RESULTS: CIMB Singapore Masters, Singapore
Qualifying finals:
Annie Au (HKG) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9 (38m)
Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 11-5, 9-11, 12-14, 11-9, 11-8 (85m)
Delia Arnold (MAS) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 13-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-13, 14-12 (52m)
Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt Joey Chan (HKG) 2-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-2 (40m)
Players from Hong Kong and Malaysia shared honours in today's (Tuesday) qualifying finals of the CIMB Singapore Women's Masters - but it was Malaysian Low Wee Wern who survived the longest clash to make the main draw of the $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold event at Kallang Leisure Park in Singapore.
For a second night in a row, Egypt's Nour El Sherbini was involved in a five-game tussle, and though she won many fans in Singapore, her campaign was halted by 20-year-old Low Wee Wern. The 14-year-old former World Junior Champion drew gasps from the fans with her audacious shot-making, but made crucial errors on the big points and paid the price.
"All the games were so close," said the young Egyptian after Wee Wern's 11-5, 9-11, 12-14, 11-9, 11-8 win in 85 minutes. "I felt I could win this one but took too much risk on the big points. Matches like these can only make me improve more as a player."
As for Low, she credited her victory to her ability to stay confident and steady - and earned a meeting with Ireland's sixth seed Madeline Perry.
"This is one of the hardest matches I've ever played," Low said her first encounter with El Sherbini. "I told myself to be patient when I was two-sets-to-one down, and played the crucial points a lot better than Nour."
Delia Arnold made it two for two for Malaysia, edging a fractious encounter with Ireland's Aisling Blake. The Malaysian number two took the first two games but Blake fought back in the next two to force the decider.
In WISPA world rankings, these two players are only three positions apart and the when the dust settled, it was the higher-ranked Arnold that came through 13-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-13, 14-12. The 24-year-old's first round opponent will be WISPA President Natalie Grainger, the fifth seed.
An 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9 victory over Denmark's Line Hansen earned Hong Kong's Annie Au a first round draw against Egypt's fourth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy.
But in a later all-Hong Kong battle, it was veteran Rebecca Chiu that triumphed over young star Joey Chan. The business-like match was high on efficiency and low on drama, with 31-year-old former Asian Games champion Chiu winning 2-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-2.
The world No19 will have her hands full against the tournament's third seed Alison Waters, England.
Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) v Raneem El Weleily (EGY)
[7] Kasey Brown (AUS) v Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL)
[4] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v [Q] Annie Au (HKG)
[6] Madeline Perry (IRL) v [Q] Low Wee Wern (MAS)
[8] Camille Serme (FRA) v Donna Urquhart (AUS)
[3] Alison Waters (ENG) v [Q] Rebecca Chiu (HKG)
[5] Natalie Grainger (USA) v [Q] Delia Arnold (MAS)
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Pamela Chua (SIN)