Gibraltar Open 2021 - Day two match report

Day 2 Match Report
 
Simon Herbert (ENG) vs Elliot Morris Devred (8) (WAL)
Court 1 started with 8th seed Elliot Morris Devred of Wales against Simon Herbert following his defeat of Valentin Rapp in the previous round.  The first game saw every point keenly contested with some excellent shots from both players.  Herbert continued his good form from the previous day to take the first game 11-6.  Herbert powered into the second game taking a 6-0 lead, but Morris Devred came back to 10-10.  Game balls were exchanged to 12-12, Herbert closing out the game 14-12 for a two game lead.  Morris Devred strengthened his game to take a 9-3 lead, Herbert came back to 9-6, but Morris Devred closed the game out 11-6.  A tight 4th game saw Herbert get the first match ball at 10-8, but Morris Devred recovered to 10-10 with Herbert closing out 12-10 to win the match 3-1

Aron Astray (ESP) vs Nick Wall (2) (ENG)
The first game on court featured the second seed Nick Wall against Aron Astray.  With Robert Downer losing his first round match, Wall was now the favourite.  Wall’s precise and virtually error free game meant the Astray really had to work for his points, but Wall eased the game to win the first game 11-6.  Wall maintained the momentum to take a 6-0 lead.  Astray recovered to 6-4, but Wall then took control back to close the second game out 11-6.  With Wall’s dominance assured, the third game was quickly added to his tally winning 11-2 and progressing to the semi finals.

Ben Smith (ENG) vs Miles Jenkins (5) (ENG) 11-6
Long, hard fought rallies typified the first game between the two Englishmen with the first game going to Smith 11-6.  Jenkins fought back well in the second game getting the better of the majority of the long rallies levelling the game at 1-1.  It was Smith’s turn to come back closing the third out 11-4 to take a 2-1 lead.  Jenkins wasn’t allowing Smith to play the comeback card so came back himself to draw the game 2-2 winning 11-9.  Jenkins managed to break the trend of exchanging games and exert himself in the fifth game (11-5) to take the match 3-2.

Ivan Perez (ESP) vs Hugo Varela (4) (ESP)
Perez came out of the blocks quickly in the first game to take an immediate 7-0 lead, Varela recovered to 10-7, but tinned a shot to lose the first game 11-7.  Varela started the next game much stronger to take an 8-2 lead, converting it to an 11-4 victory to level the match 1-1.  The next game started evenly with the score getting to 6-6.  From there Varela built a run of points to take the third 11-6.  It was Perez’s turn to make the comeback in the fourth game and level the game at 2-2 winning 11-5.  The final game was a gladiatorial battle with both players putting everything in to take the game to 9-9.  In the longest game of the tournament so far, Perez closed the game out to book a place in the semis 11-9

Anna Kimberley (3) (ENG) vs Katie Wells (ENG)
Anna Kimberley started her tournament against fellow Englishwoman Katie Wells having received a bye in the first round.  Following some excellent rally squash, Kimberly won the first two games 11-8, 11-6.  Kimberley having taken 8-3 lead, Wells started a come back but Kimberley fought to get her first match ball at 10-6.  Wells pulled back two match balls, but Kimberley converted the third to take the game 3-0

Aylin Gunsav (8) (GER) vs Alison Thompson (2) (SCO)
Alison Thomson of Scotland flew out of the blocks to take the first game 11-2.  The second game started more evenly with the players exchanging points to 7-7. Thomson finished out the game (11-7) to take the second game.  Gunsav fought hard in the third to try and recover the game but Thomson was too strong and won the game 11-8 to win the match 3-0.

Tessa Ter Sluis  (1) (NED) vs Katriona Allen (5) (SCO)
Number one seed Tessa Ter Sluis opened her campaign against Katriona Allen.  Dominant early squash saw Ter Sluis take the first game 11-3.  Ter Sluis’s game continued to dominate the game to take the second game 11-5 giving her a 2-0 lead.  Allen started the third with some good quality squash to test Ter Sluis, but Ter Sluis was too strong and converted her first match ball 11-7.

Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) vs Grace Gear (4) (ENG)
Marta Dominguez Fernandez of Spain faced Englishwoman Grace Gear in the final match of the day.  Dominguez Fernandez started stromgly, winning the first game 11-5, she continued her form into to the second game taking the game 11-7.  The third game initially followed a similar pattern with Dominguez Fernandez taking an early lead, but Gear recovered to get her first game ball at 10-6, converting to recover a game 11-7.  Fernandez Dominguez took a 5-1 lead in the fourth game.  Gear pulled back to 5-4, before Fernandez Domingues pulled away to 9-4 and got her first match ball at 10-6 converting it to take the match

Courtesy Gibraltar Squash Association

For further reports and images click here