Japan's Chinatsu Matsui denied the host country maximum success in today's (Tuesday) qualifying finals of the Women's Hotel Equatorial Penang Open Squash Championship when she beat Low Wee Wern in four games in the first WISPA World Tour event to be held in Penang, Malaysia.
Matsui beat the 16-year-old Asian Junior champion from Penang 9-2, 9-6, 3-9, 9-4 at the International Squash Centre and will now face Hong Kong's third seed Rebecca Chiu, the Asian Games champion, in the first round.Meanwhile, Malaysians Lim Yoke Wah, Siti Munirah Jusoh and Delia Arnold made it through to the first round of the $15,000 event which Penang squash star Nicol David helped to set up.
David, whose success in last week's CIMB Malaysian Open clinched her position as number one in the new August WISPA World Rankings, is favourite to win her third WISPA title in four weeks in her home town. The world champion faces England's Jenna Gates in the first round and is expected to go on to meet Rachael Grinham, the second seed from Australia, in Saturday's final.
Updated 1st round draw:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) v Jenna Gates
(ENG)
[7] Tricia Chuah (MAS) v [Q] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS)
[3] Rebecca
Chiu (HKG) v [Q] Chinatsu Matsui (JPN)
[6] Melissa Martin (AUS) v Christina
Mak (HKG)
[8] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) v [Q] Delia Arnold (MAS)
[4]
Sharon Wee (MAS) v Line Hansen (DEN)
[5] Amelia Pittock (AUS) v Louise Crome
(NZL)
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [Q] Lim Yoke Wah (MAS)
RESULTS: Women's Hotel Equatorial Penang Open Squash Championship, Penang, Malaysia
Qualifying finals:
Lim Yoke Wah (MAS) bt Low Wee Nee
(MAS) 9-2, 9-5, 9-0
Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) bt Nabilla Ariffin
(MAS) 9-4, 2-9, 9-3, 7-9, 9-3
Chinatsu Matsui (JPN) bt Low Wee
Wern (MAS) 9-2, 9-6, 3-9, 9-4
Delia Arnold (MAS) bt Sally Looi
(MAS) 9-3, 10-9, 9-1