Low Wee Wern (right) playing Raneem El Weleily at the CIMB Malaysian Open last year. They meet again in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday:-
KUALA LUMPUR: National number two Low Wee Wern was totally outplayed in the first set before she crawled her way back to beat home favourite Amanda Sobhy 2-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 to win the second round of the US Open squash championships at Drexel University in Philadelphia on Monday.
Sobhy, the US women’s champion, made a great start by totally dominating the first set to win 11-2.
But with Malaysia’s seven-time world champion Nicol David in the audience, sixth seed Wee Wern was inspired to step up her game in the second set to level the score by winning 11-6.
World No. 7 Wee Wern continued her fine form and despite a strong challenge from Sobhy, she won the third set 11-9 to take the lead.
The fourth game was a repeat of the opener but this time Wee Wern was in control.
“Playing in a glass court is so different. And if you give Amanda anything loose she’ll punish you,” said Wee Wern.
“I just couldn’t get it past her in the first set, but with Nicol giving me advice I started to step up more — playing a bit more like she does.
“This court is punishing if you get stuck at the back, so I’m glad I was able to change it around,” said Wee Wern.
The Penang-born Wee Wern, however, will face a daunting task in the quarter-finals as she goes up against world No. 3 Raneem El Weleily of Egypt.
The Malaysian has never defeated Raneem, who won the Cleveland Open title in February.
In her second round match, Raneem had to dig deep into her reserves to get the better of her compatriot Omneya Abdel Kawy 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9 in 50 minutes.
In another match, Australia’s Kasey Brown upset world no. 6 and seventh seed Jenny Duncalf of England in straight sets to win 11-4, 11-7, 12-10 to set up a date with another English player and second seed Laura Massaro.
Simon Rosner of Germany also created an upset in the men’s competition by beating eighth seed Tarek Momen of Egypt 11-7, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9 in 62 minutes in the second round.
World no. 12 Rosner will take on world No. 3 James Willstrop of England in the quarter-finals.
