Challenger Events
Calgary CFO Consulting Services PSA Women’s Squash Week: Heikal Upsets Stephan, Walid Wins in Five
Menna Walid fought back from two games down to reach the quarter-finals of the Calgary CFO Consulting Services PSA Women’s Squash Week, while fellow Egyptian Nour Heikal upset No.5 seed Marie Stephan.
Sixth seed Walid has been enjoying an impressive run of form in recent weeks, but looked to be on the brink of an early exit in Alberta after losing the first two games to Austria’s Jacqueline Peychär.
But the 20-year-old fought back to take games three and four 11-5, before clinching a nailbiting decider 11-9 to book her spot in the last eight.
That result was followed immediately by Heikal’s impressive win over World. No.48 Stephan.
The French player was the No.5 seed and ranked 24 places above the Egyptian in the world, but like Walid, Heikal has been playing her best squash of late.
She beat Catalina Pelaez 3-0 in 28 minutes on day one in Calgary, and put in an even better showing in round two, needing only 26 minutes to sweep aside the 28-year-old 11-8, 11-6, 11-4.
Heikal’s reward will be a quarter-final clash with No.1 seed and defending champion Lucy Turmel, who had to battle hard to get past Saran Nghiem in an all-English matchup.
The 20-year-old Harvard student took the first game 11-9 but Turmel levelled things up by winning the second 11-7.
The third game was even closer and would prove to be decisive, as Turmel saved two game balls at 10-8 down, going on to take the tiebreak 12-10 and then the fourth 11-7 to keep her title defence on track.
Poland’s Karina Tyma was the other big winner on day two, recording her second straight upset victory.
The 23-year-old came from a game down to beat Hannah Craig in round one, and followed that up by beating eighth seed Diana Garcia by the same 3-1 scoreline.
She will now play Georgia Adderley, who thrashed Kiera Marshall 3-0 in 21 minutes, while the other quarter-final will pit home favourite Nicole Bunyan and Ukraine’s Alina Bushma against each other.
