The prospect of two further local players making the main draw of the Women's Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open were given a major boost today at the Hong Kong Squash Centre where Tong Tsz-Wing and Ho Ka Po both prevailed in the first qualifying round of the WSA World Series Gold squash event.
Tong Tsz-Wing defeated Egypt's 16-year-old Nadine Ayman Shahin 11-6, 11-6, 11-2. The 21-year-old world No56 from Hong Kong will now face England's Emma Beddoes for a place in the main draw.
19-year-old Ho Ka Po upset Germany's former world No41 Sina Wall 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 - and will now line up against Welsh number one Tesni Evans in the qualifying finals.
A remarkable 27-year age gap separated the two players who contested the day's final qualifying battle: The indefatigable 40-year-old seven-time US champion Latasha Khan had to call upon all her experience to outshine 13-year-old Hong Kong prospect Cheng Nga Ching 11-2, 11-6, 11-7.
Khan, the world No30 from Seattle, faces another teenager in the qualifying finals when she meets Mariam Ibrahim Metwally, the 17-year-old from Egypt who ousted Hong Kong's Ho Tze-Lok 11-9, 11-5, 11-6.
The day's most dramatic battle took place between France's Laura Pomportes and local hope Choi Uen Shan. World No58 Pomportes twice led the unranked 17-year-old - but Shan twice levelled, and had match-ball in the decider before the 24-year-old French player finally clinched her 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10 victory after 52 minutes.
RESULTS: Women's Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong
1st qualifying round:
Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt Lee Ka Yi (HKG) 13-11, 11-6, 11-6 (29m)
Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt Nadine Ayman Shahin (EGY) 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 (29m)
Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Carmen Lee (HKG) 11-7, 11-2, 11-9 (21m)
Ho Ka Po (HKG) bt Sina Wall (GER) 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (30m)
Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Vanessa Chu (HKG) 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9 (30m)
Melody Francis (AUS) bt Jannis Lam (HKG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (26m)
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Li Dongjin (CHN) 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (16m)
Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt Choi Uen Shan (HKG) 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10 (52m)
Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt Chan Ho-Ching (HKG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (22m)
Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Belen Etchechoury (ARG) 11-2, 11-6, 11-4 (19m)
Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bt Aparajitha Balamurukan (IND) 11-0, 11-6, 11-4 (20m)
Delia Arnold (MAS) bt Karman Siu (HKG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-6 (19m)
Deon Saffery (WAL) bt Ho Ka-Wing (HKG) 11-8, 11-2, 11-2 (19m)
Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 11-3, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6 (33m)
Mariam Ibrahim Metwally (EGY) bt Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 (35m)
Latasha Khan (USA) bt Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 11-2, 11-6, 11-7 (13m)
