Evans Downs No.3 Seed Perry To Make Grasshopper Cup Quarter Finals

Welsh No.1 Tesni Evans caused a big upset on the third day, as she overcame World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry in a thrilling three-game contest to move through to the quarter finals of the PSA World Tour Gold level Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland.

Evans had won just three of her previous 14 matches against Perry – losing the last four in a row – but put in a gritty and tenacious performance to run out an 11-6, 10-12, 11-9 winner.

Their last match saw Evans surrender a two-game lead as Perry came back to win at the Manchester Open earlier this year. With this being a best-of-three contest, a second-game resurgence from Perry – where she overturned three match balls – evoked memories of that comeback.

The Englishwoman almost produced another gutsy fightback in the third game as she put Evans under serious pressure after being 7-2 down, but Evans held her nerve to complete a win which sees her set up a last eight meeting with No.6 seed Salma Hany.

“This is the first top eight player I’ve beaten in about two and a half years,” said Evans.

“I haven’t been putting my best self out for about two years and it’s been really hard. But I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress over the summer and the win is nice, but it’s more about how I’m playing and being myself more, and that’s all that matters for now.

“SJ and I have played so many times, it’s ridiculous. Not just on the PSA, but in every tournament. The last time I was 2-0 up and lost in five, the time before that I was 2-0 up and lost in five, today I was 1-0 up and was like: ‘You’re going to lose again’.

“She played probably her best level at the end of that second game. I was still playing well but she was getting better and better as it went on, so I’m just happy to come out positive in the third. We’re really good friends, so that makes it tougher. We both gave it a thousand per cent, and we both want to win. We leave it on there and I’m sure we’ll catch up soon.”

Evans will now face No.6 seed Salma Hany in the last eight of the tournament after the World No.10 defeated fellow Egyptian Nadine Shahin in the opening match of the day’s play. World No.3 Hania El Hammamy and English No.1 Georgina Kennedy also made it through to the last eight, and will meet in Friday’s quarter finals.

In the men’s event, World No.2 Paul Coll had to battle his way past Englishman Patrick Rooney in a high-quality affair, winning a three-game contest that dazzled the crowd at Halle 622.

Despite having played several exhibitions over the last couple of years, this was the first meeting between the pair. It was an enticing encounter who featured plenty of free-flowing entertainment for the crowd, with both men playing at a very high level.

“It was enjoyable, he’s a nice clean player, I’ve played a few exhibitions with him and he has some great skills, so you’ve got to be very careful out there,” said Coll.

“I let the second slip, which is annoying, but he’s a very good and very fair player. I’m a big fan of how he plays the game. It’s good squash and a good battle, so it’s always enjoyable. 

“I know what he’s capable of, you can see players play very well in exhibitions and it’s a case of converting that to the biggest stage. If he can put that into a professional match then he’s going to be ever better. I’m happy with the start and the whole match, just closing out the second would have been nice.”

Coll will now face Egypt’s Fares Dessouky in the quarter finals, after the World No.10 overcame compatriot Omar Mosaad in a feisty encounter. Egypt’s Tarek Momen and Mostafa Asal will renew their rivalry in the last eight as well, after the pair both won their second round matches on Thursday, against Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann and Frenchman Gregoire Marche, respectively.

The quarter finals of the Grasshopper Cup will take place on Friday at Halle 622 in Zurich, Switzerland. All of the action will be streamed live on SQUASHTV.

Men’s Second Round Results (Bottom Half): Grasshopper Cup
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 2-0: 11-7, 11-5 (34m)
[5] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [WC] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 2-0: 11-7, 11-4 (26m)
[8] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 2-0: 11-8, 15-13 (72m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Patrick Rooney (ENG) 2-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-6 (44m)

Men’s Quarter Final Draw: To Be Played Friday, October 21st
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v [7] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
[6] Joel Makin (WAL) v [4] Diego Elias (PER)
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [5] Tarek Momen (EGY)
[8] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)

Women’s Second Round Results (Bottom Half): Grasshopper Cup
Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 2-1: 11-6, 10-12, 11-9 (45m)
[6] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 2-1: 4-11, 11-8, 11-1 (25m)
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bt Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 2-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-4 (28m)
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Enora Villard (FRA) 2-0: 11-3, 11-5 (22m)

Women’s Quarter Final Draw: To Be Played Friday, October 21st
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [8] Olivia Fiechter (USA)
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [4] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)\
Tesni Evans (WAL) v [6] Salma Hany (EGY)
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v [2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)