New Zealand Open – Comebacks For Ho And Crouin As Home Hero Coll Makes Return

Hong Kong’s Tomato Ho and France’s Victor Crouin came back from two games down to reach the quarter-finals of the New Zealand Open, while home hero and last year’s finalist Paul Coll made a triumphant return to Tauranga.

In the first Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Women’s Open match of the day, No.6 seed Ho found it tough going early on against Egypt’s Malak Khafagy and made uncharacteristic errors as she struggled to construct rallies, with Khafagy taking a 2-0 lead through 11-5, 11-6 wins.

In a scrappy third game, Ho looked much improved and she reduced the deficit with an 11-9 win before levelling with a stunning volleyed drop from the back at 10-6 in game four.

Game five was a nerve shredder. With little quarter given as the players competed for space on court, it was Ho who was able to make the decisive breakthrough, converting her fifth match ball at 11-10 to progress.

“She’s a tough opponent and she can always make trouble for seeded players so I think I’m a bit lucky to come back!” Ho said afterwards.

Ho faces Tesni Evans in the quarter-final after the No.3 seed, returning to the tour after a lengthy injury layoff, breezed past Hong Kong’s Cheng Nga Ching.

Meanwhile, in the Lucino Vanities New Zealand Men’s Open, No.4 seed Crouin was also forced to do things the hard way as he survived a bruising encounter with Germany’s Raphael Kandra.

Kandra, who led Crouin 2-0 in this year’s British Open before the Frenchman came back to win 3-2, was in top form early on today, with the German covering the court excellently to smother Crouin’s attack and earn a 2-0 lead.

Just as in Birmingham, though, Crouin adapted, finding ways past Kandra’s defences with increasing ease as he flipped the match on its head with 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 wins.

Elsewhere in the men’s draw, New Zealand No.1 and World No.3 Paul Coll was in fine form as he made a triumphant return to the event.

Pitted against Indian World No.63 Velavan Senthilkumar – who upset Shahjahan Khan in round one – Coll was initially watchful, before accelerating away as he recorded 11-7, 11-1, 11-2 wins to wrap up in 28 minutes.

The quarter-finals of the Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Women’s Open and the Lucino Vanities New Zealand Men’s Open take place from 13:00 (GMT+13) tomorrow, 8 December, at the Mercury Arena, Tauranga.

Watch the action live on SQUASHTV.

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Results – Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Open Women’s RD2 (bottom half):
[3] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-9 (22m)
[6] Tomato Ho (HKG) bt Malak Khafagy (EGY) 3-2: 5-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10 (59m)
[7] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt Ainaa Amani (MAS) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-7 (29m)
[2] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Saskia Beinhard (GER) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 (29m)

Results – Lucino Vanities New Zealand Open Men’s RD2 (top half):
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-2 (28m)
[6] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Timothy Brownell (USA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 (43m)
[8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-1: 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-7 (59m)
[4] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-2: 8-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 (63m)

Draw – Barfoot & Thompson New Zealand Open Women’s Quarter-Finals (to be played 08 December)
[1] Nele Gilis (BEL) v [5] Lucy Beecroft (ENG)
[8] Ka Yi Lee (HKG) v [4] Aifa Azman (MAS)
[3] Tesni Evans (WAL) v [6] Tomato Ho (HKG)
[7] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) v [2] Tinne Gilis (BEL)

Draw – Lucino Vanities New Zealand Open Men’s Quarter-Finals (to be played 08 December)
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) v [6] Auguste Dussourd (FRA)
[8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) v[4] Victor Crouin (FRA)
[3] Joel Makin (WAL) v [5] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) v [2] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG)