Mead, Harris and Withington Lead English Charge In Opening Round Of World Championships Qualifying

The qualifying event for the 2022-2023 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family kicked off at the Edgbaston Priory Club on Wednesday.

Six places are available in both the men’s and women’s draws in Chicago, with a total of twelve players coming through this tournament to take part at the sport’s biggest event in May.

Both 42-strong draws have six byes, with the other 36 players taking each other on. In total, there were 36 matches played at Edgbaston Priory Club.

In the opening set of matches home favourite Alicia Mead made a confident start with a straight games win over Saran Nghiem, who had only just flown in from a break in her study program from Harvard. Mead will now take on top seed Nardine Garas in the second round of qualifying on Thursday afternoon.

“First on, on my home courts, I wasn’t nervous at all actually,” said Mead. 

“This event has come at a good time for me, I’ve struggled in recent weeks but playing on my home courts and sleeping in my own bed is just what I needed. I felt I played well today, very pleased with how it went.”

Fresh from her double European U19 triumph, Asia Harris came from a game down to beat Malaysia’s Xin Ying Yee, one of the 7/12 seeds favoured to reach the finals.

“I only had one day to recover from ten days of intense squash, it’s not enough. I’m still tired and I need a good session to get the lactic acid moving,” she explained. “I haven’t even looked at who I might be playing next but I’ll be giving it all to qualify.”

In the final match of the day, England’s Finnlay Withington came from match ball down in the third to beat USA’s Spencer Lovejoy. James Peach also won in five, while Ben Coleman, Perry Malik and Tom Walsh also adding to the English contingent reaching the second round.

Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue booked his spot in the next round with a win over Austrian No.1 Aqeel Rehman. He will now take on former World No.7 Mohamed Abouelghar for a place in the Qualifying Finals on Friday.

“It will be tough but I’ll just have to try my best, I’m really excited to be able to play against a top player like that,” the Japanese man said.

Spain’s Ivan Perez was another won in five, as he came back from 2-1 down to defeat the Czech Republic’s Viktor Byrtus. He won both the fourth and fifth by 11-9 scorelines to move through to the second round.

“Victor was playing well, going for lots of shots. I tried to get a better length, be patient and wait for the opportunities because I knew he would be going short. He was getting tired towards the end, but it was still very close!” Perez said.

Austrian’s Jacqueline Peychar was one of three women to win in five games on the opening day of the World Championships Qualifying Event. She got the better of Australia’s Sarah Cardwell to book her spot in the second round. Germany’s Katerina Tycova will be the woman she faces in the last 24 of the competition.

“I started well. I started well but she came back strongly, she’s very experienced. I just had to dig in and I’m very happy to get through,” Peychar said.

England’s Kiera Marshall and Malaysia’s Yasshmita Jadishkumar were the other two women to go the distance on the opening day, and will now both go through to the second round.

The semi-finals of the PSA World Championships Qualifying Event will take place on Thursday, April 13, with all four courts being streamed live on the PSA Challenger Tour YouTube channel.

Men’s First Round Results: World Championships Qualifying Event
Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) bt Emyr Evans (WAL) 3-2: 9-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-3 (71m)
Yannik Omlor (GER) bt Josue Enriquez (GUA) 3-1: 0-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (51m)
Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bt Seif Shenawy (EGY) 3-2: 13-11, 7-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6 (71m)
Perry Malik (ENG) bt Khaled Labib (EGY) 3-1: 11-3, 14-12, 6-11, 11-9 (45m)
Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bt Mohamed Nasser (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-4, 11-1, 11-7 (42m)
Simon Herbert (ENG) bt Joseph White (AUS) 3-1: 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (44m)
Ivan Perez (ESP) bt Viktor Byrtus (CZE) 3-2: 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9 (64m)
Ben Coleman (ENG) bt Andres Herrera (COL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 (48m)
Tang Ming Hong (HKG) bt [8] Christopher Gordon (USA) 3-2: 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7 (57m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 (26m)
James Peach (ENG) bt Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-2: 6-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10 (70m)
[7] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Wong Chi Him (HKG) 3-2: 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10 (76m)
Edwin Clain (FRA) bt Ben Smith (ENG) 3-2: 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4 (58m)
Tom Walsh (ENG) bt Joeri Hapers (BEL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 (36m)
Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) bt Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 3-1: 11-6, 5-11, 11-5, 11-3 (42m)
Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 (42m)
Finnlay Withington (ENG) bt Spencer Lovejoy (USA) 3-2: 12-14, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8 (58m)
Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt Owain Taylor (WAL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (41m)

Men’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Thursday, April 13
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) v Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR)
Yannik Omlor (GER) v Dewald van Niekerk (RSA)
[6] Martin Svec (CZE) v Perry Malik (ENG)
Daniel Mekbib (CZE) v Simon Herbert (ENG)
[5] Abhay Singh (IND) v Ivan Perez (ESP)
Ben Coleman (ENG) v Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 
[2] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN)
James Peach (ENG) v [7] Addeen Idrakie (MAS)
[3] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) v Edwin Clain (FRA)
Tom Walsh (ENG) v Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY)
[4] Ivan Yuen (MAS) v Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI)
Finnlay Withington (ENG) v Edmon Lopez (ESP)

Women’s First Round Results: World Championships Qualifying Event
Alicia Mead (ENG) bt Saran Nghiem (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (23m)
Ching Hei Fung (HKG) bt Celine Walser (SUI) 3-0: 11-7, 14-12, 11-6 (28m)
[8] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) bt Lea Barbeau (FRA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-1, 11-9 (19m)
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (16m)
Katerina Tycova (GER) bt Akari Midorikawa (JPN) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9 (45m)
Jacqueline Peychär (AUT) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-2: 11-4, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6 (49m)
Alex Haydon (AUS) bt Ali Loke (WAL) 3-1: 7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (33m)
Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR) 3-0: 11-1, 11-4, 11-6 (17m)
Menna Hamed (EGY) bt Kincso Szász (HUN) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-1 (16m)
Torrie Malik (ENG) bt Elise Romba (FRA) 3-0: 11-1, 11-2, 11-4 (14m)
Alison Thomson (SCO) bt Klara Møller (DEN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (26m)
Tanvi Khanna (IND) bt [7] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) 3-0: 12-10, 11-8, 11-2 (27m)
Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt Ambre Allinckx (SUI) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (25m)
Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt Sofía Mateos (ESP) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (28m)
Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt Emilia Korhonen (FIN) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 (16m)
Asia Harris (ENG) bt Xin Ying Yee (MAS) 3-1: 8-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-6 (36m)
Kiera Marshall (ENG) bt Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP) 3-2: 11-6, 13-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6 (51m)
Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) bt Rana Ismail (EGY) 3-2: 11-7, 4-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-5 (39m)

Women’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Thursday, April 13
[1] Nardine Garas (EGY) v Alicia Mead (ENG)
Ching Hei Fung (HKG) v [8] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP)
[2] Saskia Beinhard (GER) v Ainaa Amani (MAS)
Katerina Tycova (GER) v Jacqueline Peychär (AUT)
[3] Aira Azman (MAS) v Alex Haydon (AUS)
Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) v Menna Hamed (EGY)
[4] Zeina Zein (EGY) v Torrie Malik (ENG)
Alison Thomson (SCO) v Tanvi Khanna (IND)
[5] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) v Malak Khafagy (EGY)
Anna Kimberley (ENG) v Asia Harris (ENG)
[6] Nadia Pfister (SUI) v Chan Yiwen (MAS)
Kiera Marshall (ENG) v Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS)