R1 : Nada Abbas (Egy) 3-0 [wc] Nour El-Sharkawy (Egy) 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (19m)
Well, the Talent Factory hasn’t dried out yet. Yes, Nada was always going to win, if only on fitness grounds, but to be honest, I was pretty impressed with the game intelligence from the 17 years old, HR333!
The crowd was “toute entière à sa cause”, completely on her side, and although they were respectful in clapping Nada’s lovely shots – which she made many – they were loud and appreciative when Nour was showing what she can do with the ball.
Some lovely rallies, with Nada losing a bit of focus at times, to the greatest pleasure of the young challenger, and overall, a very pleasant match with a young lady we are sure to see again very soon IsA….
Nour : It’s my first ever big event, less alone Platinum, it’s a really nice experience. I could have maybe moved a bit better, but Nada is older, more experienced than me, so all credit to her.
I think I played my best today, and all my friends and family came, and also family from my friends!
It’s my home club, everyone here supported me, so I’m really happy.
Nada : I’m really happy, it’s never easy to play a wildcard, especially in Egypt against a young Egyptian,” said Abbas.
“They’re always fearless and want to win, so I’m really happy to be through and I’m looking forward to my next match.
“Two years ago, I was the young Egyptian, now I feel so old. It was really nice to play when we are young here, there is no pressure and you always want to play and enjoy it. It was a good feeling to be young.
“I’m not thinking about results, to be honest. I’m focusing on my performance so I can get better at every tournament. I’m taking it step by step and I’m looking forward to my next match, hopefully I play well.
“It’s really nice to have people that believe in me and support me here cheering me on. It always gives me a push, so I’m glad they’re here.”
