CAIRO: Laura Massaro stayed on course to become the first player to win three world titles in a year when she overcame old rival Annie Au of Hong Kong 12-10, 12-10, 11-2 to reach the World Squash Championship quarter-finals here on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old titleholder saved game points in both the first two games against Au, the world number nine, who has in the past had some notable wins over the Englishwoman.

This time though Massaro was at her most resilient in crisis moments, particularly when the referee unaccountably stopped the rally with Au leading 10-9 in the second game, apparently thinking the ball was down, but eventually requiring the point to be replayed.

If Massaro manages to go on to a successful title defence on Saturday, she will do so only nine months after becoming champion, and only two weeks after heading up the England squad which regained the world team title at Niagara Falls.

“I like to think that my strengths are my adaptability and also sticking to my game plan,” she said. “Annie can be a difficult opponent and playing last match at night can make the ball really cool.”

Meanwhile, El Tayeb, who progressed with an 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3 win over Rachael Grinham, the 37-year-old former world champion from Australia, will have other worries.

She is in the middle of final exams in economics at the American university in Cairo, and claims she spent five hours studying the night before her second-round match.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Second round: Nour El Tayeb (EGY x8) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS x11) 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3; Raneem El Weleily (EGY x3) bt Dipika Pallikal (IND x14) 7-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6; Alison Waters (ENG x5) bt Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG x15) 11-7, 11-6, 11-3; Laura Massaro (ENG x2) bt Annie Au (HKG x9) 12-10, 12-10, 11-2.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2014