Marshall looking forward to Hobart challenge

07-Jul-2010 - Squash Australia

Hobart’s own Maggy Marshall is looking forward to the challenge of taking on some of the world’s best squash players in her own back yard when the Tasmanian Open gets underway at the Eastside Squash Centre on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Marshall broke into the world’s top 100 this month and celebrated by reaching the quarter-finals of the Victorian Open last weekend, where she lost to eventual champion Lisa Camilleri.
But despite losing in straight games, Marshall said she was improving all the time and would only benefit from playing against higher ranked players.
“I did well last weekend – I feel that this year I’m going pretty well,” Marshall said.
“I’m injury free and feeling confident and feel like I’m improving a lot and playing really well against the better girls.”
Marshall opens her Tasmanian Open campaign against local player Laura Scrivens before a probable quarter-final against top seeded Malaysian Sharon Wee.
“It’s great for the local squash player to be able to see some squash of this calibre,” she said.
“And with all the international players coming, it’s great for the sport’s exposure down here.”
The Tasmanian Open has been significantly upgraded this year and is now part of the Australian Squash Tour, which began in Darwin in May and culminates in the Australian Open in Canberra in August.
Players from the USA, Malaysia, Austria, New Zealand, Pakistan, England, the Netherlands, Taipei, Switzerland and Hong Kong will join some of Australia’s brightest talents bidding for both the men’s and women’s crowns.
The women’s field is headed by Wee, the world number 35, with 39th ranked Camilleri seeded second.
Melbourne’s Melody Francis and Zoe Petrovansky of Brisbane are ranked three and four, just ahead of Austrian number one Birgit Coufal.
Top seed in the men’s event is colourful South Australia Mike Corren, the 36-year-old who has won Professional Squash Association tournaments all over the world.
Corren will go into the tournament as the overwhelming favourite, but could face several tricky clashes in his side of the draw, including third seeded Dutchman Bart Ravelli and top ranked Australian junior Jacob Alexander.
Corren faces local Josh Fishwick in the first round ahead of a probable second round clash with New Zealand junior James Skiffington.
The bottom half of the draw is wide open.
Queensland’s Nathan Stevenson is the second seed but he has to get past Melbourne’s Josh Cardwell and Swiss Reiko Peter if he is to make the decider.

The seeds

Men

1 Mike Corren (SA)
2 Nathan Stevenson (Qld)
3 Bart Ravelli (NED)
4 Josh Cardwell (Vic)
5 Jacob Alexander (Qld)
6 Reiki Peter (SUI)
7 Alex Grayson (NZL)
8 Cheng Yao Huang (TPE)

Women

1 Sharon Wee (MAS)
2 Lisa Camilleri (Qld)
3 Melody Francis (Vic)
4 Zoe Petrovansky (Qld)
5 Birgit Coufal (AUT)
6 Sarah Cardwell (Vic)
7 Maggy Marshall (Tas)
8 Amanda Cranston (NZL)