Misaki Kobayashi became the first Japanese player to reach the quarter-finals of the World Games Squash Championship when she upset eighth seed Samantha Teran in the second round of the 9th edition of the multi-sport games being held for the first time in South America, in the Colombian city of Cali.<\/p>\n
The World Games squash action – featuring 40 of the sport’s leading men and women athletes, representing 20 member nations – is taking place at Club Canasgordas, which boasts six glass back courts plus an all-glass show court.<\/p>\n
Kobayashi, ranked 36 in the world, made her breakthrough with a hard-fought 11-9, 4-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 victory over Mexican Teran, a former world No11 now ranked 25 in the world.\n<\/p>\n
“I’ve played Samantha twice before this year and beaten her both times – so this makes it three,” said the beaming Tokyo-born 23-year-old. “I felt relaxed and had no pressure to win. I look forward to playing Natalie, whom I have never played before.”<\/p>\n
Kobayashi’s next opponent Natalie Grinham was runner-up in the 2009 championship in Chinese Taipei and won a record three gold medals in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Now representing the Netherlands, third seed Grinham beat Brazilian hope Thaisa Serafini 11-3, 11-8, 11-5.<\/p>\n
An unlikely Kobayashi double looked on the cards when Misaki’s younger brother Ryosei Kobayashi, an unranked 19-year-old, took a 2\/1 lead over 9\/16 seed Christopher Gordon in the men’s first round. But the 27-year-old US champion dug deep to see off the teenager 11-7, 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9.<\/p>\n
But the effort clearly took its toll as world No45 Gordon then went down 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 to England’s No2 seed Peter Barker in the second round.<\/p>\n
Barker will be the sole English men’s quarter-finalist after compatriot Tom Richards became the only second round seeding casualty. Lacking match practice after a four-month layoff with a serious hamstring injury, fifth seed Richards was unable to hold off Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet, going down 11-6, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10 to the 9\/16 seed from Aix-en-Provence.<\/p>\n
“Just to release his anger and frustration, Tom flung his racket onto the ground,” reported event spokesman Major Maniam. “It was a match he so much wanted to win.”<\/p>\n
But there was unexpected English success in the women’s event when 9\/16 seed Emma Beddoes beat Donna Urquhart, the sixth seed from Australia, in a surprise straight games triumph.<\/p>\n
“I’ve never played in this region before so did not know what to expect,” said world No33 Beddoes after her 11-7, 13-11, 11-7 victory. “I focused on stepping forward and controlling the T – furthermore Donna was a little error-prone today!”<\/p>\n
Beddoes will now face Low Wee Wern, the No2 seed from Malaysia who received a walkover after the withdrawal of Pakistani number one Maria Toor Pakay.<\/p>\n
Indian hopes in the event ended when an out-of-sorts Joshana Chinappa lost 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 to Australia’s No5 seed Rachael Grinham, runner-up in the 2005 championship.<\/p>\n
“I felt like my head was going to explode,” said Chinappa. “I’ve never played in such conditions.”<\/p>\n
Australian Ryan Cuskelly had to dig deep to overcome former US champion Julian Illingworth. The No8 seed from New South Wales was 2\/0 up and cruising – then Illingworth staged a mighty fight-back to draw level. After a promising start in the decider, Illingworth fell away leaving Cuskelly to secure an 11-3, 11-4, 9-11, 10-12, 11-2 win.<\/p>\n
“I had two easy games and I thought I had it in the bag and took it easy,” explained New York-based Cuskelly later. “Julian came on strong, and I lost my way. In the fifth I stepped up to the T and took charge like I did in the first two games – and it paid off!”<\/p>\n
The final match of the day was between home favourite Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Indian Mahesh Mangaonkar. It was the match every Colombian was waiting for – and world No19 Rodriguez, the second highest-ranked South American of all-time, did not disappoint.<\/p>\n
“His athleticism amazed the audience,” said Major Maniam after the popular sixth seed’s 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 victory. “Nothing should be taken away from the young Mahesh who fought gallantly for two games before he ran out of gas in the third against a supremely fit and speedy opponent.”<\/p>\n
Squash Championship – Men’s 1st round:<\/strong><\/p>\n Christopher Binnie (JAM) bt [9\/16] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 12-10, 11-8, 12-10<\/p>\n [9\/16] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt Andras Torok (HUN) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7<\/p>\n [9\/16] Yousif Nizar Saleh (KUW) bt Anderson Cardona (COL) 12-10, 13-11, 11-9<\/p>\n [9\/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Diego Elias (PER) 5-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6<\/p>\n [9\/16] Christopher Gordon (USA) bt Ryosei Kobayashi (JPN) 11-7, 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9<\/p>\n [1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [9\/16] Shawn Delierre (CAN) 11-3, 11-6, 11-1<\/p>\n [8] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [9\/16] Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-3, 11-4, 9-11, 10-12, 11-2<\/p>\n [4] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Christopher Binnie (JAM) 11-8, 11-4, 11-5<\/p>\n [6] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [9\/16] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 11-9, 11-7, 11-4<\/p>\n [9\/16] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [5] Tom Richards (ENG) 11-6, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10<\/p>\n [3] Simon Rosner (GER) bt [9\/16] Yousif Nizar Saleh (KUW) 11-4, 11-3, 11-5<\/p>\n [7] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [9\/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7<\/p>\n [2] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [9\/16] Christopher Gordon (USA) 11-8, 11-5, 11-8<\/p>\n [9\/16] Franziska Hennes (GER) bt Mary Fung-A-Fat (GUY) 11-2, 11-2, 11-3<\/p>\n [9\/16] Catalina Pelaez (COL) bt Edina Szombati (HUN) 11-3, 11-2, 11-3<\/p>\n [9\/16] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) bt Laura Tovar Perez (COL) 14-12, 10-12, 11-5, 11-5<\/p>\n [1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [9\/16] Franziska Hennes (GER) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4<\/p>\n [7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [9\/16] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 10-12, 11-5, 11-8, 12-10<\/p>\n [4] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [9\/16] Catalina Pelaez (COL) 11-7, 11-7, 11-8<\/p>\n [5] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [9\/16] Joshana Chinappa (IND) 11-6, 11-6, 11-3<\/p>\n [9\/16] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt [8] Samantha Teran (MEX) 11-9, 4-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8<\/p>\n [3] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt [9\/16] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 11-3, 11-8, 11-5<\/p>\n [9\/16] Emma Beddoes (ENG) bt [6] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-7, 13-11, 11-7<\/p>\n [2] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt [9\/16] Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) w\/o<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Misaki Kobayashi became the first Japanese player to reach the quarter-finals of the World Games Squash Championship when she upset eighth seed Samantha Teran in the second round of the 9th edition of the multi-sport games being held for the first time in South America, in the Colombian city of Cali.<\/p>\n The World Games squash action – featuring 40 of the sport’s leading men and women athletes, representing 20 member nations – is taking place at Club Canasgordas, which boasts six glass back courts plus an all-glass show court.<\/p>\n Kobayashi, ranked 36 in the world, made her breakthrough with a hard-fought 11-9, 4-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 victory over Mexican Teran, a former world No11 now ranked 25 in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-others"],"yoast_head":"\n
RESULTS: World Games, Cali, Colombia<\/strong><\/p>\n
2nd round:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Women’s 1st round:<\/strong><\/p>\n
2nd round:<\/strong><\/p>\n