19/11/2009 - Double delight for rising New Zealand squash star Joelle King. |
The 21-year-old kiwi has made a four strong shortlist for the most improved player of the year on the WISPA World Squash Tour.
King has had a stellar season in 2009, climbing to a career high 32 in the world rankings in September. Along the way, she has racked up tour victories over Australian world number four Rachel Grinham and 20 ranked players Kasey Brown (AUS) and Annie Au (HKG).
Au has also made the shortlist, along with Australian Donna Urquhart and Camille Serme from France.
King has celebrated her nomination in style, grabbing a place in the main draw of the rich Qatar Classic in Doha with a 13-11, 13-11, 11-5 victory over Egypt's Nour El Tayeb in the final round of qualifying. She will play Irish fifth seed Madeline Perry in the opening round.
Not such good news for fellow kiwi Martin Knight, who went down 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 to Frenchman Renan Lavigne to miss out on a spot in the men's draw.
Results...
Men's qualifying finals:
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (32m)
Simon Rosner (GER) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-7, 11-8, 3-11, 11-3 (41m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (32m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 15-13, 11-8, 12-10 (68m)
Eric Galvez (MEX) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 11-4, 6-11, 11-6, 11-13, 15-13 (97m)
Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 (41m)
Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Martin Knight (NZL) 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 (50m)
Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 (42m)
Women's qualifying finals:
Joelle King (NZL) bt Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 13-11, 13-11, 11-5 (47m)
Joey Chan (HKG) bt Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) 11-9, 11-3, 11-7 (23m)
Alana Miller (CAN) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND) 5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (33m)
Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt Christina Mak (HKG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 (25m)
Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt Olga Ertlova (CZE) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 (32m)
Annelize Naude (NED) bt Heba El Torky (EGY) 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10 (46m)
Lucie Fialova (CZE) bt Orla Noom (NED) 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-4 (57m)
Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 11-5, 9-11, 11-1, 11-2 (27m)
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