R1: Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-1 Emily Whitlock (WAL)
Hana Ramadan (EGY) 3-1 Emily Whitlock (WAL) 11-6, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10 (57m)
Lucky or unlucky depending of who you are supporting, but when you have three 12/10, you know it could have gone either way. And today, it went the Egyptian way.
A rollercoaster of lovely rallies, with Emily at the wrong side of them for the first game. 11/6, the score doesn’t tell the story.
Emily will kick herself so hard not taking that second, as she led thoughout, 5/3, 8/6, 9/7, only to be caught out 9/9 but still got the chance to equalise, 10/9, game ball Wales. Three winners and short rallies later, Hana was leading 2/0, 12/10 in 14m.
Huge response from Emily, finding her most assertive and accurate squash in the 3rd, close throughout, 4/4, 6/6, 7/7, 8/8, 9/9. And this time, the Welsh grabs the game on her second attempt, 12/10, 13m.
The fourth must have given a few grey hair more for the two dads present behind the glass, as Em was up 9/6, looking strong for a 5th, even getting yet another game ball at 10/9, the third of the match! But like at the business end of the third, the Egyptian finds three superb short winners, and it’s 12/10 in 12m for the Alexandria Physio.
Hana : A very nervy, stressful, emotional match.
I mean it was such a mental game today. I kept pushing mentally more than physically; I wasn’t tired; it was more like the mental struggle of believing in myself and keeping pushing.
I thought there was going to be a 5th, I couldn’t control my emotions today. She was putting so much pressure on me with her lobs and her soft game, height. And I was trying to be more aggressive, a rollercoaster of emotions. But I’m really really glad I won the fourth.
Very proud of my mental strength more than of my actual squash today.
Tomorrow, I’m playing Satomi, I’ve been watching her play over last few tournaments, she is a brilliant player, very tactical, very good hands. She is really good mentally and physically on court, so I need to match that, or even get one better…
