AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, CMC – Hong Kong’s Joey Chan resisted a late fightback from Guyana’s Nicolette Fernandes to win their second round qualifying match at the Forexx Women’s World Open Squash tournament on Monday night.
After losing the first two games, Fernandes rallied to win the third but the 21-year-old Chan narrowly won a tense fourth game to step closer to a spot in the main draw at Frans Otten Courts.
Chan eliminated Fernandes 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10 in a match that lasted 49 minutes. “In the third (game), I made too many mistakes, so I tried to be more patient in the fourth, particularly trying not to miss my volley drops,” said Chan, who was contesting her second World Open.
The 26-year-old Fernandes, in her comeback year after two years off the international circuit with a knee injury, had threatened to take control after a good win in the third game, but could not prevent Chan from taking the pivotal fourth game.
Contesting her first World Open Championship since 2006, Fernandes had won her first-round qualifier on Sunday over South African Adel Weir in straight games.
The main draw begins today with Malaysia’s Nicol David, the World No.1 unbroken for the past three years, opening against Orla Noom, of the Netherlands.
