Qatar Classic
1st Round I played Suzie Pierrepont from England. She's been playing well recently since moving to America so I was warmed up and prepared for the start of the match. I didn't make a good start and went 7-1 down in the 1st game. I changed my game plan abit and hit the back corners better and managed to get back into the game. Suzie hit the tin abit and I won the 1st game 11-8. In the 2nd I went down again but not as far as 7-1. I was trying to win the rallies too quickly and it wasn't working. Again I tried to hit the back corners and it worked winning the 2nd game 11-9. The 3rd felt the most best game from me. I played at a better pace and ended up winning the 3rd game 11-8. I was pleased to get off 3-0.My last 16 game was seeded to be against Jacklyn Hawkes from New Zealand. However, she lost 11-9 in the 5th to Aisling Blake from Ireland. So I warmed up ready to go against Aisling. She was bound to be abit tired from her long match with Jakyln so I wanted to extend the rallies in the beginning and make it hard. She played ok in the 1st game but just made a few errors. I was moving well and forcing errors aswell. I took the 1st game 11-5. Then the 2nd game she hit also of unforced errors and I was keeping the pressure on whenever we did get into a few rallies. I won the 2nd 11-3. The 3rd was a similar pattern. I played well and she didn't play so well. I took the 3rd 11-4 and was pleased to make my first ever quarter finals of the Qatar Classic without dropping a game.
The quarter finals were all on the glass court. I was playing Natalie Grinham and was feeling good for the match. I'd been playing well and she hadn't been playing aswell as she has done in the past. I thought it was a good opportunity. Unfortunately I didn't capatalise on the opportunities I did have. There were a few.....I was gameball up in the 1st game and lost it. Then won the second game 11-2. Then in the 3rd was 7-3 up playing great attacking squash and then went abit defensive and lost it 11-8. The 4th I was up again gameball and lost it 13-11. I was pleased because I played well but I had opportunties to take it to the 5th game at least. I'll learn from it for next time.
On to Hong Kong now.