AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, CMC – Guyana’s international squash star Nicolette Fernandes made a smooth start to the Forexx World Open on Sunday, easily defeating South African Adel Weir in her first-round qualifier.
Fernandes, contesting her first World Open Championship since 2006, needed just 29 minutes to eliminate Weir in straight games at the Frans Otten Courts.
Weir gave a spirited performance but the former World No.27, in her comeback year from injury, reeled off a solid victory 11-7, 12-10, 11-6.
“She was running for everything so it was a tough match, I’m happy to get through it in three,” said Fernandes, who recently recaptured the Caribbean Women’s title.
“Last time I played the World Open was three years ago, so it’s nice to be back and to get the first match out of the way,” she added.
In the second round of qualifying to get into tomorrow’s start of the main draw, the 26-year-old Fernandes will face Hong Kong’s Joey Chan, who had drawn a first-round bye in qualifying.
The first-round victory gave Fernandes a boost for last night’s match against Chan.
“I think I’ll feel more comfortable (in the second round), even though I’m playing a stronger opponent,” she said.
Forced out of the game in April 2007 because of a career-threatening knee injury, Fernandes returned to the pro circuit in March this year.
Inactivity had plunged her out of the Top-200 in the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) ratings and she is back on the rise, showing at 103rd in the September rankings.
At the 2006 World Open in Belfast, Fernandes had scored the biggest win of her career when she upset World No.8 and tournament sixth seed Jenny Duncalf, of England, 9-3, 9-0, 9-7, in the first round.
She lost her second round match to the Briton Laura-Jane Lengthorn but her triumph over Duncalf and other good results earned her the World’s “Most Improved Player” prize at the 2006 WISPA Awards in London.
