2010 WUC Squash Update: Chorley Raises Hopes Of GB World Double In Melbourne

MELBOURNE – English student Emma Chorley pulled off an impressive upset over home hope Melody Francis in today’s (Tuesday July 13th) women’s World University Squash Championships semi-finals to set up the prospect of the first ever double British gold at the 7th staging of the event at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

The 22-year-old 3/4 seed from Bridgwater in Somerset, a student at Bridgwater College, battled for four games to overcome Melody Francis, the second seed from nearby Sunbury who was leading Australian hopes in the world championships.

Despite being ranked almost 100 places lower in the world, Chorley charged to an 11-5, 8-11, 11-2, 12-10 victory over the world No55 from Deakin University to claim her unexpected place in the women’s final.

Chorley will now face the event’s highest-ranked player after top seed Annie Au despatched Britain’s Kirsty McPhee 11-5, 11-2, 11-2.

The 21-year-old from Hong Kong, ranked 16 in the world, arrived in Melbourne fresh from victory in the Des Pyramides Open in France last week – her seventh title on the professional WISPA World Tour. Au has also achieved significant success in the region after winning the Australian Open in Clare, South Australia, against expectations in August 2008.

And it was another Briton who denied the Au family double celebrations at Monash University after Joel Hinds beat Annie’s younger brother Leo Au 13-11, 11-8, 11-8 in the men’s semi-finals.

Hinds is seeded to win the men’s crown – and will be hoping that Chorley can spring a second upset to stand alongside him on the winner’s podium.

But the 23-year-old from Birmingham University – who is making his third successive appearance in the event after losing to the eventual champions both in 2006 and 2008 – will face still opposition in the final from Jens Schoor, the second seed from Germany.

Schoor, the 23-year-old world No 103 from Koblenz who is ranked just two places behind Hinds, ended US interest in the event when he beat 5/8 seed Todd Harrity, from Princeton University, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6.

The men’s final will mark Hinds and Schoor’s first meeting – though Au and Chorley will be celebrating their second clash after first doing battle in the semi-finals of the Dutch Junior U19 Open exactly four years ago in Amsterdam, where left-hander Au prevailed in five games.

(Source: Howard Harding on behalf of the WSF)

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