Open de France: Day Two – Player Reaction: Courts 5 & 6

The Open de France de Squash continues today, and there will be 12 matches taking place on the traditional courts at La Maison du Squash in Nantes.

Both Courts 5 & 6 will have six matches on this afternoon, with the best-of-three format in place, and the top seeds will both be in action. All the action from Court 5 & 6 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 traditional courts in Nantes throughout the day right here.

Order Of Play – Side Courts
Court 5
12:00 [6] Enora Villard (FRA) v Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY)
12:30 Declan James (ENG) v [7] Shahjahan Khan (USA)
13:15 [3] Tesni Evans (WAL) v Cristina Gomez (ESP)
13:45 Leonel Cardenas (MEX) v [5] Omar Mosaad (EGY)
14:15 [8] Cindy Merlo (SUI) v Salma Eltayeb (EGY)
15:00 [8] George Parker (ENG) v Mahesh Mangaonkar (EGY)

Court 6
12:00 [1] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Nick Wall (ENG)
12:45 Marie Stephan (FRA) v [1] Nele Gilis (BEL)
13:15 [6] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
14:00 Nardine Garas (EGY) v [5] Lucy Turmel (ENG)
14:30 Auguste Dussourd (FRA) v [2] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
15:15 Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [7] Nicole Bunyan (CAN)

ElShorbagy and Aboulmakarim Through In Straight Games

Egypt’s Marwan ElShorbagy and Nour Aboulmakarim got the second day off to a perfect start, as they both came through their second round encounters at La Maison du Squash in straight games.

ElShorbagy, the top seed for the competition, came up against England’s Nick Wall in his first match of the week, and he was in top form through their match-up, needing just 19 minutes on court to win in two games.

“To be honest, I was a bit nervous today, I know how good of a player Nick is, best of three as well, a bit tricky always on the higher seed,” the Egyptian explained.

“Today the second game was crucial, he had a decent lead, I had to focus and to make the rallies as long as possible, even if I lost the rally, putting a lot of work into him, to get to him a bit physically, the longer the rallies go, the better for me. I didn’t want to go for any cheap shot, build the rallies and control them before I do anything.

“And it paid off at the end, I won I think 6 or 7 points at the end in a row. Happy to get the win, especially on those courts it could have been a tricky one. Happy to play on the glass court, I prefer to play there obviously, so looking forward to tomorrow, and excited to finally play in that  I have heard everybody talking about!”

On Court 5, Nour Aboulmakarim caused the first seeding upset of the day to defeat No.6 seed Enora Villard, winning in straight games. She had to come from behind in the second game, though, but fought through from 8-6 down to win it 11-9, to book her spot in the quarter finals of the Bronze level tournament.

“I am feeling pretty good now! This is my first time with such a big win for me in my biggest tournament for me! This is my first time playing Enora, she is such a good play, a tough opponent.

“I didn’t believe that I could win because I have been injured for three months, haven’t trained well for the tournament. I tried to play with no pressure, and that worked! Yesterday, I was so nervous because I had a little bit of pain in my foot, so I was worried. Today, I just tried not to think about it anymore!

“I am so excited. It [the glass court venue] is so unique and I want to try it as soon as possible. It looks so good, the vibe, the spirit, it looks amazing!”

Results:
[1] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Nick Wall (ENG) 2-0: 11-4, 11-7 (19m)
Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bt [6] Enora Villard (FRA) 2-0: 11-6, 11-9 (22m)

2018 Champions Gilis and James Into Quarters

Top seed Nele Gilis and England’s Declan James, the winners of Open International de Squash de Nantes back in 2018, both made it into the quarter finals of this year’s edition of the tournament.

Gilis, the World No.13 and this year’s women’s top seed, took on one of the Frenchwomen in the second round, in Marie Stephan. She started strongly, winning eight of the first nine points, and she carried that form throughout the match, winning 11-6, 11-7 in 25 minutes to advance to the last eight.

“Every since I got the treatment, my hip is fine. The doctor told me it would take like 2 months to recover, but actually it went a lot faster than expected. And since the treatment, I’ve been playing pain free really,” Gilis said.

“I’m really happy, I feel physically stronger and better and fitter compared to the last tournament. There were two or three weeks between the tournaments, I trained and played a few practice matches, I feel ready.

“I ate more, better food, I didn’t lose weight on purpose or anything before but I was mentally struggling the last part of the season. But now, I feel a lot healthier, fitter and I’m ready for the new season.”

On Court 5, England’s Declan James had to fight from behind to get the better of US No.1 Shahjahan Khan in three games. He lost the first 11-4, but then showed his qualities to send the match into a deciding third game. At 10-9 up in the third, and with match ball, the match was halted due to a blood injury to the American after James’ racket caught him above the right eye. After a short break, the Englishman took the first point back on court to seal the deal, and move through to the last eight where he will play top seed Marwan ElShorbagy.

“Very happy actually, to win in that way. I wasn’t playing my best and I felt very flat, especially in the first game. I wasn’t moving amazingly well, but that’s the way it goes sometimes! You’ve got an early match, and you don’t feel amazing,”

“I felt I fought my way through it in the second game, tried to be a bit more clever, play the court and how I was feeling. The third was then just brutal all the way. I got ahead and then he came back. Got my second wind halfway through it and then towards the end, it’s always a flip of a coin really. It was unfortunate that I just clipped him in the face there, so obviously I am sorry to him for that! A five minute break at match ball is really difficult because you’ve gone cold, you don’t know what is going to happen, but I took my chance, and I am very happy to get through.

“This is one of my favourite tournaments, you know. I was desperate to make it to the glass court, and to be able to play in front of what is always a wonderful crowd. It is like a fresh start, the tournament stars again, so I am really happy to get to the glass and play in front of that crowd once again!”

Results:
[1] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Marie Stephan (FRA) 2-0: 11-6, 11-7 (25m)
Declan James (ENG) bt [7] Shahjahan Khan (USA) 2-1: 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 (51m)

Evans and Pajares Cruise Into Last Eight

Wales’ Tesni Evans and Spanish No.1 Iker Pajares Bernabeu made their way through to the last eight of the Open de France de Squash after securing straight games wins at La Maison do Squash on Tuesday afternoon.

The Welshwoman came up against Spain’s Cristina Gomez in her second round match, and her first match since the Commonwealth Games in the summer. She was on top form to dispatch her opponent, winning in two to move through to the last eight.

“First time I have ever played her I think, I have seen her at the Europeans [Individuals and Teams Championships]. She is a tricky opponent, good hands and makes it really tough because she moves the ball around well,” the Welshwoman said.

“It has been a hard summer! A lot of us are in the same boat, I took a short break after the [Commonwealth] Games and then straight back into a few weeks of training. I am feeling pretty good and hoping for a better season than last year.

“I have heard so much about this event, so this year I knew I had to play here. The people are so nice and the venue looks awesome. I went down last night to have a little watch, and that gave me motivation to get through. They are exposing squash to another level, the fans love it, and the atmosphere is something I love. They’re doing great things for the game and I can’t wait to get out there!”

At the same time, Iker Pajares Bernabeu was taking on another of the French players in the drawing Lucas Serme. The first game was more than 20 minutes long, but it was one the Spanish No.1 took, and he carried the momentum into the second game, winning it 11-5 to secure the victory.

“I’ve been injured for four months, I injured myself at the end of the Windy City Open in Chicago, I pulled my Achille’s and that took that a long time to recover, after I was told it would take one month. So mentally, it was pretty hard,” the Spaniard said.

“I only started playing again three weeks ago, I’ve been pushing hard, and to be honest today, my goal was to finish the match! I was very nervous, I hadn’t been on court for all that time, and I was very tired at the end of the first game.

“Chuffed to win in two, I wasn’t expecting that, as I played a few practice matches, I lost all of them, I was feeling very slow. But today, I was moving very well, and I’m so happy as my aim to manage to play injury free. Today I managed to play pain free, and I got to finish the match, and win!”

Results:
[3] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Cristina Gomez (ESP) 2-0: 11-6, 11-2 (18m)
[6] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 2-0: 11-8, 11-5 (39m)

Cardenas and Garas Cause Second Round Upsets

Mexico’s Leonel Cardenas and Egypt’s Nardine Garas both took surprise wins in their second round matches, getting the better of Egypt’s Omar Mosaad and England’s Lucy Turmel, the tournament’s No.5 seeds, respectively.

The Egyptian got into the second round after a late withdrawal saw her get a walkover through the opening day’s action, and she took on England’s Turmel, the No.5 seed for the women’s event. Garas won the first on a tie-break, and then saw the second slip away from her following an injury break. However, she regrouped to win the third game 11-5, to advance to the quarters.

“I’m training with Nasr Magdy and my fitness coach is Ahmed Faraghallah. I’ve been working with them for three, four years, and they improved every aspect of my game, physically, technically, mentally,” Garas explained.

“Today, I was very nervous, I only knew I was in the tournament on Friday! It went so fast! I just kept attacking, trying to get rid of my nerves, it’s my first bronze event, my first time in Nantes, my first time playing best-of-three, my first match in the event, and my first interview with you! It’s my first everything!”

Cardenas took on former World No.3 Omar Mosaad in his second round contest in Nantes, and seemed in control throughout. He led for the majority of the first game, before pipping the Egyptian in the second 11-9 to secure a straight games victory in half an hour.

“I am just excited to play another round here, I’m so happy! I knew I had to be ready, warming up an hour before because best-of-three is intense,” Cardenas said.

“Since I saw the venue for the glass court, I knew I really wanted to play there! It will be like a dream come true to play on that court.”

Results:
Nardine Garas (EGY) bt [5] Lucy Turmel (ENG) 2-1: 13-11, 3-11, 11-5 (35m)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt [5] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 2-0: 11-8, 11-9 (30m)

Eltayeb and Parker Move Into Quarter Finals

Egypt’s Salma Eltayeb backed up her incredible performance on the glass court last night with a win over Swiss No.1 Cindy Merlo, while England’s George Parker defeated India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar.

Eltayeb got the better of compatriot Kenzy Ayman after a 21-19 tie-break win in the third on day one, and came into the second round as the underdog against Merlo. However, he put in a solid performance, dropping just nine points to win 11-5, 11-4 in 13 minutes, advancing to the last eight in Nantes.

“After yesterday, I was a bit sore. I am happy I got the win against Cindy. She beat me last time we played so I am happy I held my game. She is a top 50 player, and that is my aim to be playing amongst the top girls,” she explained.

“She [Nele Gilis] is the No.1 seed, so it will be good to play her. I want to play my best and hopefully playing my best will give me the chance to win the match.”

England’s Parker took on India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar in the last match on Court 5 on day two, and the Englishman was in control in the early stages. He took the first 11-3, before then having to fight back from a mammoth deficit in the second game. He came back to win it 12-10, to book his spot in the last eight.

“I am still a bit rough from Qatar, really. That was my first hit with someone since then. I felt good to start with but then when I got into it, my technique.. I wasn’t hitting my corners right, but I was able to force him to hit a few errors. I think he got a bit tired towards the end as well, but it’s good to just get through and move into the next round,” Parker said.

“The stadium looks really good where it’s at and it’s always nice to play in front of a big crowd, so I am looking forward to that occasion.”

Results:
Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt [8] Cindy Merlo (SUI) 2-0: 11-5, 11-4 (13m)
[8] George Parker (ENG) bt Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 2-0: 11-3, 12-10 (28m)

Dussourd Downs Marche, Bunyan Overcomes Tomlinson

In the final two matches of the afternoon’s action at La Maison du Squash, Auguste Dussourd got the better of No.2 seed Gregoire Marche in the all-French battle, before Canadian Nicole Bunyan beat England’s Millie Tomlinson.

Dussourd and Marche went head-to-head for a place in the quarter finals of the competition, and the all-French battle went the way of the lower-ranked Dussourd, as he overcame his compatriot in three games, not allowing him to score a point in the deciding third.

“I feel great! After a victory, it always feels great. I was playing well tactically. At the start of the match, I was controlling the rallies and the pace, but then in the start of the second, I was 4-2 up and I completely changed,” Dussourd admitted.

“I started to attack from the back, to cross a lot in the middle, so many bad errors. I was forcing my shots and he took the lead. At the start of the third, I had to make zero mistakes. If he was going to beat me, then he had to win all 11 points.

“When I don’t make mistakes, I am tough to beat and that is what happened, I was consistent, hitting it tight, and I think at 6-0, he started to break a bit. I felt it and I pushed more, going to win it quite comfortably in the end. I am proud of the mental part, and to be consistent feels really good!”

The last match of the afternoon pitted Canada’s Nicole Bunyan, the No.7 seed for the women’s event, and former World No.20 Millie Tomlinson, against each other. The first game was tight, going all the way through to a tie-break, which Bunyan took 15-13, and she then claimed a tight second game 11-9 to win in two, and advance to the last eight.

“That game, that match could have gone either way really. It just came down to a little bit of focus, and to the fact I really wanted to win that game,” the Canadian said.

“So the points I was down game ball, then in the extra points, I knew I had to win, ugly if needed, somehow! Then I got a game ball, I relaxed a little bit, because I had put so much energy into it. So I lost my focus a little bit, and that’s due to the length of that game, it’s not that common now is it! So you start feeling it.

“[The] second game, it was both mental and physical because the physical makes it mental for sure. So you have to keep hanging in there. I knew I had a bit of an advantage because I was one up. And when we were level at 8-8, I knew I had to keep pushing, that she didn’t want to play a third game, but if I gave her a small opening, she would run away through that door.”

Results:
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt [2] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 2-1: 11-6, 6-11, 11-0 (41m)
[7] Nicole Bunyan (CAN) bt Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 2-0: 15-13, 11-9 (33m)