Akanksha Salunkhe and Cheng Nga Ching both produced stunning comebacks in their round one matches of the City Tattersalls Group Australian Open 2024 Bronze-level event at the University of Sydney.
Salunkhe overturned a 2-0 deficit against Jacqueline Peychä to win 3-2: 8-11, 12-14, 13-11, 11-3, 11-9 in 55 minutes and deny the Austrian an appearance in the second round of a PSA World Tour event for the first time.
Meanwhile Cheng secured her place in round two by fighting back from 2-1 down against Yasshmita Jadish Kumar in one of the opening matches of the day, claiming a 3-2: 16-14, 5-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 victory.
“I’m very happy to get through to the second round,” said Cheng.
“This is my second Bronze event – the first one was in Hong Kong. It was a really tough match for me in the first round because we played up to 14-12 in the first game. It was a really important game for me as she came back as she changed the pace. But I managed to get back in the fourth and the fifth.
“I tried to move her around the court and I think she was a little bit tired, so I tried to move her as much as possible, dominate the ‘T’ and play some good shots.”
Home hopes in the men’s draw were ended in round one, with Australian trio Joseph White and tournament wildcards Rhys Dowling and Dylan Molinaro exiting.
Round two of the City Tattersalls Group Australian Open 2024 begins tomorrow (Thursday March 21), with play getting underway from 15:00 (GMT+11). All the action will be streamed live on SQUASHTV.
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Results – Men’s First Round: City Tattersalls Group Australian Open 2024
Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 13-11 (56m)
Edwin Clain (FRA) bt Matthew Lai (HKG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 (44m)
Brice Nicolas (FRA) bt Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-0: 12-10, 11-2, 11-1 (31m)
Abhay Singh (IND) bt Joseph White (AUS) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 (41m)
Noor Zaman (PAK) bt [WC] Dylan Molinaro (AUS) 3-0: 13-11, 11-6, 11-9 (32m)
Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt [WC] Rhys Dowling (AUS) 3-1: 12-10, 8-11, 11-2, 11-3 (53m)
Wong Chi Him (HKG) bt Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-1: 11-7, 11-5, 5-11, 11-7 (53m)
Tang Ming Hong (HKG) bt Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-2: 11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5 (62m)
Draw – Men’s Second Round: To Be Played March 21st
[1] Victor Crouin (FRA) v Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA)
Edwin Clain (FRA) v [5] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG)
[8] Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) v Brice Nicolas (FRA)
Abhay Singh (IND) v [4] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)
[3] Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) v Noor Zaman (PAK)
Spencer Lovejoy (USA) v [7] Leung Chi Hin Henry (HKG)
[6] David Baillargeon (CAN) v Wong Chi Him (HKG)
Tang Ming Hong (HKG) v [2] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
Results – Women’s First Round: City Tattersalls Group Australian Open 2024
Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) bt Jacqueline Peychär (AUT) 3-2: 8-11, 12-14, 13-11, 11-3, 11-9 (55m)
Aira Azman (MAS) bt Wai Yhann Au Yeong (SGP) 3-2: 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7 (35m)
Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [WC] Madison Lyon (AUS) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (20m)
Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt Yasshmita Jadish Kumar (MAS) 3-2: 16-14, 5-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 (50m)
Ching Hei Fung (HKG) bt Nadia Pfister (SUI) 3-0: 14-12, 11-8, 11-6 (37m)
Yiwen Chan (MAS) bt [WC] Erin Classen (AUS) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-2 (18m)
Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-2: 14-12, 6-11, 11-9, 5-11, 14-12 (63m)
Haya Ali (EGY) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (16m)
Draw – Women’s Second Round: To Be Played March 21st
[1] Salma Hany (EGY) v Akanksha Salunkhe (IND)
Aira Azman (MAS) v [6] Aifa Azman (MAS)
[5] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) v Jessica Turnbull (AUS)
Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) v [3] Rachel Arnold (MAS)
[4] Tomato Ho (HKG) v Ching Hei Fung (HKG)
Yiwen Chan (MAS) v [7] Ka Yi Lee (HKG)
[8] Marie Stephan (FRA) v Sarah Cardwell (AUS)
Haya Ali (EGY) v [2] Amina Orfi (EGY)
