Favourable Open draw for Aussie women

21-Jul-2010 - Squash Australia

Australia’s top women squash players have received a generally favourable draw for the 2010 Australian Open to be played in Canberra from August 10-15.
Second seed Rachael Grinham will play a qualifier first up as she bids to win a second title and add to her 2006 triumph.
However, if she wins her opening match she would likely play defending champion Joelle King of New Zealand in the second round, one of the few players on the tour to have a winning record against the 33-year-old Grinham.
In their previous three encounters King, 21, has won twice, including in the final of the Texas Open in Houston in April and it is a battle that Grinham will not relish.
Sixth seed Kasey Brown takes on Victorian Amelia Pittock in an all-Australian clash with the winner also probably facing a Kiwi, ninth ranked Jaclyn Hawkes.
New South Wales’s Donna Urquhart takes on a qualifier, while Queenslander Lisa Camilleri has a real chance of upsetting the higher ranked Irishwoman Aisling Blake.
“That’s a good draw for me,” Camilleri, who has now won six women’s professional tournaments in succession, said.
“I lost to her last year in Malaysia but it was really close and I am playing much better now than I was then.
“I’m really happy with the draw – it could have been a whole lot worse.”
Melbourne’s Melody Francis has drawn one of the more daunting first round opponents, fifth seed Laura Massaro of England.
There are a number of mouth-watering clashes in the first round draw, none more so than right at the top where world number two and top seed Jenny Duncalf takes on recently crowned world junior champion Amanda Sohby of the US.
The 2008 champion, Hong Kong’s Annie Au, faces India’s great hope Dipika Pallikal, who is almost as famous in India for her Bollywood style glamour as she is for her squash.
Third seeded Englishwoman Alison Waters may also firm in the favouritism after she was handed perhaps the easiest path to the semi-finals of all the top four seeds.

First round draw:

1-Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v Amanda Sobhy (USA)
14-Delia Arnold (MAS) v Qualifier
6-Kasey Brown (AUS) v Amelia Pittock (AUS)
9-Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) v Qualifier
4-Madeline Perry (IRL) v Low Wee Wern (MAS)
10-Annie Au (HKG) v Dipika Pallikal (IND)
5-Laura Massaro (ENG) v Melody Francis (AUS)
16-Line Hansen (DEN) v Sharon Wee (MAS)
15-Aisling Blake (IRL) v Lisa Camilleri (AUS)
8-Samantha Teran (MEX) v Song Sun-Mi (KOR)
11-Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) v Qualifier
3-Alison Waters (ENG) v Qualifier
12-Donna Urquhart (AUS) v Qualifier
7-Engy Kheirallah (EGY) v Kylie Lindsay (NZL)
13-Joelle King (NZL) v Tania Bailey (ENG)
2-Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Qualifier