Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-0 Nadine Shahin (EGY) 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (21m)
It was a short but very pleasant game between two different style of players. Nadine finds winners from anywhere on the court really, while Melissa love the rallies to last a bit to then kill the ball…
It was quite comfy in the first game for the French – in front of Dad, which doesn’t happen often I tell you – 11/6 in 5m. And it looked about the same in the second, 9/3 in 4m, but out of the blue, Nadine relaxed, found her best squash, and we were 10/6, then, 9/10! Melissa was very releaved to get a stroke as one of Nadine’s shots hit the front corner, coming back in the middle of the court. 7m game.
The last one was only 5m, 5/0 7/1 for the French, and at match ball, 10/3, we thought, ah, if the Egyptian going to push Melissa as she did in the second? Not this time, and Melissa closed the game and match 11/4.
Melissa : Nadine is very dangerous. She starts off and you think she might be a little tired, and then suddenly she fires in four kills and two full-on splits!
She’s exactly the kind of player I find the hardest — and the most stressful — to play against. You can get through it in 15 minutes, or you can lose in 15 minutes, if she decides so! You never really know — one kill, two kills, she believes in it, she goes for it, then suddenly she stops going for it… She’s very hard to read, and I was a bit tense before the match.
She’s not an easy player to play or to manoeuvre around. We all know how strong she has been, and even if her ranking doesn’t reflect her true level, it definitely doesn’t show how well she can play.
There’s always that doubt against her. Even at 9–2, 9–3, she can still come up with winners, kills, nicks — and there you go. So I wouldn’t say I was super stressed, but tense, yes. She’s definitely not the kind of player you want to face in round one! It’s Nadine.
Tomorrow it’s Sato. One time I lost to her in five after having two match balls — and then she went on to win the tournament! I’ve always had really tight matches against her, so I’m expecting a great battle.
I love her game. I know we’re going to have a clean match — I know we keep saying that, but it’s such a positive thing. You know you’re just going to play squash, and that’s it.
Can’t wait to get on the glass court tomorrow. My dad is here — he’s not often around — so I’m really happy to have him there and to take him onto the glass court with me for a big match. And honestly, I’m super fired up!
