Defending champion Rachel Arnold survived a shaky start to reach round two of the China Open in Shanghai after battling past Hong Kong China’s Tsz-Wing Tong. The Malaysian, who claimed her biggest PSA title here last year, looked tense early on and admitted that the pressure of defending the crown affected her performance.
World No.22 Arnold fell behind 11-7 as Tong capitalised on errors, but the Malaysian settled in during the second and third games, winning 11-7 and 11-6. Tong, who appeared to be carrying an injury, repeatedly attempted to stop play but was denied an injury break, losing focus as Arnold moved ahead. The 33-year-old recovered in game four, saving two match balls before Arnold edged it 12-10 to seal the match.
Arnold, who next faces No.5 seed Nele Gilis, said she was “not too pleased” with her display but relieved to push through the nerves. She will be joined in round two by compatriots Aira and Aifa Azman, who defeated fellow Malaysian Ainaa Amani and Ireland’s Hannah Craig, respectively.
In the men’s draw, Hong Kong China’s Alex Lau upset Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller, while France’s Sebastien Bonmalais beat Egypt’s Karim El Hammamy in a fiery contest. China’s home wildcards Yuning Zhang, Ziyi Liu, Haizhen Li and Penglin Zhou all exited on day one. Round two continues tomorrow at the Diamond Squash Center.
