20 Mar 2009

Disappointing day for Aussies in Asia

Australian squash players in Asia had a disappointing day on Thursday with all four in action losing their quarter-final matches.

Donna Urquhart, Ryan Cuskelly ( AIS- SQUASH ) and Zac Alexander (AIS –SQUASH) fell at the NSC International in Kuala Lumpur while in India Aaron Frankcomb was forced to withdraw injured during his match at the Kolkata PSA tournament.

Cuskelly’s loss was the biggest surprise.

The 21-year-old from New South Wales was in a hot streak of form after winning his third tournament last week.

But he came up against an inspired Ivan Yuen who outlasted Cuskelly in a gruelling 96 minutes 6-11, 12-10, 11-13, 11-9, 11-5.

Alexander fought hard against Nafiizwan Adnan before the Malaysian second seed won in four games 11-8, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6.

Urquhart also took her opponent to four games, eventually losing to former Dutch world champion and top seed Vanessa Atkinson 11-9, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4.

Meanwhile in India, Frankcomb pulled out of his match against Malaysia’s Azlan Iskandar while down 11-6, 6-1.

Results (prefix denotes seeding):

NSC International

Quarter-finals

Men

Waqar Mehboob (PAK) bt 1-Renan Lavigne (FRA) 10-12, 11-5, 11-8, 13-11

Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt 7-Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 12-10

Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt 4-Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 6-11, 12-10, 11-13, 11-9, 11-5

2-Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Zac Alexander (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6

Women

1-Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt 7-Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-9, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4

3-Tania Bailey (ENG) bt 5-Delia Arnold (MAS) 12-10, 11-4, 11-4

4-Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt 6-Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-7, 11-3, 11-7

2-Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt 8-Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-5, 11-7, 11-3

Kolkata PSA

Quarter-finals

1-Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt 6-Saurav Ghosal (IND) 3-11, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6

4-Hisham Ashour (EGY) bt 5-Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-5, 11-3, 11-8

3-Adrian Grant (ENG) bt 8-Amr Swelim (EGY) 3-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4

2-Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt 7-Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-6, 6-1 rtd