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15-Dec, Qualifying Finals:
Delia Arnold (Mas)
3-0 Tesni Evans (Wal) 11/9, 13/11, 11/8 (51m)
Sam Cornett (Can) 3-0 Lisa Aitken (Sco)
11/5, 11/7, 11/9 (30m)
Catalina Palaez (Col) 3-0 Lauren Selby (Eng) 11/5,11/6,
11/9 (23m)
Lauren Briggs (Eng) 3-0 Mary Fung-a-Fat (Guy)
11/1, 11/1, 11/4 (19m)
Emma Beddoes (Eng) 3-0 Nayelly Hernandez (Mex)
11/4, 11/4, 11/6 (24m)
Nicolette Fernandes (Guy) 3-2 Misaki Kobayashi (Jpn)
6/11, 12/10, 9/11, 13/11, 11/9 (83m)
Sarah-Jane Perry (Eng ) 3-1 Heba El Torky (Egy)
11/4, 8/11, 11/4, 11/9 (39m)
Latasha Khan (Usa) 3-1 Yathreb Adel (Egy)
11/6, 8/11, 11/9, 11/9 (47m)
Main draw matchups:
Sherbini v Cornett, Teran v Briggs, Duncalf v Perry,
Serme v Beddoes, Brown v Khan, R Grinham v Fernandes,
Massaro v Pelaez, Pallikal v Arnold.
Lots more photos in
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Fernandes keeps Caribbean
bandwagon rolling in Grand Cayman
The first qualifier forv
the Cayman Women’s World Open presented by BDO was qualifying
top seed Delia Arnold, the Malaysian coming through in
three close games against Tesni Evans.
 It
was the Welsh youngster who made the better start, taking leads
of 5/1 in the first and 6/2 in the second, but in both games
Arnold, after some early errors, worked her way back into it,
levelling at 9-all in the first and 8-all in the second, taking
them 11/9 and 13/11.
By the end of the second Evans was definitely working the harder
of the two, and was beginning to lose out in some scrambling
rallies, but the third was still just as competitive, nothing to
split them up to 8-all. Again though it was Delia who finished
the game better, taking three points in a row to move into the
main draw.
"It was really hot and bouncy, even more than at home in
Malaysia," commented Delia. "I'd never played Tesni before and
she has some tricky shots, so in the first two games I was never
sure where the ball was going, but it was better in the third.
"I haven't had to qualify for a while, so it's good to get get
off in three games, looking forward to tomorrow now."
 The
second qualifier also won in three tough games. Samantha
Cornett came out firing, taking Lisa Aitken a little
by surprise as the Canadian blasted through the first game 11/5,
aided by some Scottish errors.
Aitken picked up the pace though, and the next two games were
fast and furious, much harder hitting than the previous match,
but still it was Cornett who continued to get the better of
things, just, as she took the second and third games 11/7, 11/9
with Aitken frustrated at not quite being able to close the gap.
“I knew it would be a hard, fast game,” said Cornett, “we
both play that way but I play better when it’s fast like that so
I was quite happy to play her at that game. I’m really pleased
to qualify in my second World Open, I’ve been getting a lot of
snorkelling in but I need to do some serious practice now!”
 Colombian
Catalina Pelaez has been out for a few weeks with injury,
and it looked as though she was enjoying being able to run again
as she ran for everything in the first two games of her match
against Lauren Selby, catching her opponent off guard
with some lovely running winners too.
Having lost the first two 11/5, 11/6, the Englishwoman looked to
be getting more and more control of her opponent as the third
game went on, but a 9/7 lead disappeared courtest of a trio of
unforced errors, and Catalian seized on the opportunity to win
the final rally with a running volley boast.
“I was enjoying being able to run, but I think I relaxed a
bit in the third,” admitted Catalina, “ands she was putting me
under a lot of pressure with her dropshots. I was getting a
little tired, so I was happy to be able to win that third!”
 There
was better news for England’s Lauren Briggs, who eased
through to the main draw with an 11/1, 11/1, 11/4 win over
Guyana’s Caribbean Junior Champion Mary Fung-a-Fat, who
thoroughly enjoyed the experience:
“It’s completely different playing at this level compared to
what I’m used to,” explained Mary, “it’s very serious and very
accurate. I see now what I have to do, and how much training I
have to put in to get to that level, challenge accepted!
“It’s just been great being here, meeting, seeing and playing
the people I normally just read about online, that’s the win for
me.”
 More
English success followed as Emma Beddoes beat Mexican
Nayelly Hernandez 11/4, 11/4, 11/6.
"I'm just glad to be here really," said Beddoes, who is not
long back into action after injury, "two and a half months ago
it wasn't looking good. This is the big one though, so I'm glad
to be here and playing quite well, qualifying is always a
horrible thing to go through so now the pressure's off and I
just hope I can perform against whoever I get tomorrow."
Fernandes wins match of the tournament
 Next
up was what promised to be a cracking match, and so it proved.
There wasn’t much to choose between Misaki Kobayashi and
Nicolette Fernandes in terms of ranking, style of play,
determination .. even their outfits were a good match, and it
was more than a good match that they delivered to the South
Sound crowd, who were supporting their Caribbean favourite
Fernandes, of course.
Long story short, virtually every rally was hotly contested,
both players were on the floor several times, and there were 53
lets or strokes, but it wasn’t that type of match, it was a
fast-paced, no-quarter-given or asked for, allm or nothing
slugfest and the crowd and ultimately both players enjoyed it
immensely.
 After
Kobayashi took the first 11/6, there was hardly a point between
them for the next four games. Kobayashi had 10/9 in the 2nd, 3rd
and 4th games but Fernandes refused to yield and we were into a
decider.
The Japanese led againg in the fifth, only 9/7 but it made the
crowd very nervous. Two nervous tins fromMisaki levelled it at
9-all, two forceful drives from Nicoletter were too tight and
after 83 minutes the Caribbean had itself a main draw player.
The crowd had probably seen the match of the tournament too, and
we’re only on day two!
 “You
guys have no idea how much pressure you put me under, bloody
hell!” said a delighted and relieved Fernandes. “It’s great to
be playing in front of a home crowd like this, but I’m a nervous
wreck. I had a shoulder injury after the last CASA championships
here last year, it’s been a long road back but it’s all coming
together now and I’m really excited to make the main draw of the
World Open, right here in the Caribbean!”
Sarah-Jane Perry made it a hat-trick of English
qualifiers as she came through a feisty encounter with Heba El
Torky - they’re both determined characters but it was Perry who
was more determined on the day, fighting back from 1/5 down in
the fourth to win 11/4, 8/11, 11/4, 11/9.
“Last year I was match ball up in the qualifying finals against
El Sherbini, so it feels pretty good to get past another tough
Egyptian this time,” said Perry.
 The
final main draw spot was claimed by USA veteran Latasha Khan,
who ensured that for once there would be no young Egyptian
winners with a four game win over Yathreb Adel. It wasn’t the
prettiest match, with 43 decisions , but Latasha was delighted
to be through to another World Open main draw.
“It was a difficult match but it wasn’t physically tough, as
we never really got any rallies going,” explained Khan.
The main draw kicks off at noon on Sunday with Cayman's own
Marlene West first on court. |
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