem to bother them the most. The French woman was cruising 9/2, 3m game to get there, Nour seemed completely out of the game. But a few clipping of the tin, Nour also going for more attacks – she had been keeping the ball at the back a bit too much in my humble opinion – and within a few minutes, back at 9/9 we were!
The French woman had a game ball, 11/10, but Nour clinched the crucial game on her second attempt, 13/11, 12m game.
A very good response from Marie in the 3rd, down 2/4 she zoomed to 11/6 in 8m, taking a bit more confidence on her movement as the court has been cleaning as much as possible after the second game.
The fourth sees the Egyptian in front, from 3/3 to 7/4, 9/7. A few too many calls at that point, both girls getting frustrated with their opponent’s movement, but Marie claws back to 9/9. She will save Nour’s first match ball, 11/11, but with a stroke, the Egyptian sets up a second match ball, 12/11, and with a crosscourt kill, she closes the match with a huge roar – to the front wall, to the despair of Steve Cubbins who was there to catch the emotion burst out….
Nour
We played a month ago in Brooklyn, and I won also 3/1, but it wasn’t like today, I played better. Today I felt that we had a few too many contacts, with the ball ending in the middle of the court, and me trying to play and taking my space. I got a bit too eager at the end, with the pressure, on a couple of points, my movement wasn’t the greatest but in the first three games, I didn’t do anything wrong.
I’m playing Gina Kennedy, I never played her before. I am going to enjoy it, I was supposed to play Nour El Sherbini, and already, I had decided to enjoy the opportunity! So I’m just going to keep the same mindset and enjoy my second round, while giving it my all.”
