Open de France: Day One – Player Reaction: Glass Court

It’s the opening night at the Open de France de Squash, and following on from the 13 matches that took place on the traditional courts at La Maison du Squash, we have two matches on the glass court at Hangar 24 to kick off the week’s play.

Egypt’s Salma Eltayeb and Kenzy Ayman will get things started, before Frenchman Auguste Dussourd will aim to delight the home crowd in his first round match against Scotland’s Rory Stewart.

All the action from the glass court will be shown live on SQUASHTV, and you can also keep up to date with the live scores from the event.

We will bring you all the reaction from those in action on the glass court in Nantes throughout the evening right here.

Order Of Play – Glass Court

Eltayeb Comes Through Monster Third Game Tie-Break

The opening glass court match of the 2022 Open de France de Squash at the Hangar 24 in Nantes was an absolute cracker, as young Egyptians Salma Eltayeb and Kenzy Ayman went toe-to-toe for more than 50 minutes.

Eltayeb had gotten the better of her fellow Egyptian in the semi-finals of the World Junior Championships earlier this summer, but it was Ayman who started the stronger of the two in this first round contest at Hangar 24, as she went on to take the first game 11-8.

The second game then went the way of Eltayeb, in a very tight affair, as she took it 11-9 to send the match into a decider, and she then led 10-5. Seven match balls later, and Ayman had her first opportunity to close out the match. The pair then had several more between them, before Eltayeb eventually won the deciding game 21-19 to wrap up the victory, and to move into the last 16.

“Kenzy is a very good player. I said this at the World Junior Championships. We just played two weeks ago and Kenzy has always been beating me in Egypt, but here and at the World Champs, I have beaten her! It is never an easy game with her!” Eltayeb said of her compatriot.

“I was in the lead in the third game 10-5 and then she came back to be up in the tie-break. That proves how good she is and I am so happy I got the win. We are both good players, so it is always 50/50.

“It is so different playing here, because you are with so many good players, so you want to perform to be at their level. That is what I am aiming for, that is my mission as I finish my junior career, to be there, or to compete against the top players on the PSA World Tour.”

Result:

Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 2-1: 8-11, 11-9, 21-19 (52m)

Dussourd Downs Stewart To Set Up All-French Second Round Clash

France’s Auguste Dussourd delighted the home crowd on the opening night of the Open de France de Squash in Nantes with a great performance to overcome Scotland’s Rory Stewart in straight games.

Stewart did most of the early running and led 6-2 in the first game, but a quick run of points saw Dussourd fight his way back into it, and he would eventually go on to take it on a tie-break. He carried the momentum through into the second, dropping just five points, to take a straight games victory and set up a clash with compatriot Gregoire Marche on Tuesday evening.

“He is a really tricky player. You never know what to expect from him. He has so many shots, he changes the pace all the time and it is really difficult to play against him, even more so in the best-of-three,” Dussourd admitted.

“I saw earlier that so many matches were so close. I knew I had to take the first game, even on a tie-break and I knew it would be hard. When you are 1-0 down and you have to win two games, it is so hard, so I am happy to come through this match!

“I had the chance to play here once, in the theatre in Nantes. I lost 3-0 to Gregoire [Marche], the same player I will face tomorrow! It is always amazing to play in France, and in such an amazing venue like this!”

Result:

Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Rory Stewart (SCO) 2-0: 13-11, 11-5 (36m)