Locals Lose Out In World Open Qualifiers

All four Dutch players attempting to boost local interest in the main draw of the Forexx Women's World Open Squash 2009 lost out in today's first qualifying round of the $118,000 WISPA World Tour Platinum event at Frans Otten Stadion in the Dutch capital Amsterdam.

But 18-year-old Milou van der Heijden looked set to cause a significant upset when she took the opening two games against higher-ranked French opponent Celia Allamargot. But Allamargot, ranked 63 in the world, battled back to beat the Eindhoven teenager, ranked almost 40 places lower, 7-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 in 40 minutes.

Australian Melody Francis dropped a game en-route to beating Dagmar Vermeulen, from Zwolle, 11-6, 12-14, 11-4, 11-5, while former Czech champion Lucie Fialova despatched Milja Dorenbos, from Zevenaar, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7.

Arnhem-based Margriet Huisman, who has been out of action for almost two years with a leg injury, battled bravely against New Zealand's Kylie Lindsay - and took the third game after a lengthy tiebreak. But it was the Kiwi who ultimately prevailed, beating 25-year-old Huisman 11-9, 11-6, 14-16, 11-1 in 40 minutes.

Egyptian youngster Nour El Sherbini made a stunning start in her first WISPA Tour event outside her home country. The 13-year-old, who became the sport's youngest ever world champion when she clinched the World Junior (U19) title in August, beat experienced English opponent Fiona Moverley 12-10, 11-8, 11-7 in 26 minutes.

The Alexandria prodigy, ranked 67 in the world, will now face Canada's 29-year-old Alana Miller, ranked 26 places higher, for a place in Tuesday's qualifying finals.

There were also notable upsets by England's Emma Chorley and Leonie Holt, USA's Amanda Sobhy, and Nicolette Fernandes from Guyana.

Chorley beat Norway's Lotte Eriksen 11-9, 11-6, 13-11, while Holt halted Czech opponent Olga Ertlova 12-10, 11-5, 2-11, 6-11, 11-6.

Sobhy, 16, from New York, despatched 24-year-old Austrian Birgit Coufal 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5, and Fernandes, fighting back after a serious knee injury, beat South African Adel Weir 11-7, 12-10, 11-6.

1st qualifying round:
Leonie Holt (ENG) bt Olga Ertlova (CZE) 12-10, 11-5, 2-11, 6-11, 11-6 (41m)
Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Cecilie Mayer (DEN) 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 (19m)
Alexandra Norman (CAN) bt Jenna Gates (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6 (35m)
Victoria Lust (ENG) bt Maud Duplomb (FRA) 11-6, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)
Melody Francis (AUS) bt Dagmar Vermeulen (NED) 11-6, 12-14, 11-4, 11-5 (33m)
Lucie Fialova (CZE) bt Milja Dorenbos (NED) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (20m)
Deon Saffery (WAL) bt Linda Hruzikova (SVK) 11-9, 12-10, 11-3 (26m)
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt Adel Weir (RSA) 11-7, 12-10, 11-6 (29m)
Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Fiona Moverley (ENG) 12-10, 11-8, 11-7 (26m)
Celia Allamargot (FRA) bt Milou van der Heijden (NED) 7-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 (40m)
Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt Margriet Huisman (NED) 11-9, 11-6, 14-16, 11-1 (40m)
Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Birgit Coufal (AUT) 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (27m)
Lauren Selby (ENG) bt Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) 8-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-4 (39m)
Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) bt Karina Heredia Gonzalez (MEX) 11-3, 11-2, 11-4 (15m)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Soraya Renai (FRA) 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 (13m)
Emma Chorley (ENG) bt Lotte Eriksen (NOR) 11-9, 11-6, 13-11 (32m)